Gone Indian: Spicy Shrimp

George and I love Indian food. Unfortunately, the Indian restaurant in our neighborhood doesn’t measure up to expectations. Although I had vowed not to buy another cookbook, I succumbed to Madhur Jaffrey’s latest opus “At Home with Madhur Jaffrey”. Jaffrey delivers her promise to simplify the use of Indian spices which, to a novice, can be mind blowing. I went to Kalustyan*, the Indian spice mecca on Lexington Ave., and replenished my Indian staples of ground coriander, cumin and cayenne pepper, with  cardamom seeds, cinnamon sticks, and ground turmeric which, according to Jaffrey, together form the cornerstone of Indian cooking.

Menu

Spicy Shrimp
Steamed Rice
Roasted Grape Tomatoes
Wine: Dr. Konstantine Frank, Gewürztraminer, 2007
New York Finger Lakes
Dessert: Fruit Salad

Shrimp Recipe

3/4 pound medium-sized shrimp with shell
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice

I shelled the shrimps, covered the shells with water, brought it to a boil and the let it simmer for 10 minutes. I strained the liquid. Once cooled, I poured it in a mini ice tray and put into the freezer. (This is a good beginning to assemble fish stock.) Next. I patted the shelled shrimps dry and placed them in a bowl together with the turmeric, cayenne, coriander, cumin and salt.

I heated the oil in a sauté pan, added the garlic and let it soften. Then I added the shrimp, lowered the heat and cooked the shrimp until they turned opaque and slightly red, about 3 to 4 minutes. I removed the pan, added the lemon juice and tossed to mix. I placed the shrimps in the center of the plate, and arranged the rice around them.

Since the shrimp dish was my first attempt at Indian cooking, I didn’t make any of the suggested rice dishes, figuring I would be too occupied with the shrimps. As it turned out, I didn’t have to worry. The dish was easy to make and had that intriguing Indian flavor. I’ll definitely venture on.

*Kalustyan
http://www.kalustyan.com/