Curry

Naan

OK, I’m a sucker for East Indian food. And especially curry. But when you live outside a large metropolitan area it can be very difficult to find good Indian food. And since driving into Seattle is tantamount to driving a nail into my knee (Seattle traffic is horrible), I find my only choice is to make Indian food at home. Which is fine. But darn, I like variety. And that is exactly what a restaurant can provide.

So, what to do? For me, it’s to prepare a curry unlike the one I have been making since my kids were young. (Which BTW, is mighty tasty, but probably not a recipe you would find anywhere in India. Curry Sauce for Chicken, Shrimp, Beef, or Lamb. Check it out. My kids loved this curry sauce.)

Anyway, with this recipe I added traditional East Indian spices and made some naan to go with the curry. And served the curry over brown basmati rice. And the result was very good. In fact, damn good!

So, if you too love curry, but live in an area where a great Indian restaurant is easier to find than a Trader Joe’s (we don’t have one of those close by either), then make this recipe. It tastes like it came from a fancy restaurant but is rather easy to make. Served with naan, life is good.

So, I hope you enjoy this recipe. It does contain a few unique ingredients, but then cuisines from different countries call for ingredients that are new and often times exciting. Embrace the difference. Our world has a lot of wonderful taste experiences just waiting to be tried. So, don’t be afraid to venture into the unknown. Life is to be lived. And new taste sensations are a great way to live your life to the fullest.

On that happy note, peace and love and world cuisine to all.   

Creamy Shrimp Curry

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 T. Garam Masala

¼ tsp. ground cardamom

2 tsp. paprika

½ tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. granulated sugar (opt.)

2 T. unsalted butter

½ white onion, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

2 bay leaves

2 T. tomato paste

1 T. flour

1½ c. whole milk

2-3 T. sour cream

1 lb. uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into bite sized pieces

1-2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, to taste

In a small bowl, whisk the salt, pepper, Garam Masala, cardamom, paprika, chili powder, turmeric, and sugar together. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 30 seconds.

Add the spice mix, bay leaves, tomato paste, and flour. Cook for about 2 minutes.

Whisk in the milk. Bring the sauce to a high simmer and cook for 7-10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced slightly and thickened a bit.

Add the raw shrimp and cook until done. Add the sour cream and lemon juice to taste and adjust other seasonings. Serve over steamed rice. (I like brown basmati rice for this recipe.)

I also like to serve naan with curry. So, below you will find my recipe for Easy Baked Garlic Naan. And when I say easy, I mean EASY!

EASY BAKED GARLIC NAAN  

3 T. hot water 

3 T. whole milk

½ tsp. granulated sugar

1½ tsp. active dry yeast

½ tsp. kosher salt

2 T. sour cream

1¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, or more as needed

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

½ tsp. dried parsley

3-4 T. melted unsalted butter

In the bowl of your stand mixer, add water, milk, sugar, and yeast and leave alone for about 5 minutes.

Add salt, sour cream, and about 1¼ cup flour. If more flour is needed, add in tiny increments. Knead the dough with your dough hook for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and soft. Cover and let the dough rise for about an hour or until it doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  

Divide the dough into 4 equally sized balls and cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the garlic, parsley, and melted butter together in a small bowl.

Using a light dusting of flour, roll out the dough into thin, oval shapes. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and generously slather most of the garlic butter mixture on top of the naan.

Transfer the baking sheet into the pre-heated oven and bake for 4 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Flip and bake for another 3-4 minutes or until brown spots appear.  

Remove from oven and brush the top of the naan with the remaining butter mixture just before serving.