Pineapple Shrimp Peppers

Using Shrimps in any dish brings out the unique flavor of the sea. I love prawns (popular name for shrimp in India) any way cooked. This recipe I made for community contest, I am part of and there were some rules to cook only specific ingredients. It was a little challenging but I remembered this recipe which was shown sometime back on TV. And trust me you will keep licking your fingers... and will definitely go for a second serving!!! Great as appetizers for parties or serve it with jasmine rice to make a seafood entree. Either way you chose this Pineapple Shrimp Peppers won't let you down.

Adapted from one of the great Indian cooking show 'Khana Khazana' by Sanjeev Kapoor Ji, made some minute changes to adjust to my taste palette.

Pineapple Shrimp Peppers
Source: Adapted from Khana Khazna (SK)
Cuisine: Indian Cuisine
Prep time:15 mins Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves: 4 people


Ingredients
2 cups Pineapple, medium chopped
1 1/2 c red and yellow pepper, roughly chopped
2 big cloves of garlic, finely chopped
20-22 large shrimps(optional for vegetarians)
4 tsp sugar
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
freshly ground black pepper
salt as per taste
1/2 cup water
2 tsp olive oil
Non stick pan for cooking
chopped parsley for garnish

Method:

• First heat oil in a nonstick pan, add garlic when oil is little warm. Saute garlic till it changes color.
• To this add pineapple pieces and mix well, add salt and saute on medium high flame for a minute. Then add sugar and 1/2 cup water, cover with a lid and let it cook for 5 more minutes.
• Now add the crushed red pepper flakes, paprika powder and garam masala powder and cook until all the water evaporates
• Time to add the shrimps and red pepper and yellow pepper, you can use any colored pepper(capsicum) like green or orange too! Mix all the ingredients well and add freshly powdered black pepper and check for salt.
• This dish is ready in no time, Serve it with your favorite rice item or like an appetizer.
  

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Spicy Salmon in Tangy Tamarind and Tomato sauce

Those were my initial days when I used to search for Indian fish in American waters....errr!!@#.. american fish market or better to put it in words asian fish market on american soil... popularly called as chinese market by "desis" in USA. I was confused by their english names and appearance, Fish in India are little smaller in size here everything is Jumbo size.. I was so tired of searching our Indian fish there too!! .... Then one of my neighbour in India who lives in Connecticut now, listed me some of the English names for Indian fishes... I quickly noted it down in my notepad and every now and then go back to that list, sigh!!!

My friend 'J' is a malyali and you know they are crazy for fish.... he invited us for lunch during our initial days, when I was still learning and exploring other side of this world, country, people and food. That day apart from all the chicken, mutton dishes he made some "Bangada fry" on his grill. I was so happy to see Indian fish on the menu... he laughed and said " arre main tereko list deta hoon, apana desi machi ko idhar doosre naam se bulate hain, don't worry have your food first karke" Amongst that list he told me that Salmon is very good for our heart and has Omega-3, his wife is a doctor!! From then onwards I started having our desi as well as videshi fishes here and enjoying all the flavor and tastes.

Salmon is one of my favorite fish and cooking with this fish is darn easy. This is a very simple and easy way to kick in some spices into the salmon and get the tangy-ness from the tamarind and tomato sauce. You can use any fish except shark!

Spicy Salmon in Tangy Tamarind and Tomato sauce

Source: My Own
Cuisine: Andhra Cuisine
Prep time:15 mins Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:
1 pound/½ kg of salmon fillets (you can use any fish)
3 medium tomatoes, yields 2 cups when chopped
small marble size tamarind (roughly 1 tablespoon)
1 red onion, chopped
3-4 green chillies, chopped
2 tsp freshly crushed garlic and ginger
7-8 curry leaves
½ t turmeric powder
2 T of olive oil/any cooking oil
for marinating the fish
¼ t freshly crushed black pepper
¼ t cumin powder
1 t chilli powder/paprika(adjust according to your spice level)
1 t salt
for garnish
¼ C chopped cilantro
¼ C chopped green onions

Method:

• Soak the tamarind in ¼ cup hot water for 15 minutes and pulp it out, yields approximately two tablespoon full of the pulp
  
• Cut the fish fillet into 2 inches rectangle pieces, add some sea salt and let it sit for 5 mins. Then rinse the salmon fillets and add the rest of the ingredients under 'Marinating' and keep it aside.
• Chop the onions, tomatoes, green chillies. Heat oil in a kadai or medium sauce pan. Turn the heat to medium and add chopped onion, green chillies and fry till onions are translucent. Add little salt to sweat the onions. Then add curry leaves, crushed garlic and ginger, you can use ginger garlic paste as well. fry for a minute and add chopped tomatoes, mix well and let the tomatoes cook approx 10 mins or so.
• Once the tomatoes turn out mushy add the turmeric powder and little salt and half cup water and tamarind pulp. Cover with a lid and let it cook further.
  
• Once the sauce starts to bubble its time to add the fish. Add the marinated salmon and turn the flame to medium low or simmer, cover and let the fish cook in the sauce for about another 10 minutes.
• Check for spice and salt, add if needed! Garnish it with chopped cilantro and chopped green onions and serve it with hot steamed rice, Yummm--oo!!

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My Style Shrimp Fry with authentic Indian spices

My Style Shrimp fry

Shrimps are one of my favorite seafood. They are low in fat but high in cholesterol. I know these days some people are avoiding eating shrimps/prawns because of its high levels of cholesterol and not good for heart and overall health. Having them sometimes a year is kinda okay for me. I generally have then seven to eight times a year!! Yes, it is true that shrimps are my favorite but JB doesn't like it much so I avoid cooking at home and rather eat them outside. I love having them at Chinese buffets as appetizers, Thai entrees, salads, pastas and sometimes make them at home in our Indian way.

So far posted only a single recipe on shrimp, this shrimp fry is a traditional way I cook whilst experimenting different flavors and spices with it. The recipe is simple and easy to follow, all you need to do is get a small bunch of curry leaves, coz that adds the real flavor and aroma to it. The best place to shop for curry leaves is the local Indian grocery stores.

Shrimps really cooks fast in about 6-7 mins or so. Once they turn pinkish white, curls and turn opaque that means they are done. If your shrimps turn rubbery solid and hard to crack that means you have overcooked them! In this recipe, I used lightly toasted coriander seeds and cumin which gives the smoky aroma to it. Rest all are very common ingredients you will find in any Indian kitchen. Little garnishing makes it worth while.

Ingredients:
20-25 shrimps, fresh or frozen
1 big red onion, minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
2-3 green chillies, avoid if you don't like it too hot
1/2 C curry leaves, finely chopped
1/2 t red chilli powder
a pinch of turmeric/haldi
2 T coriander seeds/dhaniya
1 T cumin/jeera
2 T cilantro/kothambir,roughly chopped
1 T olive oil or any cooking oil
freshly ground black pepper
Salt as per taste

Method:

• If using frozen shrimps thaw them at room temperature and de vein them and clean under running tap water. Add a tsp of salt,cover with a plastice wrap and refrigerate it.
  
• Dry roast the coriander seeds and cumin separately, cool and grind it into fine powder.
• Chop finely the red onion or mince it in a food processor, its the easy way to chop onion finely.
• Heat oil in a kadai and add the onions to it, fry for a min and then add chopped shallots and chopped green chillies.
• Add a pinch of salt to sweat the onions and then add finely chopped curry leaves. This is the main ingredient that gives flavor to this dish.
• Add turmeric/haldi, ground coriander-cumin powder, chilli powder and freshly ground black pepper. Fry for a min, sprinkle some water in between and cook till all the raw smell is gone for about 4-5 mins.
• Lastly add the shrimps, salt and mix well so that all spices are blended together, cover and cook for 6-7 mins on medium flame.
• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve with hot rice or biryani.
  

more Shrimps from Padma's Kitchen:
My Style Shrimp curry

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My Style Shrimp Curry

Shrimp tops everyone's list when questioned about one's favorite seafood. Shrimps are also known as 'Royellu in Telugu', Zinga or Kolambi in Marathi'. Dried shrimp is commonly used in Andhra and Maharashtrian cuisines frequently and they taste great with eggs, bottle gourd, ridge gourd and eggplants. Being living in coastal cities like Mumbai (Bombay) and Visakhapatnam, got a chance to try all varieties of seafood readily available fresh out of fisherman's net.

I remember in Mumbai when the early morning local train reaches its destination the Machiwala's (fisherman also called a Kolis) rushes out of the luggage compartment with big baskets of fresh fish to the local markets. Early hours also means very busy hours in the streets of Mumbai while I used to catch the 7:53 am Kalyan start fast Local train to go to Kurla for my work. I used to hear "Machi pani ...Machi pani" in distance when these Kolis (fishermen) used to carry the fish-loads with fishy water dripping. They shout and warn pedestrians about the fishy water that drips and we all use to give way for them.

Gosh! those fishy, smelly memories of Mumbai...... I feel Mumbaites reading this might relate it in some way or the other. Well moving on to the recipe... prawns are very easy to handle in the kitchen but they can be disastrous if overcooked. They will turn out real rubbery and hard to chew on. This curry is my isshtyle recipe for shrimps which is so juicy to taste, delectable and enticing ever, Enjoy my version of this recipe!

Click here to read on how to clean shrimp (video) and for more nutritional info on shrimps click here

Source : My own
Cuisine: Andhra, South Indian
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
Makes: 4 people
Ingredients:
1 pound of devined shrimps
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 large ripe plum tomato, finely chopped
3-4 green chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp red chilli powder, cayenne pepper
½ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
2 tbsps coconut milk
few curry leaves
salt as per taste
1 tbsp cooking oil
roast and grind into smooth paste:
1" stick of cinnamon
2 cloves
½ tsp poppy seeds/khus khus
2 tsp grated coconut (fresh or dried)
2 cloves of garlic
small piece of ginger (optional)
2 dried red chillies
1 tsp of cumin seeds/jeera
1 tsp of coriander seeds/dhaniya
Method:

1. Clean the shrimps as shown in the above links or you can buy cleaned ones. Marinate them with salt and chilli powder, keep covered in fridge for 15 mins.
2. Meanwhile heat oil in a kadai and fry onions for few mins until pink and translucent. Add little bit of salt to sweat the onions and then add green chillies, tomatoes and fry for another 10 mins or so till the tomatoes are soft.
3. Once all the ingredients turn soft add turmeric powder and the prepared paste.
   
4. Fry till the raw smell of the paste goes off. Add the coconut milk and stir in the shrimps. Let it to cook for 5 mins approx.
5. You will know they are cooked when shrimps curl into small circles, immediately turn off the heat you don't want to overcook them and end up eating the stubborn shrimps.
   
6. Serve hot with rice or rotis, Indian bread.
   

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