2011-09-14

A guest post by Tanvi Srivastava from Sinfully Spicy - Tomato-Mustard Shrimp Curry


Haallo lovely people, I'm delighted to introduce to you another post from guest post series. This month treat is from Tanvi of  Sinfully Spicy. She is the sweetest girl I have know form blogging world and the one on earth who gave me an award for cooking, may be will be the only one, can't forget for years to come. If you enjoy the the act of love and tad bit of emotions to go with ur food Sinfully Spicy is one place. One thing I have always enjoyed in Tanvi's blog is the way she beautifully pens stories related to the food she makes. Many time it reflects her mom kitchen or her family cooking together which is most case at my home too, so you know why I land in there! Not only you will find delectable spicy food in her blog which she definitely is famous for but bunch of decadent desserts with gorgeous pictures. My fav has always been her popular thumb print cookies.


When my most favorite food is cooked just for me, you will find with me dancing all the way he he ha. Thanks a bunch Tanvi for coming over especially with my favorite prawns :D I'm sure to glare at ur picture till I get them cooked. Girls and boys here is Tanvi of Sinfully Spicy


Hello to all the readers of Ananda's Blog. I have known Ananda & her blog since my initial days of blogging. Her blog is as beautiful & inspiring as its name.Thanks for having me over dear girl, I m honored. When she asked me about a guest post, she did not give me any preference. She said, anything I like. How sweet is that? Having known the wonderful baker & dessert maker Ananda herself is, I did not really want to do anything sweet, which left me with perfect room to stick to my love for savory indian dishes :) I remembered from few initial interactions with her that she loves seafood. This shrimp recipe is one, which I have been wanting to share whole of this summer on blog, but somehow every time I made it, I missed on taking pictures. This guest post presented me with the best opportunity to cater to Ananda's seafood love and share the recipe before summer bids us goodbye.


Unlike most of my recipes which root back to my mom's kitchen, this recipe is what I picked up from one of our neighbors back in Delhi, the indian state I hail from. The recipe has an east indian influence though I wont call it a pure bengali dish. It is perfect for those days when you are looking for curry comfort in the true sense. When I say that, I mean slurping a soupy & spicy broth full of flavors...sans the thick, nutty, creamy textures. The ingredients are few and this is not your normal onion- tomato base for the curry that generally defines indian cuisine. This might not be the prettiest curry around but is different, light, healthy, heart warming & satisfying. It makes appearance on our summer dinner tables at least once a week. Try it before summer goes away!



The freshly ground yellow mustard seeds are the star here. The mild yet pungent & rustic taste from them pairs up well with the sweet & acidic taste of ripe tomatoes. Garlic & fresh green chilies give the paste the required kick and aroma. A dash of nigella seeds (kalonji) enhances the pungent flavor if you manage to lay your hands on them, however they can be dropped if not available. Another thing, which I really want to highlight, is that if you have mustard oil at home; try to use it while making this curry- it makes a ton of difference as far as traditional taste goes but again if you can't get it, its okay. Virgin mustard oil, which is widely used in north & east indian cooking, is easily available in indian stores and on Amazon too, in case you are interested. Lets jump to the recipe now.





I m giving the recipe in two parts. You can make the basic mustard paste and then use it to make curries with boiled potatoes, okra, eggplant, taro root, yams, summer squashes, scallops, hard-boiled eggs, crabs etc. I have tried this recipe with most of the items mentioned & it tastes delicious with all simply because of the mustard (y) flavor.

Ingr edients: - [Ser ves 2-3]

4 tbsp mustard oil (preferred but can be replaced with canola/vegetable oil)
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
1/2 tsp dry mango powder (amchoor, substitute with fresh lemon juice)
7 oz raw shrimp, cleaned [approx 20 nos extra-large shrimp]
1.5 cup water (adjust depending on desired consistency)
Salt to taste

Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish

For the mustar d paste: -

1/2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Nigella seeds (Kalonji)
4 fresh tomatoes (use any variety which is not very sweet)
3 cloves garlic
3 Thai green chilies (adjust to tolerance)
1 tsp red chili powder (adjust to tolerance)
3/4 tsp turmeric powder

Method: -

Make the mustar d paste: - Coarsely chop the garlic, tomatoes & green chilies. Tip in the yellow
mustard and nigella seeds into the blender jar. Grind the ingredients to a very smooth puree. Add
few tablespoons of water if required to grind. This will take about 8-10 minutes since mustard
seeds take few extra minutes to grind. (Soaking in water for 30-40 helps if you have extra time
on hand). Once ground, transfer to a bowl and add turmeric and red chili powder. Mix well & set
aside.

Making the Cur r y: - In a wide-mouthed, heavy bottomed pan/kadhai, pour the mustard oil
and heat it on high till it starts smoking lightly. Once smoking, reduce the heat to low, wait
for 2 minutes and temper the oil with fenugreek seeds. Sauté for 20 seconds till you smell the
aroma. Next, very carefully add the ground mustard paste to the oil. While adding to hot oil, the
paste will splutter so you might want to wear gloves. Add the salt and mix well.
On low heat, cook the mustard paste, covered, for about 15-20 minutes with regular stirring
in between so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook the paste till you see oil
separating on the sides of the pan as well as it changing color to shiny, deep reddish-yellow. As
the paste cooks, it splutters a lot, be careful.
Once the paste has cooked, add the water, check the salt, cover and bring to a boil on high heat.
About 3-5 minutes. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low medium and let simmer for another 6-8
minutes.
Add the shrimp next and cook for another 2-3 minutes till they change color to whitish & a
cooked but tender. Keep a watch as shrimp overcooks fast. Remove from heat, add amchoor (or
lemon juice) and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve warm with steamed rice.

Notes: - If using other vegetables or eggs or meats in this recipe, you will need to adjust the
cooking time.

37 comments:

Pavithra Elangovan September 14, 2011 at 9:32 PM  

Beautiful post and beautiful write up..love all the pictures. Awesome gals :)

Rosa's Yummy Yums September 14, 2011 at 10:19 PM  

A wonderful guest post and recipe! Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,

Rosa

? September 14, 2011 at 10:41 PM  

Dish looks yum!

Flavia Galasso September 14, 2011 at 11:12 PM  

Hi my dear, I missed you and your delicious recipes so much....a big big hug, ciao Flavia

Tanvi@Sinfully Spicy September 14, 2011 at 11:22 PM  

Thanks for letting me do this Ananda..its such a pleasure to know you. I m glad that you liked this dish and will love it more when you make it :)

Torviewtoronto September 14, 2011 at 11:49 PM  

delicious looking dish tanvi
lovely guest post

KrithisKitchen September 15, 2011 at 2:22 AM  

That is a beautiful write up with wonderful pics!!
Krithi's Kitchen
Event: Serve It - Steamed

Baker Street September 15, 2011 at 5:25 AM  

Great to see Tanvi here! Great guest post! The mustard paste sounds perfect!

Reese@SeasonwithSpice September 15, 2011 at 5:42 AM  

So glad that Tanvi sticks to the spicy delicious Indian dishes. Can't get enough of spicy food. Thanks for sharing such a versatile recipe!

Unknown September 15, 2011 at 8:33 AM  

Yummy curry and beautiful clicks

Nami | Just One Cookbook September 15, 2011 at 11:14 AM  

Hi Ananda! So happy to see Tanvi on your blog! Tanvi, your each photo proves how delicious this is. Well I love everything you have been sharing and this is no exception. I love the color of the dish. Beautiful!!!

Prathima Rao September 15, 2011 at 2:58 PM  

Fantastic post!! I started reading the post & drooling at the pics (note - im a veggie) a bit sad that i might not be able to try & taste it..And then i scroll down to see we can use the masala for veggies too!!! I had always assumed that mustard paste for veg would taste strong..But i trust your recipes Tanvi & this is bookmarked!!! Thank u Ananda for this post!!!
Prathima Rao
Prats Corner

alpana September 15, 2011 at 3:49 PM  

The dish looks great & the clicks are amazing.
Good job girls.

Suja Manoj September 15, 2011 at 5:53 PM  

Wonderful dish..makes me drool

Cheah September 15, 2011 at 6:52 PM  

This curry is so tempting and the colour is just vibrant!

Manju September 15, 2011 at 10:44 PM  

ohh wow! Just look at the bright red color of that curry! gorgeous!

Tanvi@SinfullySpicy September 16, 2011 at 12:46 AM  

Thank you everyone for the kind words and thanks Ananda for this wonderful opportunity :) It was such a pleasure.

Vijitha September 16, 2011 at 1:04 AM  

Enjoyed reading the post. The curry looks spicy good. A must try one for sure. I am bookmarking Tanvi's post.

kankana September 16, 2011 at 5:14 AM  

That is a very comforting soup and loving the gorgeous color. Mustard .. shrimp and tomatoes always works wonderfully :) Great guest post girls!

Indonesia Eats September 16, 2011 at 5:51 AM  

Hopped to this blog from Tanvi's link! Now, it's 9.50pm and I'm getting hungry from seeing the lovely pics and recipe

Angie's Recipes September 16, 2011 at 8:16 AM  

What a delicious guest post! Thanks for sharing!

Binys Recipes September 16, 2011 at 9:13 AM  

Awesome recipe and gr8 clicks...gud job

Joanne September 16, 2011 at 3:26 PM  

Especially now that cooler weather has hit, this looks so warm and inviting. I wish I had a spoon that could dip through the screen and into that bowl!

chow! Devaki @ weavethousandflavors September 16, 2011 at 11:35 PM  

The beautiful Bengali spics in this curry is calling to me. And those prawns - what's not to love!Beautiful post! Thanks Tanvi.

ps - Lets hope Ananda gets her PHD out of the way quickly so she can wow us with her desserts again very soon.

chow! Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

chopinandmysaucepan September 17, 2011 at 3:09 AM  

This shrimp curry looks a little mild for my hot chilli tastebuds although the vibrant orange is beautiful.

Magic of Spice September 17, 2011 at 3:46 AM  

This is such a gorgeous dish Tanvi...and the photos are just stunning :)

Janine September 18, 2011 at 4:04 PM  

I'm really glad I popped by, because I not only got to know a new blog but TWO! the photographs are exquisite, and everything about this curry sounds delicious. Definitely trying this out in the near future!

Ilke September 19, 2011 at 3:22 AM  

Great dish, Tanvi, as usual!
First time here, nice to meet you and your blog,Ananda. It is lovely!

Annapet September 20, 2011 at 3:05 AM  

Tanvi, of course I am not surprised that you're sharing another wonderful dish paired with outstanding photography!

This is definitely worth taking Benadryl for me!

Thanks for the Amazon tip for shopping!

blackbookkitchendiaries September 20, 2011 at 3:33 AM  

Great job Tanvi!! this is amazing:)

MaryMoh September 21, 2011 at 11:57 PM  

Thanks very much Ananda and Tanvi for the partnership in blogging! Beautiful post! And I just love that shrimp dish. The colour is so rich and beautiful. I will eat a big bowl for sure as shrimps are my favourite :D Thanks very much for sharing!

Tanvi@SinfullySpicy September 23, 2011 at 1:58 AM  

Thank so much everyone again for liking the dish..it was so much fun reading all the comments. Thanks again Ananda!

Unknown September 28, 2011 at 4:52 PM  

Pictures are truly amazing - I am a ghaas phus and cannot make an informed comment on the taste of this, however, I can surely imagine how appetizing this must be for shrimp lovers :) Wonderful post from Tanvi
Cheers,
Priya
Do check out my blog anniversary giveaways, Ananda

Unknown October 2, 2011 at 7:09 PM  

Bundle of thanks people for stopping by and for your words of appreciation to Tanvi and me!

divya October 19, 2011 at 4:02 PM  

OMG! am drooling here...love it!First time here u have wonderful blog and amazing clicks....love to follow u...

Shema George November 9, 2011 at 7:08 PM  

This looks so perfect!! First time here..You have got an awesome blog with a beautiful collection of recipes...
Shema George www.lifescoops.blogspot.com

Anonymous November 10, 2011 at 3:13 AM  

Yum, yum and more Yum!

 
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