Last Tuesday morning I took a Regional Cuisines of India Class at my local Sur La Table. It was fantastic! It was a small class of 5 and we prepared each dish from start to finish. Usually in a bigger class, they have you split up and one group prepares a dish and another group prepares a different one and certain key things are brought to the whole groups attention. This class, however, felt more intimate and individual. The cost of the class was $65 and we ate what me made at the end. We made 5 delicious dishes:
Curried Vegetable Samosas ( Northern India)
Gingered Coconut Curry w/Shrimp (Southern India)
Pork Vindaloo (Western India)
Pineapple-Tamarind Chutney (Eastern India)
Cilantro-Scented Basmati Rice
From top left clockwise: Ginger Coconut Curry w/Shrimp, Samosas, Pork Vindaloo mixed with the Pineapple Chutney and Cilantro Scented Basmati Rice.
I want to share the recipe that I think everyone would like, although it all was very tasty.
Gingered Coconut Curry with Shrimp
Yields 4 servings
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 med. shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced
3 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 med. carrots peeled and cut into 1/4 thick rounds
1 med. red bell pepper, trimmed, cored and cut into 1/8 inch strips
1 (13 oz. can) coconut milk
1 cup fresh or frozen thawed peas
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 bunch (3/4lb) fresh spinach, stems removed
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
1/4 cup cashew nuts for garnish
Heat a large skillet over med. heat until hot but not smoking. Add oil, swirling to coat, then add shallots, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, until shallots are soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add dried spices and cook, stirring constantly, until spices smell toasted, about 2 minutes, taking care not to burn them.
Add carrots and bell pepper strips, stirring to coat with oil and spices. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add coconut milk and green peas, stirring well to combine. Stir in shrimp and spinach. Simmer until the shrimp is pink and cooked through and spinach wilts, stirring often, about 4 to 6 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
To serve, place curry in a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro leaves and cashews. Serve immediately.
