Shrimply Delicious, Chili-Garlic Prawn

Some days are such, I want dinner made under 10 minutes. This does not necessarily mean I pop in the microwave a TV dinner. By now, you know my habit of cooking fresh and homemade and from-the-scratch. Well, its not really a myth to do all that in 10 minutes. Or 20 maybe.

Here is something that will give Rachael Ray a run for her money – my Chili-Garlic Prawn, with an approximate cook time of 10.

Ingredients for Chili-Garlic Prawn are:

10 large shrimps, remove shell, keep tail and devein. I used the black colossal tiger shrimps from St. Lawrence Market.

For the marinade: 
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 heaped tablespoon cornstarch
Pinch of black pepper powder
Pinch of sugar
White of 1 egg

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl and dunk the shrimps in it. Keep for 20-30 minutes.

For the sauce:
1 medium size onion, yellow or red, cut into quarters and petals separated
5-6 fat cloves of garlic, sliced
3-4 green chilies, sliced
3 tablespoons Sambal Oelek
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon white vinegar
Pinch of sugar
3+3 tablespoons canola oil

Heat half the oil in a Chinese wok. Remove the prawns from the marinade and shallow fry them in the hot oil, turning them mid way. Give each side of the shrimp about 2-3 minutes in the heat, so that its tail curl up and it turns pink. Do this in batches if your wok is small. Keep them aside.

Start with a clean wok to make the sauce and finish the dish. Heat the remaining oil and add the garlic and green chilies. Sauté for a couple of minutes without turning the garlic brown. Toss in the onions. Sweat them on high for 3-4 minutes.
In a bowl, mix together the tomato ketchup, sambal oelek, soy sauce, and sugar. Pour it on the onions, etc. Give it a good stir and let it cook for 3-4 minutes on high heat. Check the seasoning and adjust accordingly. Add the vinegar. I did not add any salt to my dish as all the sauces have ample salt in them.

Now add the prawns to the sauce. Coat them well, cook for 2-3 minutes in the sauce and turn the heat off. Serve immediately with steamed rice or a fried rice you like.


Now who was keeping the time?

Soma’s Eclectic Opulence

That cycle still welcomes you in Soma Ghosh’s home. Its another story that, now its parked in her Mumbai home, which is nestled in one of the finest residential townships of India’s tinsel town.
Soma treasures her vintage possessions and her great editing skills have ensured she has a clutter-free, comfortable and welcoming home.

What would you say of the ceramic vermillion case with a Belgian mirror on its cover, sitting snugly amidst Soma’s silver. That ladies and gentlemen, belonged to her great grandmother!

Soma’s home never bores even a fastidious (read fickle) person like me. The welcoming colors of her urban retreat hold me in a trance, making me wait longer, to linger on and savor each delightful corner with cherished appreciation.

Soma’s decor mission is clean and artistic. Her home is a blend of her own personal style, interests in books and writing, and her knack to rearrange her treasured pieces, if only to celebrate her favorite memories.
I totally am mesmerized at how mere spaces between walls can be completely rehabbed into a nest of eclectic and modern abode.

Thank you, Soma for sharing what you care for.

Rediscovering Apartment 408

Sunlight is becoming a rare sight these days in TO. Sub zero temperatures are looming large o’er my little head. I am like a little plant, I perk up when I have sunshine on my shoulders. As an easy alternative, I now derive my cheer from lights, candles and fixtures in my home which are not tragically expensive. And in the process of rediscovering my home this winter, I am also organizing clutter to make streamlined displays.

This is an African book end, which also doubles up as a tea light holder. Enough to keep the dark lady and me warm.

See the halo around the Buddha? Look closely and you will see just a lamp.

A stoneware bowl in white, red and green to float tea lights and petals.

This little tea light in the aromizer is for warmth from a close range.
That little Moroccan lantern just fills both my heart and home with so much warmth every evening.

Something to keep the Goddess’ feet warm too.

Even the walls cried out loud for some attention and look what they got! This curved henna wall sconce. It makes for great mood lighting on my wall of paintings and photographs. It was hand made by artisans of Marrakech, Morocco. I was told its made of stretched goat skin, natural vegetable dyes and the design you see on this sconce is made from henna. Who is afraid of winter now! I have enough reasons to keep my home warm and toasty.

Oil-free Shami Kebabs, Well Almost

Shami Kebabs are probably one appetizer which has kept united Indian and the Mughal cuisines in every which way. These richly flavored, patty-shaped kebabs are traditionally made with soaked chana dal and shallow fried.

But I was in a hurry to make them and also cater to some non-Indian palates. Hence I chose the oven-route, and used sattu instead of Bengal gram. Baking them in the oven also meant very little oil. Something men and women all over the world are so cautious about.

Ingredients for Shami Kebabs are:

500 mince meat (lamb/goat/beef)
2 eggs
1 small red onion, very finely chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch root ginger, minced
5-6 green chilies, minced
Handful of fresh coriander, very finely chopped
Half a teaspoon of freshly ground garam masala
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
10 whole black peppercorns
2-3 tablespoons sattu
2 tablespoons Canola oil
Salt

In a large mixing bowl, pound together everything except the oil.

Take lime-size balls of the meat mixture and flatten them between the palms of your hands. Makes about 15-17 kebabs.

Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Place the kebabs on the tray and drizzle the oil, few drops on each.

Bake these for 30-35 minutes, turning them at the halfway mark. Alternatively, you can shallow fry them in a hot pan till the meat is cooked through.

Serve with fresh coriander chutney, hummus, slices of onions, and lemon wedges. I like mine with these non-heat, deep fried green chilies.

Also, the winner of my Blog’s first birthday giveaway is Aipi, the desi cook in an American kitchen! Thank you for coming to my party, Aipi.  

P.S. More kebab recipes and pictures from PreeOccupied are here.

Nolen Gurer Payesh

Friday is Sankranti, which means its time to get Nolen/ Notun/Khejur Gur and keep a flickering tradition alive. The winter sun is at its glorious best today, it reminds me of my younger days in India, when my parents would get this famous date jaggery, Bengalis lovingly call Nolen Gur.

We would wait in anticipation when my Grandmother and Mum would get busy in the kitchen, breaking the gur down for sweet winter delicacies - pithe, puli, and payesh. All that is a thing of the past for me now.

What remains now, is just a taste in my mouth, and thankfully its not bitter. Its the smoky, sweet taste of Khejur Gur.

All I have today is a bowl of Nolen Gurer Payesh sparkling in the afternoon sun to remember my past and some forgotten traditions. And I’d like to share it with you…

Ingredients for Nolen Gurer Payesh:

1 liter half and half cream/full cream milk
3 tablespoons Basmati rice, washed and soaked in water
6-7 tablespoons of grated date jaggery/ nolen gur

Begin by doing this test. Boil half a cup of milk and add some nolen gur in it. If the milk curdles, you cannot use that jaggery for your dessert. If it doesn’t you are in for some treat.

In a thick bottom saucepan, boil the milk on low-medium heat, stirring continuously. When its reduced to half its original quantity, add the Nolen Gur. I grate my jaggery and then add it to the milk. It helps to quickly break it down in the hot milk.

Keep cooking the milk and gur by adjusting the heat from time to time. You literally have to babysit the cooking process. The last thing you want is to burn the milk and your precious gur.

When the milk starts to thicken, add the washed and drained rice.

Keep the heat on low and keep stirring all the time. Scrape the sides of the pan into the milk, if a skin forms on the top, mix that in as well, the real taste lies there!

Do a taste test and add a little more gur only if necessary. Remember all food tastes less sweet (or salty) when they are piping hot. Do not overdo the sweetness in the payesh, no one likes a sinfully sweet payesh.

When the rice in the payesh gets cooked, turn the heat off. The milk would have turned thick and adorn a color so rich, only Nolen Gur can flaunt!

Its now time to escape to the taste of tradition with a bowl of Nolen Gurer Payesh.

Its also legal to make Payesh with plain white sugar. Here is the recipe if you don’t have Nolen Gur this winter.