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curry shrimp

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Seafood

Curry Shrimp With Butternut Squash.

27 Comments on Curry Shrimp With Butternut Squash.

How I love me some shrimp cooked in butternut squash or pumpkin.. let me count the ways. This is one of my favorite recipes and it’s a take on another one I shared a while back which our mom is a boss at making – shrimp cooked in pumpkin. But this time we’ll be adding some additional flavor by incorporating a madras blend curry into the mix.  Not only is this a delightful way to prepare butternut squash (you can also use Caribbean style pumpkin), it’s a great way to add flavor to what could be considered a typically boring dish.

You’ll Need…

1 lb shrimp (peeled/deveined)
1 med butternut squash (about 4-5 cups)
1 small onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic crushed
3/4 teaspoon salt (divided)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)
3 tables spoons olive oil (divided)
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon green seasoning
1 tablespoon brown sugar

* For the green seasoning mix, see : Caribbean Green Seasoning. I used a madras curry powder blend from the Caribbean Much different than what you’d find elsewhere and can be found at your local West Indian grocery store and some online stores.

Peel, devein, wash and drain the shrimp and get ready for seasoning. In a bowl place the cleaned shrimp and add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the green seasoning, give it a good mix and allow it to marinate while we prep the butternut squash. Try to not let the shrimp marinate more than 15 minutes.

If you’ve never worked with butternut squash you’ll find it a bit tough to cut and peel, so it’s important that you have a sharp knife. It will have a sort of bottle shape, so the first thing I do is to cut off the sort of ‘neck’ shape (see pic). Make it easier to handle. I then cut the sort of ball shape in half to expose the seeds. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and stuff surrounding the seeds. Discard or save to roast as you would pumpkin seeds.

Then cut into smaller more manageable pieces and peel with a sharp pairing knife or potato peeler. You’ll find the skin is tough and somewhat waxy. Cubed into 1 inch pieces and rinse with cool water. If you’re doing this in advance, be sure to place it in a bowl and cover with cool water so it remains fresh and not discolored.

In a deep sauce pan heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on low heat, then add the diced onion and crushed garlic. Let that cook for about 4 minutes so it releases it’s wonderful flavors. Then add the scotch bonnet pepper, grated ginger (dice fine – wear gloves when handling scotch bonnet peppers and wash your hands with soap) and curry powder. With your heat still on low.. we’re cooking the curry so you don’t get a raw curry taste later on.

Now turn up the heat to med/high and toss in the seasoned shrimp. Cook for 3-4 minutes (we don’t want to over cook the shrimp) with the pot open. Remember to stir well and try to get the shrimp to pick up some of the base flavors we started with. Remove the shrimp and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.

Toss in the cubed squash and give it a good stir. Now add the remaining salt, brown sugar and black pepper. Give it another quick stir, reduce the heat to med/low and cover the pot. Allow that to cook for about 15-20 minutes (remember to stir often). With the lid closed the squash will spring it’s own juices. If you find that it starts sticking to the bottom of the pot, lower the heat.

After 15 minutes, turn up the heat and remove the lid off the pot. We’re now trying to burn off any excess liquid. We also want to control the texture (I like it a like a thick paste) so using the back of my cooking spoon I pressed down on any chunky pieces of squash.

With most of the liquid burned off, it’s time to add the pre-cooked shrimp back to the pot and give it a good stir and taste for salt. Adjust accordingly.

Do try your best to burn off as much liquid as you can so you don’t have a soup consistency. This will heighten the overall flavor of the completed dish and with that curry shrimp base.. it will be fantastic. After adding the shrimp try not to cook too long (about 2-3 minutes) as we don’t want the shrimp to go chewy.

This curry shrimp with butternut squash is good with roti, rice, bread or you can treat it like any typical side. You can certainly leave out the shrimp if you want to keep this a vegetarian dish and if you’re wondering.. there’s enough here as a side dish for 5-6 people.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Gluten Free Seafood

Curry Potato With Shrimp Recipe.

29 Comments on Curry Potato With Shrimp Recipe.

I’ve always had a weakness for curry potato, especially if there was hot sada roti on the side to sap-up the lovely gravy. And I’ve never been known to back away for a good dose of curry shrimp... must be a bit spicy though and not overcooked. So when our mom first introduced us to this dish many moons ago, I was in my little personal Shangri-La. Curry potato with shrimp gives you the rich creaminess of tender potatoes, spiced up with the lovely aroma of the curry powder and the kick of the scotch bonnet peppers are indeed present and jumps out at you (you can certainly control the heat level). The herbal notes of the green seasoning paste used in marinating the shrimp adds another level of true Caribbean goodness which words alone can’t describe.

 

You’ll Need…

4 medium potatoes
1/2 lb shrimp
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon prepared green seasoning
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion
1 1/2 cups water
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon parsley
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon anchar massala
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper

Notes: Use a small to medium sized shrimp for best results (more sweet as we say in the Caribbean). When using and handling scotch bonnet peppers it’s important to wear gloves and do wash your hands with soap and water immediately after use. The seeds and area surrounding it will have the most heat, so remove and discard if you’re overly concerned about the raw heat. I used a Caribbean style Madras curry powder as this is the blend I enjoy using (stuff I grew up eating), but you can use your fav curry powder. If you can’t source anchar massala, you can use about 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (geera) IMPORTANT! Be sure to read the label of the curry powder (and other ingredients) to ensure it’s fully gluten free as some curry powders have added flour as a filler.

Peel and devein your shrimp if you’ve not already done so (something you get them already cleaned in the supermarkets). In the event you’re not sure how to do so, here’s a short video showing how easy it can be.

Wash your shrimp with the juice of a lime or lemon, rinse with cool water and drain. Now add the green seasoning paste to the shrimp and give it a good stir. Allow that to marinate for about 10-15 minutes or so… try not to go too much longer as the green seasoning can start cooking the tender shrimp.

It’s now time to prep the other ingredients. Basically all you have to do is peel and chop the onion and garlic as well as the scotch bonnet pepper. Then peel,wash and cube the potatoes.

Heat a deep saucepan on medium heat and add the vegetable oil, then the garlic and onion. Allow this to cook (reduce your heat to min) for 3 minutes, or until it’s nice and soft and you can get that lovely scent of cooked onion and garlic. Now add the sliced scotch bonnet pepper and curry powder. With your heat still on low, allow the curry powder to toast a bit (2-3 minutes).

Now add about a 1/4 cup of water (not mentioned in the ingredients list) and scrape the stuff off the bottom of the pan. The first step we toasted the curry, this step we’re cooking the curry so we don’t get a raw aftertaste when the dish is done. Bring this to a boil and allow it to gently simmer for 4-5 minutes. Then turn up the heat and burn off all the liquid. The curry paste will go a bit grainy and clump to the cooked onion,garlic and scotch bonnet pepper.

Add the diced potato and give it a good stir, then add the anchar massala and salt and pour in the water. Be sure to scrape off all that goodness from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Then reduce your heat to a simmer and let it cook for about 20 minutes or until the potato gets tender and liquid starts to thicken up (lid closed).

With the potatoes tender, it’s time to add the seasoned shrimp to the pot and give it a good stir. After 1 minute, check for salt (add accordingly) and if you find the sauce or gravy is too thin, using the back of your spoon, crush a few pieces of the potato to thicken the gravy. Keep in kind that as this curry potato with shrimp cools, it will naturally thicken up. So not to overcook the shrimp… turn off the stove, top with the chopped parsley (adds a nice punch of colour) and place  the lid on the pan to allow the residual heat to fully cook the shrimp.

I love using Yukon Gold potatoes or any creamy potato for this dish as the overall texture is simply amazing. Remember if you want to control the heat you can use less scotch bonnet pepper or simply leave it out altogether. This curry potato with shrimp is excellent with rice, roti or bread and  I assure you that even your kids will love this one… if not send me their names and I’ll tell Santa they were bad this year (smile).

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Seafood

The Ultimate Curry Shrimp.

33 Comments on The Ultimate Curry Shrimp.

Here’s another recipe to add to the “Ultimate” series I’ve been sharing from time to time with you. Curry shrimp is one of those simple dishes to make, but it’s very easy to overcook it and end up with shrimp the texture of leather. In this curry shrimp recipe I’ll show you how to have perfectly cooked shrimp that’s very attractive and full of that unique flavor from the way we cook curry in the Caribbean. Enjoyed with rice, roti or any which way you partner your curry dishes, this curry shrimp will definitely excite your taste buds and make an impression on family and friends.

 

You’ll Need….

1 lb shrimp (peeled deveined)
1 heaping tablespoon Madras blend curry powder (I like using a Caribbean variety)
2 scallions
1/2 habanero pepper (as much as you like)
1 medium tomato
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 bell pepper (sweet pepper)
4 tablespoon water for cooking the curry
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

* you’ll also need a couple tablespoon of lime or lemon juice to wash the cleaned shrimp.

Note: If you have the Caribbean style green seasoning mix, use a teaspoon instead of the thyme and cilantro. If you can source fresh shado beni, that would be ideal instead of the cilantro. Bell pepper is something new to this recipe but I like the added flavor, texture and overall look it brings to this dish. I like using a Caribbean style curry powder as I find it to be unique in it’s depth and flavor.

The first thing you need to do (if it’s not already done as some groceries sell already cleaned and deveined shrimp) is to remove the outer shell of the shrimp and devein them. Then squeeze the lime or lemon juice over it, give it a good stir, then rinse with cool water. Drain and get ready to season so it can marinate for a bit.

Chop the scallion, cilantro, onion, peppers, tomato and garlic… I like using the thyme on it’s sprig for the added flavor. When you’re done cooking you can them remove the sprigs. In a large bowl place the now cleaned shrimp and add the salt, black pepper, chopped peppers (habanero and bell), cilantro, thyme and scallions. Give it a good stir and allow it to marinate for at least 20 minutes.

In a large sauce pan, heat the oil over a med/high heat, then add the sliced onions and garlic. Allow that to cook on a med heat for about 3-4 minutes or until they get soft and edges start going golden. Now add the curry powder, give it a good stir and cook for a couple minutes. The goal is to heat the curry powder so it releases all those wonderful flavors. You will notice that the curry will go a bit darker and it will become very grainy. If you find that it’s burning, turn down the heat as we really need this to cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Now it’s time to add the water and make a sort of curry paste (be prepared for that burst of curry scent). It will be runny at first, but allow it to come to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. This step will cook the curry initially so we don’t get that ‘raw’ curry taste when the dish is done. After 4 minutes, turn up the heat to burn off all that water. you will now have a sort of paste.

Now it’s time to add the seasoned shrimp and give it a good stir to pick up all those curry bits from the bottom of the pan. Add everything in the bowl to the pan and have the heat at about medium. You can jump-start things by placing the lid on the pan if you want… this will cause the shrimp to spring a lot of it’s only natural juices (only keep the lid on for a minute or 2). With the lid open and the shrimp going at a rolling boil, you’ll notice the shrimp will start to curl and change color. All we want to do is cook the shrimp for 5-7 minutes from the time you add them. So if after 5 minutes you notice you have  a lot of liquid in the pan, turn up the heat. I like my curry shrimp with a bit of gravy for dipping roti or to put on my rice. But that gravy must be somewhat thick. My mom would never leave gravy and to be honest, if you cook it down all the way… the taste will be a bit different.

Wasn’t that simple? I assure you this could well be the best curry shrimp you’ve ever had.. trust me! In the video below you can follow along in the event I was confusing above in my description.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Seafood Vegetarian

Fiery creamy coconut curry shrimp.

59 Comments on Fiery creamy coconut curry shrimp.

phppedyqtamYou’re probably thinking… “but Chris, you’ve already posted a curry shrimp recipe” . But I assure you that one bite and you’ll experience how different this one is. Spicy, creamy and well balanced with coconut milk. I’m not a huge fan of coconut in my curry dishes as you find in most Asian dishes, as I like to get the real taste of the curry.  It was late one night when I got a bad craving for curry shrimp when half-way through cooking I decided to add the coconut cream as I’ve seen done in similar dishes. The result was a rich creamy sauce that went well with the brown rice I had already prepared.

The only problem was a sleepless night. The dish was just too heavy for the time of the night I was done and got around to eating.

You’ll need…

– 1lb shrimp (peel and deveined)
– 1/8 teaspoon salt (add more to your liking if necessary)
– 1 habanero pepper – including seeds (or you control how hot you want this to be)
– dash black pepper

1 medium tomato
– 2 tablespoon cilantro minced
– 2 cloves of garlic (sliced thin)
– 1 teaspoon green seasoning mix (optional)
– 1 small can coconut cream (about 1/2 cup)
– 1 med onion (diced)
– 1 tablespoon oil
– 1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder (your choice)

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Let’s season the shrimp with everything mentioned above, except the oil and coconut milk. Remember, to control the heat from the pepper you can remove the seeds and not use an entire pepper. I like this very spicy, so in goes an entire pepper. Mix everything together and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.

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In a medium saucepan (one with lid) heat the oil, then add the seasoned shrimp.

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Cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Then it’s time to add the coconut cream.

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With the heat on high, cook for another 5 minutes or so (till the shrimp goes pink and curls in) with the pot’s lid off. This way you’ll allow for the curry sauce to thicken up a bit.

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Do share your thoughts on this recipe by leaving your comment or questions below.

Seafood

Mouth watering curry shrimp with some heat.

163 Comments on Mouth watering curry shrimp with some heat.

When you think Caribbean cuisine you automatically think heat. But as with any dish you’re preparing, you have control over how much heat you’d like to experience. Personally I like things fiery hot, but there are times when you don’t get the true flavor of the dish because it’s overwhelmed by the heat factor. Here’s a very quick recipe that I’ve tested (not perfected yet) for curry shrimp.

You’ll need..

2 lbs fresh shrimps (these days you can find shrimp that’s already peeled and deveined)
1.25 fl oz oil
2 onions, chopped
1/4 of a scotch bonnet or habanero pepper finely chopped up (remember this is how you control the heat)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 sweet pepper chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper
1 1/2 cups water

Peel and devein shrimp if necessary. Heat oil. Add the curry powder and continue to fry for two minutes (as my mom would say.. “let the curry fry-down a bit”). Then add the tomatoes, sweet peppers, salt, pepper and other seasonings. Add water. Bring to a boil then reduce. Add shrimp. Heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until shrimp is cooked. Keep an eye on the shrimp so as not to overcook (depending on the size of shrimp you purchased).

Tips…

a. I highly recommend that you try to get Raja Jahan Special Madras Curry powder. It’s a unique blend of spices that make up a dry curry powder with a hint of Caribbean flavor, since it’s made in Trinidad and Tobago.

b. You can cut back on the amount of water and add some coconut cream to add a delightful twist to the curry sauce.

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BTW, it’s curry shrimp and not shrimp curry as others may tend to call it. Be sure to leave me your comments, suggestions or your own recipe for curry shrimp.