Mike Wolfberg's Recipe for Mild Shrimp Curry
This is one of a dozen recipes developed by Mike for a Concord/Carlisle
Massachusetts Newcomers Gourmet Group dinner which
took place on 1-Mar-75.
This appetizer was prepared
by a volunteer for the cocktail party.
- 1/2 tsp. white poppy seeds (do not substitute
blue-black)
- 1 tsp. coriander seeds
- 1 small onion (1.5 oz.)
- 1 large clove of garlic
- 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1.5 tsp. mustard seeds
- about 3/8 oz. fresh ginger root
- 1 TSP. dried unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. tomato paste
- 5 TBL. and 2/3 c. water
- 1 tsp. coconut oil
- 3/4 lb. (about 30) shelled and deveined medium shrimp
- Place the white poppy seeds and coriander seeds in an
ungreased frying pan over very low heat. Toast these seeds for 7 minutes,
shaking the pan about once per minute. While the seeds are toasting, peel
and coarsely chop the onion (to yield 1/4 c.) and garlic, and set them
aside for use in step 4. After 7 minutes have passed, add the cumin seeds
and continue toasting for another 45 seconds, shaking the pan constantly.
Remove the pan from the heat.
- Place the toasted seeds in a dry (small) jar of an
electric blender. Add the mustard seeds to the jar, cover, and blend at
high speed for 1-2 minutes to yield a fine powder.
- Scrape or slice away the brown skin of the ginger root
and discard. Chop the ginger to yield 1 tsp. and add it to the blender
jar.
- Add to the blender jar: chopped garlic, chopped onion,
coconut, turmeric, slat, tomato paste, and 5 TBL. of water. Cover and
blend at high speed for 1-2 minutes to yield a smooth mixture.
- Have 2/3 c. of water and a tablespoon handy near the
stove to use during the next two steps. Also for the next step you will
have to run hot water over the bottle of coconut oil to melt enough of the
solidified oil to use.
- In a one- to two-quart saucepan, heat the coconut oil
over medium heat. Using a rubber spatula, empty all the mixture from the
blender jar into the pan. Stirring constantly, fry the mixture for 8
minutes. If after about 5 minutes the mixture begins to stick and burn,
add 1 TBL. of water and stir to avoid burning; you may have to do this a
few times.
- After the 8 minutes of frying, add the /3 c. of water
(possibly minus a few tablespoons) to the pan and stir until smooth.
Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and set aside for 1-2 hours before
serving.
- Cut each of the shrimp in half crosswise to yield two
pieces of the same weight (i.e., the tail half will be a little longer).
Return the cut shrimp to the refrigerator.
- One to two hours before serving, return the saucepan to
the stove and warm the sauce over low heat while stirring one minute. Add
the shrimp pieces, stir, cover, and remove from the heat.
To
serve: Return the saucepan to the stove, and simmer the shrimps in the sauce
uncovered over low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring often. Serve on a plate
with toothpicks. This recipe serves 10 when served as an appetizer along with
the similar Hot Shrimp Curry.