Shrimp Masala
I’m always looking for new ways to serve shrimp besides making shrimp scampi. This is a wonderful, quick shrimp recipe that is bursting with flavor due to the many fragrant spices that are used in the masala paste. Using spices in a dish is a great idea if you’re watching your sodium intake because there’s no need to add extra salt because the dish is packed with flavor from the spices. Serve this dish over steamed basmati rice and a piece of warmed naan bread (found in the bread aisle or with store-made fresh bread in most supermarkets). This dish will satisfy your craving for ethnic cuisine!
From: Foodandwine.com
Time: 45 Minutes
Servings: 2-3
Ingredients:
Masala Paste:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- Seeds from 1 cardamom pod, or 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon anise seeds
- 1 whole clove
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- One 1/2-inch piece of cinnamon stick, broken
- 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- Salt
Shrimp
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- One 1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced paper-thin
- 1 15-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice, chopped
- 1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
- Salt
Directions:
- MAKE THE MASALA PASTE In a spice grinder, combine the coriander, cardamom and anise seeds with the clove, crushed red pepper, cinnamon and peppercorns and grind to a fine powder. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the oil, vinegar, ginger, garlic and turmeric. Season the masala paste with salt.
- MAKE THE SHRIMP In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the garlic, onion and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the masala paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the shrimp to the skillet in an even layer. Simmer, turning once, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes, then serve.
MAKE AHEAD
The masala paste can be made 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The recipe can be made through Step 2 up to 4 hours ahead. Reheat before adding the shrimp. SERVE WITH Steamed white rice and naan bread.
About foodswithbenefits
Hey everyone! My name is Emy and I am planning on going to graduate school in the fall with the ultimate goal of becoming a Registered Dietician and practicing in community, educational, mass media or food industry settings. Having danced for 15 years and majored in drama, where both fields place an emphasis on appearance, I have seen friends and peers struggle with their weight or go to extreme measures to lose weight. By sharing some recipes I hope to show that you don't need to eat nuts and lettuce all the time to lead an improved, healthier lifestyle.
Even though my parents each worked full time when I was growing up, they always managed to put a complete dinner on the table, and we always ate as a family. Over the years, eating a home cooked meal became a core value of mine. Immediately after college (and after four years of cafeteria food), I learned basic cooking techniques from my father because I wanted to be able to put complete dinners on the table for myself without relying on the nearest fast food joint. I could barely turn on the stove, and had never even sliced an onion -- it was a daunting task. After a while, my cooking skills improved and I began to realize that “home cooked” did not necessarily mean “healthy.” I was interested in making simple substitutions to the typical red meat, potato, and frozen vegetable dinners we usually had without making the food taste bland. These small changes included cooking with less butter and more olive oil, making salad dressings instead of using store bought ones, using more fresh herbs and spices, roasting vegetables instead of serving them in a cream or butter sauce, and eating less red meat while consuming more fish, poultry, and pork.
I believe that small steps should be taken when trying to change a person’s lifestyle. Expecting a person to completely overhaul all their poor eating habits instantly is not realistic for long term success. It is extremely difficult for many people to abandon cooking the recipes they grew up on or learning how to cook a meal from scratch. I've been there, and I hope this blog inspires someone else to pick up a chefs knife for the first time and cook a meal from scratch.
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