On Monday I had the great pleasure of presenting foods from some different regions of India. The following recipes are from Kerala in the far South of India and one from the Punjab region.
Enjoy!
To Start:
Moscato d’Asti – Beviamo (Italy, #11883)$19.62
Kerala ShrimpThe wine pairings were Gazela Vinho Verde – Sogrape (Portugal, #3416) $8.44
Ripa Magna Corvina Verona 2007 (Italy, #6978) $18.75
1/4 kg small shrimp
1 tsp ground chilies
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp vinegar
1 tbs cooking oil (grapeseed oil or canola so as to not add flavour)
1 large onion, chopped
a few curry leaves
1/4 tsp. paprika or chili powder (depending on how spicy you like the food)
1 tsp coconut oil (optional)
Clean and marinate shrimp in chilies, turmeric and vinegar at least 1/2 hour before cooking.
Heat oil in pan and sauté onion until golden brown. Remove from oil and set aside. Fry the shrimp in the same oil until crispy. Then add the fried onion, curry leaves and optional paprika or chili powder on low heat. Add the coconut oil for good Keralan flavour. Test for salt and serve with rice, roti or chappati, etc.
Kerala Cabbage Thoren Paired with Kingfisher Premium Lager (India, #612606, 330ml) $2.93
“Simple Grog” Cocktail
1 part Gosling’s Black Seal Bermuda Rum (367672) $25.40
1 ½ parts Lime juice
Served with maraschino cherry and orange garnish
Cabbage Thoren
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
salt, to taste
2 tbs oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp black gram dhal or urdad dal *
1 large onion, finely chopped
1-2 green chillies, sliced thinly in rounds
a few curry leaves *
1/2 cup finely grated coconut *
1. Heat oil in a pot on medium high heat and add the mustard seeds.
The seeds will pop. Then add the dhal and fry until it becomes golden
brown. Add onion, green chillies, curry leaves and sauté. When
almost translucent add grated coconut and stir for a few minutes.
2. Toss in the cabbage and add salt to taste. Gently sauté until
water has been absorbed or evaporated.
Note: red and green chillies have a lovely appearance. Cauliflower,
beans, carrots and other vegetables can be prepared similarly.
Saag PaneerPaired with Sancerre “Romains” 2007 – Fouassier (France, #495648) $23.52
Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé – La Playa (Chile, #719400) $13.17
1-inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
6+ cloves of garlic, peeled
1 fresh hot green chili, sliced roughly
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbs "curry powder" spice blend (I make my own but several excellent ones are available commercially)
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
~ 4 tbs vegetable or olive oil
6-8 cups chopped mixed greens (spinach, kale, chard, beet greens, sorrel, arugula, mustard greens, etc)
1 - 2 chopped tomatoes
1 cup yoghurt
1 tbs butter (optional)
salt, to taste
paneer (homemade or available at Dino's on Notre Dame in block or frozen)
1 tsp brown sugar
Place the ginger, garlic and green chili into a small blender with a few tablespoons of water and purée until you have a smooth paste. In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and add the onion. When the onion is translucent, add the spices and cook on medium heat until the spices are soft. Then add the chopped tomato and the ginger, garlic, chili paste. When they have softened, add the greens, slowly so as to let them cook down and stir all together. Add the salt. When the greens have cooked down, add the yoghurt, butter if desired and remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or a blender, mix all of the ingredients into a purée. Return to heat and add the fried or non-fried paneer. Cook slowly with a lid so as to not have the hot vegetables bubble up and burn you.
Serve with rice or naan or other flat breads.
Dessert was an Indian Style icecream of Pistachio Kulfi paired with Amarula Cream Liqueur (South Africa, #342246) $25.99
