curry me back

i'm back and it's my first autumn. trees are turning red. time to cook red!

vancouver is a good place to find different cuisines as the city is built with different cultures of the world. indian stores are everywhere. as a newcomer here, we got lost somewhere around the city and got into a good indian store.


ge got different curry mixes, some are sold in pouches, some are sold by the kilo. here is a simple way of preparing a simple dish but making it appear real!

we also found a pack of mixed dry curry spice. my best guess is that it has crumbled kafir, whole mustard seeds, whole fennel seeds and whole corriander seeds. i liked this one as this pack retained the texture of the spices and not just a fine powdered mist that you would never know what's inside.

Red Curry Shrimps

1 pouch red curry paste
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic
1 big knob fresh ginger
1 tablespoon of mixed curry spice
1 cup yogurt
1 can coconut cream
1 big can chickpeas
2 cups peeled shrimps

on a pan with hot oil, add ginger. mix till the aroma fills your kitchen. ginger may be more. i actually used 1 giant knob of ginger instead of a conservative big knob. add onions and garlic. garlic need not be browned. add the dry mix spice. saute a bit then add the red curry paste. your whole house will now be engulfed with the curry essence.

add the coconut cream and yogurt. set the fire to medium low. add the chickpeas. simmer for about 5 minutes. watch the pot and don't let it boil over. it should be in a slow simmer and never a rolling boil. this is to prevent the cocounut cream from curdling.

you don't have to add water as we will make a thick curry sauce. simmering will take about 8 to 10 minutes or until the consistency of sauce had thickened a bit.

add shrimps and simmer for another 2 minutes. add chopped chili if preferred. serve with tons of basmati rice!

one of my friends is mad at me because of no foodie updates. this one's for him who's first name starts with j and ends with j. i guess he knows who he is.