PARSI STYLE SHRIMP OR FISH CURRY ( RED )

This is another Parsi Cuisine favorite. Great dish to serve at a party.

It takes a little longer to cook this, but you can make the curry paste and freeze it for future use. I always have a frozen batch to two in my freezer for last minute guests who are always welcome to our home.

For this dish the Parsi " lal marcha nu paste, the red chili masala paste " is a must. So I have given the recipe for the same. Make a lot of this paste and use it in several dishes. Especially the Parsi ones. It freezes really well. Just remove a small jar full and keep in your fridge. Freeze the rest for future use.

LAL MASALO. RED CHILI PASTE.

Ingredients:

200  grams dry red kashmiri chili’s

200 grams garlic

100 grams jeera/cumin seeds

2 tsp salt

6 tbsp cooking red vinegar

2 tbs oil

Method:

Cut the tops of the kashmiri dry red chili’s. Deseed and cut them into pieces, add salt and soak them in vinegar.

On a pan dry-roast cumin seeds for a few minutes and grind to a fine powder. Then add the garlic and the soaked Kashmiri chili’s along with the vinegar and oil and grind to a red paste.

If needed, add a little more vinegar and oil to grind into smooth paste.

PARSI RED CURRY

( serves 6 )

1 bag shredded coconut. (Frozen)

Or

1/2 coconut, fresh cut in small pieces

1 heaped ts jeera seeds.

1 heaped ts khus khus ( sesame seeds )

1 heaped ts Til seeds ( poppy seeds )

1 tbs cashews

1 tbs almonds

1 tbs peanuts (you can avoid this if allergic to peanuts )

8 cloves garlic

1 inch ginger

6 dry Kashmiri red chilies

1 one inch cinnamon stick ground to powder

10 curry leaves or 2 big bay leaves

Juice of two lemons

Salt to taste

Put all the above ingredients in a blender and make a paste with very little water.

The paste should be very smooth in texture. This may take a while.

Rest of ingredients

1 large onion cut really fine

1 can coconut milk (2 cups)

2 tbs Parsi red chili paste.

1 cup water

2 pounds shrimp or then 8 slices of white flesh fish like tilapia

4 tbs oil

METHOD

Heat the oil in a pan.

Fry the onions with curry leaves till onions are brown.

Add paste and fry for 5-8 minutes till the paste stops sticking to pan.

Add the red chili paste.  Stir.

Add the coconut milk and water. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add lemon juice.

Taste for salt. If you like it spicer, add more Kashmiri red chili paste.

Add shrimp or fish and cook till done. Do not over cook.

Serve with rice and onion, tomato and cilantro salad.