Tentacles and All

Squid curry

This is what squid looks like before it is cleaned

The ingredients for the curry

Squid curry on brown rice with sides of curried mashed eggplant, yogurt and papadums

Ah squid, you either love it or hate it! The thing to remember about cooking squid is that it takes either a very short time or a very long time to cook – cook it for just 5 minutes until tender or stew it for an hour, but nothing in between. If you don’t like squid then replace with either shrimp (in the shell or not) or blue crabs, they are equally delicious cooked in the curry sauce.

SQUID CURRY

Serves 4

1 pound squid, cleaned and cut into ½” rings

2 shallots, sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1” ginger peeled and finely julienned

6 curry leaves

1 stalk lemongrass, crushed

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp fenugreek/methi seeds

1 heaped tbsp fish curry powder

1 tomato, diced

½ cup water

½ tbsp lemon/lime juice/tamarind pulp

¼ cup coconut milk/milk

½ tbsp salt

1 tbsp oil

• Heat oil, fry shallots until lightly brown then add in the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin and fenugreek; continue frying for 2 minutes.
• Add curry powder, stir for 30 seconds then add tomatoes, water, lemon juice and salt. When this comes to a boil add in the squid and cook for about 5 minutes or until just cooked.
• Lastly add in the coconut milk/milk, cook for about 1 more minute.

Fish Curry

Roti canai with fish curry

When my cousin and her family visit from LA, it is almost a must that the Indian bread paratha or “roti canai” as it is called in Malaysia served with fish curry will be on the menu for breakfast or lunch. This may seem a little unusual to Westerners who are more used to their cereal and milk, or pancakes etc, but for Malaysians who are used to eating coconut rice with “ikan bilis sambal”, or curry noodles, or savory glutinous rice, this is just another normal breakfast.

FISH CURRY
Serves 6 - 8

1 pound white fish, cut into 2” pieces
3 shallots, sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1” ginger peeled and finely julienned
1 green chili, deseeded and sliced lengthwise
10 curry leaves
½ tbsp black mustard seeds
½ tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fenugreek/methi seeds
4 – 6 tbsp fish curry powder
2 cups (about 20) okra/ladies fingers
1 Japanese eggplant, cut into 2” sticks
2 tomatoes, cut into about 6 wedges
1 tbsp tamarind seeds mixed with 1½ cup warm water, soaked and strained
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp oil

• Heat oil, fry shallots until lightly brown then add in the garlic, ginger, green chili, curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin and fenugreek; continue frying for 2 minutes.
• Add curry powder, stir for 30 seconds then add tamarind juice and salt. When this comes to a boil add in the eggplant cook for about 2 minutes then add in the okra and tomatoes, cook for another 2 minutes.
• Lastly add in the fish and coconut milk, cook for about 5 minutes or until fish is cooked through.

Yummy, Yummy, Mutton Curry

There are many really good Indian restaurants close to where we live and occasionally we like to indulge in the all-you-can-eat buffet that most of these places have. One of the dishes that Keith really likes is mutton curry. I do make this at home, and usually in a large quantity because it freezes very well. Leave out the potatoes if you are doing this and instead boil the potatoes separately and add them to the curry before serving.

MUTTON CURRY
Serves 6

2 pounds mutton, cut into 1½“ cubes
6 pips garlic } finely ground
1½“ ginger }
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
5 cardamoms
5 cloves
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 big onion, cut into rings
6 curry leaves
1 big tomato, cubed
3 heaped tbsp meat curry powder
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
½ cup oil

• Marinade mutton cubes with ½ cup yogurt, ground ginger and garlic for 1 hour or more.
• Heat oil, when hot fry cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamom, cloves, fennel seeds and cumin seeds for 2 minutes until fragrant.
• Add in sliced onions and curry leaves and fry until onions are slightly brown, add in the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes until tomatoes are slightly soft.
• Add in marinated mutton cubes and stir until meat changes color. Add in ½ tbsp salt and 2 cups water, cover and cook on low fire for 30 – 40 minutes until meat is tender.
• Add in potatoes and the meat curry powder and cook for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.
• Add in the rest of the yogurt and cook another 5 minutes.