Shrimp and Vegetable Korma with Papri Chaat

What could possibly be better than homemade Indian food? It keeps the same delicious spices and flavors that we all love, but lightens up the cream and salt that is often used in restaurants. You won't find ghee or deep frying in the recipes below, but hopefully my variations on Korma and Papri Chaat still stay relatively true to the authentic versions. Best of all - you can eat these, guilt free.

I've made some more authentic Korma in the past, so this one takes a bit of a fusion twist on it. Instead of yogurt and cream, I use a light coconut milk to try to capture the rich feel without the calories. Then, for the papri chaat, I use the traditional ingredients of potatoes, chick peas, tamarind, yogurt, and cilantro but skip the puffed rice since there is no Indian grocery in D.C. (Yes, that's actually true.) Let me know what you think and if you make additional changes in the comments below!

Difficulty: easy
Time:40 min
Cost: $30.24



Shrimp and Vegetable Korma
Time: 40 min

Ingredients:
1.5 c basmati rice (uncooked)
3 tsp butter
1 lb rock shrimp
1 c onion, diced
2 tbsp ginger, peeled and minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 c frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 c potato, chopped (1/2" cubes)
1 c vegetable broth, no salt added
1 tsp flour
1 can low-fat coconut milk
2 c cauliflower, chopped

First, get your rice cooking, as it takes a while to simmer. Follow the instructions (omitting all salt and oil) to cook the rice.

As soon as your water is set up and the rice process is chugging along, we'll turn to the rest of the meal. Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add 1 tsp of butter, swirling to coat as it melts. Add the shrimp. Saute for 3-5 minutes, stirring fairly frequently, or until finished cooking. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

Put the rest of the butter in the pan and swirl as it melts. Add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring just often enough to keep from burning. Then, add the ginger and garlic. Saute for 1 minute, stirring the entire time.

Add the cumin, red pepper, turmeric, and cinnamon to the onion mix. Mix well and saute for 1 more minute. The spices should begin to create a rich smell as they cook.

Add the edamame and potatoes to the pan and saute for 30 seconds. Then, to the side, mix the broth, flour, and coconut milk together in a bowl with a whisk until evenly combined. Poor the milk-broth mixture into the pan with the potatoes. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Put the cauliflower in the pan, mix well, and then cover and let it simmer for another 8-10 minutes. Add the shrimp back to the pan 2 minutes before the cauliflower is done, mixing to make sure it is evenly distributed. Serve the korma over the basmati.

Papri Chaat
Time: 25 min

Ingredients:
2 large russet potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, diced
2 tbsp fresh mint, diced
1 tsp cumin
3/4 c plain fat free yogurt
4 tbsp tamarind chutney
papa dum (optional)

Pierce the potatoes with a fork, so they are pierced numerous times. Then put them in the microwave for 7-8 minutes. When finished, let them cool enough so that you can handle them, and then coarsely chop them so they are about 1/2" cubes. Set them aside for now.

Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp of olive oil, swirling to coat. When the oil has heated, add the chickpeas. Let them saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring a few times so they cook evenly. They should just heat and lightly crisp here. Pour the chickpeas into a large bowl.

Heat the remaining 2 tsp of olive oil in the pan, swirling to coat. Add the potatoes and saute for 7-8 minutes, stirring only occasionally. They should brown and get crispy in spots. When they're finished, add them to the bowl with the chickpeas.

Sprinkle the cumin, cilantro, and mint into the bowl. Toss well so everything is evenly mixed. Then, take the yogurt and spoon it over the top. Finally, spoon the tamarind chutney over the yogurt.

Serve as is or with papa dum. This dish can be eaten warm or at room temperature.