Easy, Quick Homemade Curry!

I little while ago I posted about our favorite Indian restaurant in Munich. We like to go as much as possible, but when we don't feel like getting out, but want a curry, I just make a curry! When you look at a recipe for an Indian dish, the ingredients and the steps can look quite daunting, but this recipe shouldn't make anyone nervous. It is quick, easy, and perfect to throw together on a weeknight. I'm not claiming that this dish is authentic Indian. All I know is my husband and I love it.

There are 3 parts to this meal: the curry, rice, and a cooling yogurt sauce. What's great about this recipe is that you can change or add just about anything and make it your own. If you like curry or you've never had curry, try this recipe. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Shrimp Tikka Massala
Serves 2 generously

For the rice:
1 cup Basmati rice
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon Turmeric
1/2 cup frozen peas

For the yogurt dipping sauce:
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
1 teaspoon olive oil

For the Tikka Massala:
8 oz shrimp (frozen is fine), defrosted and patted dry with a paper towel
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1-2" piece fresh ginger, outer layer removed and finely grated
2-3 tablespoons minced fresh chili, depending on taste (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons garam massala
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
15oz can of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup half and half
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
salt

The first thing I like to do is get the rice prepared for cooking so I can put it on the stove as soon as I'm ready.

Place all of the ingredients for the rice, except the peas, into a small saucepan with a lid. Set aside.

Then, prepare the cooling yogurt sauce. Combine all of the ingredients of the sauce and set aside. I like to leave this deconstructed. I think it is beautiful this way and people can mix up the sauce at the table.

Now, to start on the curry!

Place the yogurt, cumin, ground coriander, and a fat pinch of salt in a small mixing bowl.

Add the shrimp to the yogurt and mix everything thoroughly.

Get a stove top griddle and turn it on high heat. Place the shrimp on the griddle and leave them on one side without turning them until the coating starts to char. At this point turn the shrimp and char on the other side. The time will depend on how large your shrimp are. Just make sure the shrimp are cooked through without drying them out.

Once the shrimp are finished, remove them from the pan onto a paper towel and set aside. Don't be afraid of this char. The taste is rich and not at all a burnt flavor (I wouldn't lie... I'm extremely sensitive to burnt flavors and hate them... this char is perfect. Trust me!)

To start the sauce, chop the onion and garlic and grate the ginger. I used a red and yellow onion because I had two tiny onions instead of one medium one.

Heat the tablespoon of butter in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted add the onion.

Once the onion is translucent (about 5-8 minutes), add the garlic and ginger and cook for about two minutes. While this is cooking, chop up the chilies if you're using them.

Add the chilies, garam massala, curry powder, and a pinch of salt. Stir everything around for about 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and water. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan while adding the tomatoes and water to deglaze the pan. Bring everything to a boil, then turn it down and simmer for 10-15 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken.

Put the saucepan with the rice on medium-high heat and cooked, covered for 15-20 minutes.

After the sauce has simmered and thickened, add the cream, lemon juice, and shrimp to the sauce. Combine everything and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the sauce is the consistency you like. Right before serving add the chopped cilantro and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

When the rice is finished, turn of the heat and add the frozen peas. Stir everything around. The residual heat will cook the peas to perfection.

I moved the rice to these lovely wooden bowls. I love the color of the rice in contrast with the peas. The flavor is just as beautiful.

I put the curry into a bowl so we could take what we wanted at the table.

This was so good. It was spicy but lighter than a regular curry. The rice was soft and fluffy and that yogurt sauce was to die for. By the way, don't tell anyone, but I warmed up some flour tortillas to act as a bit of Naan bread to soak up every drop of curry. I know this is blasphemy to some, but it worked just fine for us and if you want to do the same, by all means... Your secret is safe with me ;)

Give this curry a try. You'll love it as much as we did!

Happy Eating!