John’s Curry Shrimp & Potatoes

Looking for a curry dish that has just the right balance of taste, texture and spice? Look no further than my husband’s recipe for “John’s Curry Shrimp and Potatoes.”

My love affair with Indian food started when I met my husband several decades ago. On one of our first dates, he cooked a romantic meal of Tandoori chicken with lentils in peppers. I was hooked, not just on my future husband but Indian food! And through the years, we’ve made a conscious effort to try this cuisine where ever we traveled. Our visit to London only cemented our love for this cuisine. Indian food is extremely popular there. After all, the UK now celebrates National Curry Week every October. And, one day, I hope to travel to India and explore the culture and people of this amazing country.

So, let’s start in the beginning. Curry started in India, right?

The answer is a resounding “No!” Actually curry has nothing to do with Indian food. There is no such thing as curry, although people might occasionally use the word as a British English term. Korma, from Mughlai cuisine is probably the closest Indian equivalent to curry. A meat of your choice is braised in a fried spice “paste,” consisting of a variety of spices plus onions, garlic and ginger . The sauce is often thickened later by adding cream or yogurt. So…

Who invented curry?

“The first curry recipe in Britain appeared in The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse in 1747.”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curry

Now that you have a bit of “curry” history, are you ready to cook this delicious recipe? Let’s begin by gathering all the …

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds medium shrimp
•  Juice of one lime
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro stems
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled, mashed and chopped
• 2 ½ tablespoons Caribbean style curry powder
• 1 pound potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 1/2-inch dice
• 1  yellow Scotch bonnet pepper or habanero pepper
•  Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

• Peel and clean the shrimp, reserving shells with tails. Put the shrimp in a bowl and mix in the lime juice and chopped cilantro stems. Set aside for at least 1/2 hour.
• Meanwhile, place the reserved shrimp shells in a large stockpot and cover with a quart of water. Slowly simmer over medium heat for 1 hour. Strain and reserve.
• In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat and sauté the onions, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they begin to stick to the pan and turn light brown. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the curry powder and stir for 1 minute, being careful not to burn the spice. Add the chopped potatoes, stirring to coat with the curry-onion-garlic mixture.

• Add the pepper* and 2 cups of the shrimp stock. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover, and simmer slowly for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the potatoes soften and begin to thicken the sauce. (If the mixture becomes too dry, add additional shrimp stock.)