A 9 am presentation, a 5 pm deadline. The promise of a rain-filled weekend. A carbohydrate-infused dinner the previous night that had turned my mind (and body) into sludge. The extra glass of wine.
Still, I was miraculously rocking and rolling at 7:59 am, ready to take on the day. Feeling smug and all. And then the unthinkable happened.
Car wouldn’t start. Dead battery. And no jumper cables in sight.
I did what a quintessential chick would do. Wailed, threw a hissy fit, yelled at The Boy, sulked. And asked if we should consider getting me a new car.
After some damage control, The Boy and the AAA man were deemed worthy of a Nobel. I made it to my presentation with seconds to spare.
Precisely five minutes later, some idiot burns popcorn (yes, popcorn) in the kitchen on my floor, setting off the mother of all fire alarms. And we shuffle down six floors, laptops and frappucinos in tow.
I ended the day with leftover steamed rice, a bowl of yogurt, and a spicy shrimp curry made with a dot of tamarind. Perfect for those days when ze battery conks out.
Tamarind Shrimp
I normally buy shrimp from the frozen foods section of my grocery. I couldn't be bothered with all the labor that goes into prepping it even BEFORE cooking it. If you don't have access to good quality frozen shrimp, or prefer to buy it fresh, make sure it is peeled, deveined and tail-on before using it in this recipe (I know, I know, but trust me, the results will be worth it). You can use any size. I personally prefer my shrimp small-medium size for Indian cooking, and save the jumbo variety for grilling.
1 lb shrimp
2 medium onions
1.5" piece ginger
5 green chillies
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Fresh tamarind, golf ball size
4 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Chop the onions and grate ginger. Prepare tamarind water by submerging the tamarind ball in a small bowl of hot water for 10 minutes, and then squeezing it into the water (discard the remnants after the squeezing operation). Slit green chillies.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chopped onion, fry until golden brown.
Add ginger, green chillies, coriander and red chilli powder. Fry this mixture for 2-3 minutes. Add tamarind water. Increase flame. After two minutes, add the shrimp. Add salt and give the skillet a few shakes to mix everything. Cover and cook for about 5-6 minutes or until the shrimp is done (take care not to overcook the shrimp since it becomes very rubbery when overdone).
Serves 2-3.
This shrimp curry looks delicious, I must give it a try.
ReplyDeleteHopefully this week will be better for you. Presumably the early morning popcorn eater has learned his lesson. Makes me shudder just thinking about popcorn at that hour!
Any luck with the new car?!
Kamini: Let me know how it turns out. As for the new car, my request was met with much much eye-rolling. :-)
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