Pizza with Spicy Shrimp and Fennel Onion Chutney #CookedinTranslation

Our 'Cooked in Translation' host this month is Pola from An Italian Cooking in the Midwest and she chose Pizza as the theme!!Who doesn't love a Pizza!Its one versatile dish that can take so many different forms and every way its made, its tastes delicious!

My pizza dish is inspired by two things, my love for Indian chutneys and Seafood!I'm making my own fennel onion chutney and adding sautéed shrimp to go underneath some fresh mozzarella!I've made this pizza using Middle Eastern Flat Bread, since I find it extremely easy to use and the perfect size for one person.Its also a time saver since its already cooked and 5 minutes is all it needs under the grill :)

My fennel onion chutney is the star of this pizza!Its perfectly caramelised, sweet, salty, acidic all in one.I've used cooked Shrimp here and mix it with some spices that contrasts beautifully with the sweet chutney.I've sprinkled a little amount of mozzarella since, I did not want the flavors in the onions and the shrimp to be overpowered with the cheese.The result is a healthy, elegant pizza that is so different and so delicious!

Pizza with spicy Shrimp and Fennel Onion Chutney
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Ingredients:

Middle Eastern Flat Bread-2
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese- 1 cup

Fennel Onion Chutney:

Yellow Onion-1 large sliced thinly
Fennel Bulb-1 medium sliced thinly
Extra Virgin Olive Oil-1 tbsp
Ginger powder-1 tsp
Garlic powder-1 tsp
White Vinegar-1 tbsp
Orange juice- 1/3 cup
Brown Sugar-2 tbsp
Pepper-1 tsp
Salt-to taste

Spicy Shrimp:

Shrimp (cooked)-2 cups
Garlic Powder-2 tsp
Ground Coriander-1 tsp
Garam Masala-1 tsp
Red chilli powder (cayenne)-1 tsp
Salt- to taste

Process:
Heat oil in a pan and add all the chutney ingredients.Let it come to a boil.Reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes until the onions and fennel are soft and caramelised.Check the seasonings.Your chutney is ready.

Mix the spices with the Shrimp and saute or grill on medium high until golden.Take out and keep aside.

Take a flat bread and spread the fennel onion chutney all over.Top with the shrimp and the mozzarella cheese.Broil on high for about 5 minutes or until you see the cheese all melted and golden.Garnish with fennel fronds and serve!

Seafood and Chorizo Paella

My love affair with Paella began when I first had it about six years ago in this cute little restaurant that we frequented.They served the most delectable Seafood Paella steaming hot with lobsters,shrimp, mussels and clams all decoratively arranged on a huge platter that was so visually appealing that we couldn't wait to dig in.

In my pursuit to find the one perfect recipe I tried hard probing the net.I even found a recipe and tried it, but the first time I made it I wasn't much impressed with the sticky consistency of the rice.I had used Long grain Basmati rice and didn't quite get the rice to liquid ratio resulting in a rather sticky Paella.
Determined to try again I set on my quest once more to find the perfect Paella recipe and that led me to a blog that I absolutely love called Adora's Box with tons of lovely recipes.

This recipe is inspired from Adora's Paella recipe.The few changes I made were:
I used Arborio Rice.
Added some Chorizo Sausages.
Cooked on the stove-top.
Didn't use red bell peppers or squid because I didn't have any!

This time the Paella came out beautiful!!Exactly as I'd imagined it to be.The Arborio rice was nice and fluffy, not at all sticky and the flavors blended beautifully.

Seafood and Chorizo Paella
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Ingredients:
Arborio Rice-2 cups
Onion (medium)-1 chopped
Garlic- 4-5 Cloves Crushed
Saffron-1 tsp
Tomato paste-1 tbsp
15 oz can of crushed tomato
Shrimp-12 pieces peeled and deveined
Chorizo Sausages-2 cut into rounds
Mussels-about 12
Fish Stock-3 cups
Frozen Peas-1 cup
Olive Oil-2 tbsps
Salt- to taste

Process:

Heat some of the stock in a pot and add the mussels.Parboil them just until they open up.Strain them and mix the liquid back into the fish stock.
In a paella pan or deep skillet heat olive oil and add the Shrimp.Cook until pink on both sides.Take it out and keep aside. In the same oil add the Chorizo sausage and brown them on both sides.Take them out and keep aside.Add the onions and garlic into the skillet along with tomato paste and can of tomatoes.Fry for about 2 minutes and add the rice and saffron.Add the fish stock and bring it to a boil.Once it starts boiling reduce the heat, cover the skillet with a tight fitting lid and cook for 15 minutes or until all the stock is absorbed.
Open the lid and arrange the Shrimp, sausage, mussels and peas and put the lid back on.Let it cook for 5 more minutes.You can serve the Paella as it is or transfer in a tray.Garnish with fresh parsley!

Goan Style Shrimp Curry

Every region in India has its own unique method of preparing dishes.This dish here is inspired from Goa that is popular not only for its natural scenic beauty but also for its spicy Goan cuisine with the use of coconuts, vinegar,tamarind and red chillies.Being a spice buff, I'm quite fond of Goan dishes and was looking for an easy recipe for some time.


I stumbled upon this one during one my many internet searches.Its adapted from Suvir Saran and Hemant Mathur's Devi (their restaurant in NY) and featured in NY Times.Glad to have found this because, its very easy, quick and delicious to say the least.I have made some minor changes, like adding tamarind  and using a little vinegar, but if you don't have those ingredients you can omit them and still enjoy this recipe.


The aroma is unbelievable, while I'm cooking this.I wish you could smell my kitchen right now!!The heat from the red chillies is balanced by the tanginess of the vinegar and the sweetness of the tomatoes and coconut milk.You can substitute chicken, vegetables or any other fish instead of shrimp.It will surely be a crowd pleaser at your next gathering.Go on give it a try!


Goan Style Shrimp Curry
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Ingredients:


Large Shrimp peeled and deveined- 1 1/2 lbs
Ground Black pepper-1 tsp
Salt- to taste
Cayenne pepper(red chilli powder)-1 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste-1 tbsp
Canned Tomato- 2 cups
Onion-1 finely chopped
Dried Red Chillies- 4
Ground Coriander-2 tsp
Curry Powder-1/2 tsp
Tamarind pulp-1 tsp
White Vinegar- 1 tsp
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp
Coconut Milk-1 1/2 cups
Fresh Coriander(Cilantro)-for garnish


Process:


Place Shrimp in a ziplock bag and mix with some salt, cayenne.Mix well and referigerate.


In a deep skillet, heat oil.Add the dried red chillies.Stir for 1 to 2 minutes.Add black pepper and cook for another minute.Add onions and saute for a few minutes, until translucent.Add ginger garlic paste, coriander, turmeric and cook for  a few more minutes.
Reduce heat to medium low and add the tomatoes and keep stirring often.Increase the heat to medium high and keep stirring for about 5 minutes.Add the tamarind pulp and vinegar.Stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 minute.Add the coconut milk, bring to a boil and add the Shrimp.Bring to a simmer and cook unitl the shrimp is opaque about 3-5 minutes.Garnish with cilantro.Serve hot with rice!


Source-NY Times