Spicy dry squid curry with coconut milk

Spicy dry squid curry with coconut milk

Squid is also known as calamari or cuttlefish.
Squids are rich in nutrition and they provide protein, calcium, Vitamins B3, B12, C,   zinc, phosphorus and copper,

There is rising concern over the increase in mercury in seafood. But according to Environmental Protection Agency, squids contain less mercury than other seafood.

Squids contain cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium. Therefore excessive intake of squids should be avoided.

Squid are generally used in soups or cut into rings, breaded and fried. Today I am going to make a spicy curry. Unlike prawn, squid has a very bland taste. So, I am adding a little extra spices to make it tastier.

                                    Recipe summary
                                             For
                 Spicy dry squid curry with coconut milk

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4

Spicy dry squid curry

 with coconut milk

1.Heat 2 table spoon oil in a pan and heat it. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium and add 1 table spoon fenugreek seeds, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, cumin seeds,1 5 inch  pandan leaf and 3 dry red chili. Fry for 2 minutes.



2. Add 4 cloves garlic chopped, and 1 sprig  curry leaves chopped and fry for 3 minutes.



3. Add 150 grams onion coarsely, 3 grams red chili (hot) red chili and 32 grams green chili and fry for 10 minutes or until the onion becomes golden brown in colour.

Onion, red and green chili
garlic,ginger and curry leaves

4. Add 10 grams  ginger paste.

Cleaned squid

5. Add one cup of water and add 1 table spoon curry powder and ½ teaspoon
turmeric powder. Cook covered for 10 minutes on medium heat.

6. Add the 500 grams squid pieces and the remaining water.Cook covered for another 20 minutes on slow fire till the squid is cooked.

7. Add 10 grams  tamarind juice,½ teaspoon pepper powder and salt. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

8. Add ½  cup coconut milk and taste for seasoning and adjust.  Cook for three minutes uncovered.

Spicy dry squid curry with coconut milk is ready.

               
Recipe follows in detail with pictures


Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

Main
500 grams squid (calamari, cuttlefish)

Squid or cuttlefish

Cleaned squid

Others
150 grams onion coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 sprig curry leaves chopped
10 grams ginger (1 inch)
5 inch long pandan leaf

Onion, red and green chili
garlic,ginger and curry leaves

32 grams green chilli
3 grams red chili (hot)
3 dry red chili
1 teaspoon salt
10 grams tamarind
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup coconut milk
750 ml water
Spices
1 tablespoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon cumin seeds or powder
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

Preparation
It is necessary to clean and prepare squids for cooking. This is a bit of a chore. This is what you have to do.
1. Pull off the head from the body.

Removed parts of  squid (skin and head)

2. Tentacles are edible. Slice off the tentacles. Push out the beak which is its mouth and discard. Scrape off the suction cups in the tentacles.
3. Remove the quill. This is long transparent plastic like substance.

Remove quill from the squid

4. If you want reserve the ink sac you will have to pull it out first without breaking it. Squeeze the ink out of the sac and empty it in a 1/4 cup of water or vinegar. Squid ink is used to colour and flavour pastas and risottos.
5. Remove the internal organs from the body cavity. If you don't want the ink sac just pulls it out with the rest of the internal organs.
6. Pull the gills off and the skin will come with it. Remove all of the skin.

Removing the skin

7. Flip the inside out and clean any unwanted stuff on the skin.
8. Rinse in cold water.

Cleaned cut pieces of  squid

Grind the ginger in a blender and set it aside. We are using ginger paste to soften the squid flesh. Otherwise it may get hardened during cooking.


Method

In a medium sized frying pan or sauce pan add the oil and heat it. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium and add fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and pandan leaf and dry red chili.

Fry fenugreek, fennel, pandan leaf l and dry chili

 Fry for 2 minutes. Do not slice or break the dry red chili as we want only the aroma from it and not its heat. At the end if the dry red chili turns out to be blackened it is all right.
I used a dried pandan leaf as I did not have fresh leaf at that time.

Then add garlic, and curry leaves and fry for 3 minutes.

Adding garlic and curry leaves

Now add onion, red chili and green chili and fry for 10 minutes or until the onion becomes golden brown in colour.

Adding red and green chili

Add ginger paste

Adding ginger paste

Add one cup of water and add curry powder and turmeric powder. Cook covered for 10 minutes on medium heat.
Now add the squid pieces and the remaining water.
Cook covered for another 20 minutes on slow fire till the squid is cooked.

Adding squid 

Add tamarind juice, pepper powder and salt. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

Add coconut milk and taste for seasoning and adjust.  Cook for three minutes.

The squid curry is ready.

The final stage

 It can be served with rice or any kinds of bread. This is a mouth watering dish.

Spicy dry squid curry with coconut milk