If there is one thing that will make Ben straighten up and fly right, it is the promise of good food. He was a model citizen on Saturday when we cooked together. This week, we made a shrimp tikka dish, homemade naan bread, and a cucumber salad. The bag of shrimp we pulled from the freezer had already been hit pretty hard, so the main course was more skimp than shrimp, but delicious nonetheless. Usually we do chicken tikka masala when making Indian food, so it can simmer while I’m wrangling the naan in a 500° oven. This shrimp dish required a hot oven for the veggies (compatible with making naan) but broiling the shrimp. It was just too much to manage.
Once we enlisted Phil’s help with babysitting the shrimp, Ben and I were freed up to concentrate on the naan. I formed it and cooked it while he “painted” it with butter. If you have ever had fresh, homemade naan, you know that making it is a worthy endeavor. I don’t think I have ever had the supermarket variety, and I don’t think I want to. The only thing I am kicking myself for is not making a double batch. Now that’s naan-sense!
Our naan recipe can be found in our recipe index under “Breads, Sandwiches, and Pizza.” Our shrimp tikka dish was inspired by a recipe from Zainab Shah, found in the NYT Cooking section, but we made significant changes based on what we had.
Shrimp Tikka
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1 tablespoon finely grated garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon mild red chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
Salt
1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp
3 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Heat oven to 450°.
- Mix together yogurt, ginger, garlic, spices, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon oil. Add the shrimp, toss to coat, and refrigerate while prepping vegetables.
- On a large sheet pan, toss peppers and onion with remaining tablespoon of oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove pan, flip vegetables, and set the oven to broil on high.
- Place shrimp in a single layer on the roasted vegetables, and broil (6 inches from broiler) for 3 minutes. Remove pan, flip the shrimp, and broil for another 3 minutes.
- Serve with naan because anything else would be naan-sense!
Cucumber Salad
1 English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
¼ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons white vinegar (1/128th of Phil’s gallon container)
1 teaspoon sugar
- Distribute salt evenly over cucumber slices in a bowl. Set aside for an hour to draw out moisture.
- Drain cucumber slices, and with a paper towel, wipe salt and moisture off. Wipe bowl clean of any remaining salt or moisture.
- Combine sour cream, vinegar, and sugar in the bowl. Add cucumber and stir to coat. Taste and add salt if needed.