For many years pre-op, Friday signalled not just the end of the working week for me, but also curry night! This was the time to get out the take-away menu and order an Indian feast. Occasionally we still do that and I judiciously choose a spoonful of this and a dollop of that from the array that has been chosen by others who haven’t the constraints of bariatric surgery eating to consider. It works to a degree …
But I have hankered after my own bowlful and tried and developed an array
of curries over the years (see previous recipes below in related articles). This is the latest … it’s a prawn curry but would probably work with other fish chunks or even chicken, and has a yogurt base rather than a coconut milk one. I have used a normal (rather than fat-free) Greek yogurt which holds up well with cooking and gives the sauce a lovely creamy texture and still compares favourably fat-wise with even reduced-fat coconut milk. If you wish to make this curry in a hurry then you can always substitute the spices for 1-2 tsp of your favourite curry paste mixture (to taste).
Ideally marinate the prawns/shrimp for at least 4-6 hours prior to cooking (overnight is probably best). Serve with rice if you like – I served mine with cauli rice flavoured with Indian spices (which you can now buy ready-prepared in a sachet). The recipe serves 2 (since I have had a couple of requests for smaller recipe ideas) but can be doubled or trebled to serve more. Friday Curry Night is back!
PRAWN/SHRIMP CURRY
Ingredients
METRIC/US
300 g/2 cups peeled raw prawns/shelled shrimp
5 tbsp natural Greek or other thick yogurt
1/2 small fresh red chilli or 1/4-1/2 tsp lazy chilli (to taste)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
low-fat cooking spray or mist
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp ground coriander/ground cilantro
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2-3 small tomatoes, chopped
chopped fresh coriander/cilantro, to garnish
METHOD
- Mix the prawns/shrimp with the yogurt, chilli and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill for 4-6 hours or overnight.
- Generously spritz a pan with low-fat cooking spray or mist. Heat, add the cumin seeds, turmeric, garam masala, mustard seeds and ground coriander/cilantro and cook for 1 minute, stirring well until fragrant.
- Add the onion and garlic, mixing well and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 2 minutes, then add 120 ml/1/2 cup boiling water. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Stir in the prawns/shrimp and the yogurt marinade. Cook over a gentle to medium heat until the prawns are opaque and just cooked through.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with the chopped coriander/cilantro.
SERVES 2
WLS PORTION: 1/2-3/4
CALORIES PER PORTION: 228
PROTEIN: 31.6g
CARBOHYDRATE: 14.9g
FAT: 4.9g