Food Trends and Shrimp Fry

I read an interesting article in the latest issue of Cooking Light, that lists the following food trends worth following -
Locally grown foods
Since produce travels 1500 miles on an average and is picked 4 to 7 days before it appears on supermarket shelves, more people are heading to farmer's markets.
Organic Food
Studies show that on an average organic produce contains 27% more vitamins, 21% more iron and 29% more magnesium as compared to traditionally grown produce. Need one say more?
Slow Food
Slow food embraces the psychological component of preparing meals and eating them - taking time to cook meals with fresh produce of the day and sharing the meal with family (Not the TV!).
Flexitarianism
Flexitarians follow a primarily vegetarian diet but occassionally obtain protein from lean meat, fish, dairy and poultry.

The article got me thinking - Indians have been following some of these trends for years. Since supermarkets are not the rage (yet) most households purchase produce from local vendors. The woman of the house then prepares the meal either by grinding/ roasting fresh spices or adding chopped vegetables/ herbs. Meals are a communal affair - always shared with family and friends. Lastly a majority of the population in India is flexitarian. Non-vegetarians follow a primarily vegetarian diet while consuming meat/ fish twice or thrice a week. Vegetarians supplement their diet with dairy products or eggs. That's not to say Indians have the best diets (we are after all shedding some of our age old traditions with ease), but we arent among the worst either.

So if you think about it, to know whats in store for the future, look back!

So on to the food. Today was a seafood day for this flexitarian. Here is a dry preparation (sukke in Konkani) of shrimp that's easy to make.

SUNGTA SUKKE (Shrimp Fry)
(serves 2)
1/2 pound medium size shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1 medium onion chopped fine
1/2 tomato chopped
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
2 tsp turmeric
1-2 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp sambar powder (recipe below)
salt to taste
oil
2 tbsp grated coconut
finely chopped cilantro to garnish

Apply 1 teaspoon of turmeric and the ginger-garlic paste to shrimp and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan, add onions and fry till golden. Add tomato and continue frying. Add remaining turmeric, red chilli and sambar powders and salt. Mix well. Finally add shrimp, cover and cook till shrimp is done.

Juice from the tomato will cook the shrimp but keep an eye on the pan so the onions don't stick to the bottom. If you think the liquid is not enough add a little water. When done (don't overcook shrimp as it becomes chewy) sprinkle coconut and cilantro on top. Serve hot.

* Tisrya/ Teesrya Sukke (Clams Fry) is made in the same manner. Steam clams to open shells, remove meat and use.

Konkani Sambar Masala
There is a sambar masala recipe in every Konkani household. This is my mother in law's recipe which I use in almost everything because it doesn't have whole spices like cloves or cinnamon, and the poppy seeds add a lovely flavor.

5 tbsp coriander seeds
3-4 dry red chillis
6-8 peppercorns
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp black gram (urad dal)
2 tbsp bengal gram (chana dal)
a pinch of turmeric

Dry roast dals and poppy seeds separately and keep aside. In a little coconut oil roast remaining ingredients individually (except turmeric) on moderate heat until they give off an aroma. Grind to a powder and store in an airtight container. This masala will keep indefinitely in dry condition. Use in vegetable or seafood preparations as needed.