Watermelon Curry with Grilled Shrimp

Do you have leftover watermelon from the strawberry-watermelon smoothie?  Try this fantastic curry.  It is a great summer soup and can be served chilled. The curry comes together so nicely, it is surprising that pureed watermelon is the base of this dish.  The cubes of watermelon maintain some of the most refreshing and sweet qualities of watermelon, adding a nice contrast to the curry. 


I admit, initially, I found the flavor combinations weird. But, by the second bowl, I was hooked! It's always fun to challenge your taste buds with something they're not accustomed to.  There's a world of flavors out there!


Recipe- Watermelon Curry with Grilled Shrimp
4-6 Servings
Curry:
5 pounds watermelon
1 3-inch long piece peeled, fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons Madras-style curry powder
2 teaspoons salt
pinch cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 3-inch long cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Shrimp:
1 pound medium-large shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 of a lime
Grilled Indian flat bread for serving


1. For the curry: Remove the rind from the melon; cut the flesh into 1" chunks and remove the seeds. Puree two cups of the chunks. Set aside the remaining chunks.
2. If you have a mini food processor: blend the ginger, garlic, water, curry powder, salt and cayenne pepper to a paste.  To make by hand: finely grate the ginger and garlic into a small bowl. Sprinkle with salt and with side of a knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste.  Stir the paste with the water, curry powder, and cayenne.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon stick and cook it until it unfurls, about 30 seconds.  Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it is quite fragrant and lightly browned, about 3 minutes.  Add the reserved watermelon puree and the sugar, reduce the heat, and simmer until thick, about 5 minutes.

 Stir in the reserved watermelon chunks and simmer for 2 minutes more. 

Transfer the curry to a bowl and cool.  Stir in the mint and lime juice and refrigerate.
4. For the shrimp: Heat a grill to medium-hot, or a grill pan to medium heat.  Toss the shrimp with the melted butter in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste.  Grill the shrimp, turning once, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. 

Transfer the shrimp to a plate and squeeze the lime juice over them.
5. To serve, ladle the curried watermelon into serving bowls and arrange the shrimp in the centers.  Serve with grilled Indian flatbread if desired. (If you don't like cold soup, heat the curried watermelon before serving).

Healthy Thai- Soba Noodles with Grilled Shrimp and Cilantro

I recently made the cover recipe from the March 2010 Food and Wine "Healthy Recipes from Around the World" issue.  The flavors in the dish were bold, yet balanced.  The cooling cilantro and fresh lime zest and juice offset the spicy crushed red pepper.  Also, cilantro and lime are great in the springtime--the sour juice from the lime helps protect the respiratory system, and the cilantro assists when you are congested.

I don't normally cook Asian food, but some of my favorite restaurants in L.A. are Thai, like Saladang, and Saladang Song (the two restaurants are right next door to each other).  Because I'm not used to cooking with Asian flavors, I stuck to the recipe (mostly).  Next time I make it, I'll add lime juice directly to the noodles (in addition to marinating the shrimp in it) to really make it zing!

This dish pairs great with a dry Riesling.  All of these ingredients can easily be found at Whole Foods.

Link to recipe on Food and Wine website

Recipe- Soba Noodles with Grilled Shrimp and Cilantro
Total time- 45 min.
Servings- 6

6 oz. Soba Noodles
1/4 c. vegetable oil
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons tamari
1 teaspoon agave syrup
2 large shallots, thinly sliced and separated into rings
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 lb. large shrimp, shelled and deveined
salt
2 scallions (green onions), finely chopped
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
lime wedges, for serving

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook, stirring until tender, about 4 minutes.  Drain and rinse under cold water.  In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the oil with the soy sauce, tamari, and agave syrup.  Add the noodles and toss.

2. In a skillet, heat one tablespoon of the oil. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden brown and crisp, 3 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots to paper towels.  Add the garlic to the skillet and cook over low heat until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer the garlic to paper towels.

3. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan.  In a bowl, combine the lime zest and juice with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.  Stir in the shrimp and lightly season with salt. (If you are substituting regular soy sauce for low sodium soy sauce, you may not want to add salt here).  Grill the shrimp over high heat, turning once, until glazed and just white throughout, about 3 minutes.

4. Arrange the noodles on a large platter.  Sprinkle with the scallions, cilantro, crushed red pepper and the fried shallots and garlic.  Arrange the shrimp on top and serve with lime wedges alongside.