In my quest for food from different parts of the world, there is something in recent days that I really liked! It is the Greek food. It is so curious to see that all ancient cultures have a common under current running..a similar blend of spices and carbohydrates constituting the meal, of course the creative use of vegetables and limited importance of meats!!!
Food from Greece, Ethiopia, South Asia, East Asia, Rome,Persia, Hindukush.....are all so similar in theme... extensive use of spices. (Not necessarily chillies.. but other spices like clove, cardamon, cumin etc) My palate craves for spices and chillies of course and I end up liking food that is abundantly seasoned with spices!
A few weeks back we checked out a dinner. I found that many of these dinner (which are American equivalent to Bangalore Darshinis- cheap but really good and filling) are actually run by Greek community. So most of the dinners have a very good selection of Greek food. We tried this dish called Chicken al la Greece. I ended up eating the vegetarian part of it, my better half more than gladly finished the chicken part of it for me!!! I was very eager to try it at home with Shrimp (i do eat shrimp and fish ...strange!!!). So this is what i did and it did turn out really good.
We will need
Basmati Rice 3/4 cup
Vegetable Stock 1 1/2 cup
Shrimp 6-8 (Mushroom can be substituted for a vegetarian version)
Tomatoes firm 2 diced into big chunks
Capsicum /Green Peppers 1 diced into big chunks
Onion 1 cubed
Butter 2 tbsp small pieces
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Green chillies 3+ (this is my addition!!!)
Pepper
Salt
Italian Herb blend 1 +1 pinch ( I buy this as i find it economical.. instead of buying oregano, thyme, basil etc separately)
Feta cheese crumbled /mozzarella will work fine too
Fresh Coriander/Cilantro 1 cup
Method:
Mix olive oil, 1 pinch herb blend, salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into a quarter and three quarters. Toss in the diced tomatoes, capsicum and onions in the three quarter olive oil mixture. Toss the shrimp in the quarter olive oil mixture. Set it aside for a while.
Heat the stock in a pot.Add salt, green chillies and pepper. Wash rice and drain it well, add the rice once the stock boils. When the rice is half way done, Mix in the butter, cover and cook. Set it aside.
Heat a griddle pan/ Tawa/ Place the shrimp and cook turning once till it turns pink. Grill all the vegetables till slightly charred on the edges but still firm.
Spread the rice on a plate. Place the grilled vegetables and shrimp on the rice.Crumble the feta/mozzarella, cilantro on top. Serve warm.
Food from Greece, Ethiopia, South Asia, East Asia, Rome,Persia, Hindukush.....are all so similar in theme... extensive use of spices. (Not necessarily chillies.. but other spices like clove, cardamon, cumin etc) My palate craves for spices and chillies of course and I end up liking food that is abundantly seasoned with spices!
A few weeks back we checked out a dinner. I found that many of these dinner (which are American equivalent to Bangalore Darshinis- cheap but really good and filling) are actually run by Greek community. So most of the dinners have a very good selection of Greek food. We tried this dish called Chicken al la Greece. I ended up eating the vegetarian part of it, my better half more than gladly finished the chicken part of it for me!!! I was very eager to try it at home with Shrimp (i do eat shrimp and fish ...strange!!!). So this is what i did and it did turn out really good.
We will need
Basmati Rice 3/4 cup
Vegetable Stock 1 1/2 cup
Shrimp 6-8 (Mushroom can be substituted for a vegetarian version)
Tomatoes firm 2 diced into big chunks
Capsicum /Green Peppers 1 diced into big chunks
Onion 1 cubed
Butter 2 tbsp small pieces
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Green chillies 3+ (this is my addition!!!)
Pepper
Salt
Italian Herb blend 1 +1 pinch ( I buy this as i find it economical.. instead of buying oregano, thyme, basil etc separately)
Feta cheese crumbled /mozzarella will work fine too
Fresh Coriander/Cilantro 1 cup
Method:
Mix olive oil, 1 pinch herb blend, salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into a quarter and three quarters. Toss in the diced tomatoes, capsicum and onions in the three quarter olive oil mixture. Toss the shrimp in the quarter olive oil mixture. Set it aside for a while.
Heat the stock in a pot.Add salt, green chillies and pepper. Wash rice and drain it well, add the rice once the stock boils. When the rice is half way done, Mix in the butter, cover and cook. Set it aside.
Heat a griddle pan/ Tawa/ Place the shrimp and cook turning once till it turns pink. Grill all the vegetables till slightly charred on the edges but still firm.
Spread the rice on a plate. Place the grilled vegetables and shrimp on the rice.Crumble the feta/mozzarella, cilantro on top. Serve warm.
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