Whether you like mild or smoke-pouring-from-your-pores spicy, Indian cuisine is a taste bud’s fantasy food. All types of meats – from the exotic to the more common, various vegetables – okra, spinach, lentils and more, delectable long-grain rice and sauces of every imaginable flavor, await the palate of those willing to try something new.

Ethnic foods are common in my neck of the woods. We’ve tried just about all there is to try here – Turkish, Jamaican, Thai, Italian, Mexican, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Moroccan and so much more. But our favorite indulgence of all is Indian.

Indian food has a reputation for being extra rich and spicy. It can be – and often is. However, I’ve modified some of our favorite dishes so taste buds are not seared off and guilt of dining on them at home is reduced to its lowest form. If you love Indian food – or even if you’re just curious – try this. Seriously. Make the effort to cook this simple (and low-fat) dish and then come back here and let me know what you and your family thought of it.

Shrimp and Chicken Curry – Debbie’s Way. 😉

Ingredients:

1 large onion – quartered

1/2 tablespoon ground ginger

1 1/2 tablespoons sweet shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons curry powder

dash chili powder (or more to taste)

1 12-ounce can evaporated skim (or low-fat) milk

1 tablespoon lime juice

3 chicken breasts – boned and halved or 1 lb medium shrimp – shelled and deveined

olive oil 

Directions:

Place onion, ginger, coconut and salt in food processor. Pulse until onion is chopped and ingredients are well blended.

Heat oil in skillet. Add onion mixture and cook over moderate heat until onion starts to brown – about 5-6 minutes.

Add curry powder and chili powder. Cook and stir approximately 1 minute.

Reduce heat to very low.

Stir in evaporated milk and lime juice. Slightly raise heat so evaporated milk cooks very slowly (or it will curdle). Cook on this medium/low heat for 7-8 minutes or until mixture thickens.

Add shrimp or chicken to sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is just cooked through – about 3 minutes for shrimp, about 5 for chicken (depending on thickness of chicken breasts).

Serve over rice – my preference is Basmati Rice. If you’ve never had Basmati rice, I suggest you try it with this dish. It’s fragrant and firm, and can be served plain or with butter and salt. At another time, I’ll post a recipe for a delectable basmati rice recipe that can be served as a side or main dish.

NOTE: As an option, you might want to find (at an Indian market) Paneer. It’s a firm salt-free cheese that can be cubed and tossed into the sauce along with the shrimp or chicken. It will remain firm (not melt) and adds extra texture (and protein) to this dish. I add it when I have it in the house but love this dish either way.