Curried Cabbage with Gulf Shrimp

It's the time of year when meal planning revolves around "let's see what shows up in the C.S.A. box and plan from there."  The beauty of this is that I love to invent meals based on what is on hand, and having a lot of fresh produce means we eat really well in late summer.  If you are not a cabbage lover I hope you will try this and see if I can change your mind.  The dry-fry curry method keeps some of the crisp texture of the vegetable, and its natural sweetness is offset by the light heat of the spices.  It is a perfect foil for any type of seafood.

For this I used a head of cabbage from Grant Family Farms, as well as a few small tomatoes from our backyard garden.  As a generalization, Colorado tomatoes suffer in comparison to the Indiana tomatoes I grew up with, so I usually cook them to bring out maximum flavor.   I added in some white Gulf shrimp for protein, and I have used the same method with scallops or firm white fish.  The cabbage is also beautiful with tofu if you avoid animal protein. 

Use a curry blend that suits your tastes and adjust to your liking.  My favorite blend is the Maharajah blend from Penzey's. 

Curried Cabbage with Gulf Shrimp
2 tablespoons ghee, or neutral vegetable oil
1 teaspoon whole mustard seed
1-2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
1 small cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
2 small tomatoes, cored and sliced (remove seeds if they are really juicy)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (optional)
1 pound raw, peeled and deveined shrimp
1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves removed and coarsely chopped

In a wok pan or a large skillet, heat the ghee with the mustard seed, curry powder, and turmeric, stirring frequently, until the spices begin to smell toasty and the seeds begin to pop.  Add the garlic, cabbage, tomatoes, salt, and Aleppo pepper, and stir-fry over medium-high heat.  Keep the vegetables moving and do not cover the pan.  When the cabbage has just started to wilt, stir in the shrimp and half of the cilantro and cook for 2-3 more minutes, or until the shrimp are just cooked through.  Serve sprinkled with additional cilantro, if desired. 

Thanks for reading,

-Angela FRS