My son is a total seafood addict and if possible, he would be more than happy to eat seafood in any form on a daily basis. Believe it or not, his ultimate seafood favorite is squid (or calamari) -- which he fell in love with when he was just 4 yrs old and he hasn’t wavered in his loyalty since. So over the years, I have spent many hours in the kitchen creating recipes beyond the standard fried calamari, recipes that are more Indian in nature and healthy as well. This particular recipe is not only his personal favorite but also a favorite among my family & friends. I hope you enjoy my Spicy Squid Masala as much as we do.

If you’re a little squeamish about cooking or eating squid, then by all means feel free to substitute shrimp or even baby scallops for this recipe. Squid cooks very quickly, in just a matter of minutes so it’s best to have everything prepped & ready to go before hand. This dish comes together very quickly & is best eaten immediately.


SPICY SQUID MASALA

Ingredients:

1 lb squid tubes (cleaned & trimmed)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2-3 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1” piece of ginger, peeled & finely minced
3-4 dried red chilies (to taste)
6-8 fresh curry leaves
½ tsp turmeric (haldi)
½ tsp ground coriander powder
1 tsp red chili powder, to taste
1 tsp kala or goda masala (or you can use garam masala)
pinch of Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves), optional
salt & pepper, to taste
juice of ½ lime
2 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable or canola oil)
freshly chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

METHOD:

On a clean work surface or cutting board, cut the squid tubes into round rings or circles. Set aside until needed.

In a large deep skillet or wok on medium high heat, add the oil. When hot, add the onion along with the garlic, ginger, dried red chilies and curry leaves. Stir fry and let cook for a few minutes until the onion starts to brown. Then add in the spices (turmeric, ground coriander powder, red chili powder, kala masala, Kasoori methi and black pepper). Do not add the salt, just yet. Let the spices fry for just a minute or so and then add in the squid rings. Stir fry for just a minute or two, until the squid pieces start to firm up & turn opaque. Now, add the salt and lime juice. Mix well, transfer to a serving dish and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves. Serve immediately with fresh chapatis and fragrant Basmati rice.


VARIATIONS:

Virtually any vegetable will work well in this dish so feel free to add your favorite vegetable or combination of vegetables such as finely chopped baby spinach, sliced carrots, finely shredded cabbage, baby corn, green peas, mushrooms, leeks, swiss chard, bok choy, diced pumpkin or butternut squash, edamame, snow peas, sugar snap peas…. please remember to adjust your cooking times accordingly.



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