There's a new kid in town playing with the big boys on Restaurant Row.
"[Indian cuisine] is always a blend of fresh herbs and dry spices," said Aarthi Sampath, executive chef at American Gymkhana (7559 W. Sand Lake Rd., Orlando). "And we're very proud of that."
We asked Chef Aarthi to choose one of her "sexiest" dishes that best represents modern Indian cuisine. She chose Malpe shrimp to showcase Wednesday in our Chef's Kitchen segment.
"Malpe [pronounced mal-pay] is the name of a beach in Southern India," she explained, noting that it's famous for its seafood.
One bite into the butterflied shrimp and you're hit hard with multiple layers of herbs and spices, from fennel and curry leaves to ginger and cilantro. But it's the garlic that I found most dominant, perfect for smearing onto a hot, doughy triangular piece of naan.
Let's cook!
MALPE SHRIMP
For Shrimp:
4 Tiger shrimp, cleaned and deveined
2 Tbsp. clarified butter
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. black pepper powder
1 tsp. fennel powder
sea salt to taste
1 Tbsp. cilantro curry leaf pesto
edible violets and herb butter star to garnish
For Cilantro Curry Leaf Pesto
1 small bunch of cilantro
10 curry leaves
1 inch ginger
ice to blend
Method:
Blend all ingredients with ice to make a smooth puree.
Herb Butter Star
2 oz. unsalted butter
1 pinch fennel powder
1 pinch pepper powder
1 pinch sea salt
Method:
Soften butter and mix the spices and pipe onto butter paper.
Method:
1. Heat clarified butter in a sauté pan. Sauté garlic until golden.
2. Add spices and sauté until fragrant.
3. Butterfly shrimp by making deep incisions into the spine of the shrimp. Add to the pan. Sauté and then cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to low until the tails turn pink.
4. Season with salt, coat the shrimp with the curry leaf pesto and turn off the flame.
5. Plate the shrimp, pour sauce over each shrimp, along with an edible violet and a herb star.