5/8/2007

I know Japanese love their octupi and other cephalopods, namely the squids or cuttlefish. They even think the ink drink-worthy *squirms* Okay, i love eating them as well although i don’t know about drinking their ink. The Japanese calls them tako, you will see them braised in a reddish kind of sauce in sushi places and they are really, really delicious! I have a recipe to share. A curry recipe that you might love, which involves octupi (btw, octupi is just plural for octopus if you didn’t know). It’s very simple as the curry is great with rice or with bread. I know the Japanese love their chicken and beef curry which they slather over plates of rice, perhaps this is something new for you guys to try. Before the recipe, here’s a cutesy (or grotesque) picture from my boiling pot of curried octopi :P

It might just turn you vegetarian eh? :P

Anyway, without further adue, here’s the recipe:

1/4 cup of curry base (blend 3 onions, 1 knob of garlic, 1inch ginger, keep the extras for other curries :))
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon of fennel
1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
1 star anise
3 cloves
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 cup curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon paprika powder
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons oil
5 octopus
2 tomatoes, halved
1 medium sized eggplant, chunks

Method:
1. Heat oil in pan and add all the ingredients in except water, octopi, tomatoes and eggplant. Saute until fragrant for about 8 mins.
2. Add water and let it come to a simmer before you add your eggplant.
3. After that, add your octopi in and tomatoes, cooked for 10 mins under medium heat.
4. Scoop out your octopi and tomatoes and let the broth simmer under low heat for another 10 mins.
5. Serve your octopi curry with rice and freshly sliced cucumbers.

Source: A Series of Kitchen Experiments