I’m always looking for things to do with squid. Since we discovered that we could buy big bags of frozen, pre-cleaned rings and tentacles, it’s been a really handy thing to always have available. It thaws quickly and makes a great protein for those days when I really don’t want to go to the store (which has frequently been the case of late). I usually do something Chinese flavored, like the squid noodle I often make, but a couple of days ago I decided Indian flavors would be fun to try. I found a recipe in West Coast Seafood for a squid curry with coconut milk, which included the comment “this fiery southern Indian squid curry is not for the faint of heart”. Um, what? It has one tablespoon of green chile in it. Unless you have a Minnesotan palate, it is not fiery – in fact, when I ate the leftovers for lunch I added rather a lot of habanero sauce just to get it properly spiced. It was, despite this, pretty tasty.
It was a fast recipe to make. First I thawed my squid in cold water…
…sauteed onions with mustard seed and ginger…
…stirred in turmeric, cumin, minced green chile and garlic, and poured in coconut milk…
…then added a spoonful of amchoor powder (this was a nice touch) and the squid, cooked it for just a minute, then stirred in fresh cilantro. Done!
The final curry was very, very delicate in flavor, with a nice light sour note from the amchoor powder. I served sauteed chard alongside, which was a bit too strong – it might have done better with spinach or green beans. Still, a good dinner.
Food on the Brain 
Minnesotan palate? There’s a gross generalization…
Well, of course it is. But I went to college in Minnesota and most of the people I knew would faint at even a hint of garlic, let alone chile. On the other hand, the best Ethiopian restaurant I’ve ever been to was in Minneapolis, so there you go.
Could you tell me where you are getting the cleaned rings and tentacles? Like you, they are one of my go to fast from the freezer dinner plans. I live in Mount Vernon and used to get them at Skagit’s Own Seafood but they recently told me that they are not able to get them anymore. I have gotten them at Costco in the past but have not seen them there for some time. -Thanks
Uh-oh. I’ve always gotten mine at Skagit’s Own as well, that’s where my current bag is from. Drat, I’ll need to check on that.
I’ve got my fingers crossed that they have it back! It was a month or so ago that they told me that they were no longer able to get rings and tentacles, they only had bags of rings. Costco does get them on occasion at a great price and quality.
Ah, well, even just rings would still be good, although I do love the tentacley bits. I’ll ask next time I’m there.