Usually I can’t say enough good things about Patak’s Indian Sauce blends, but while their new Butter Chicken sauce provided an awesome base for what turned out to be Shrimp Vindaloo, it was surprisingly and disappointingly bland. By adding some Penzey’s Garam Masala and Vindaloo I turned this into a really fantastic Vindaloo sauce.

The recipe is extremely simple, starting with the Patak’s Butter Chicken sauce and adding Garam Masala and Vindaloo to taste. First I added cauliflower, which is a favorite of mine in curries of all sorts, a chopped onion, sweet white corn for a great sweetness and some frozen baby peas. Before it was done cooking I added about a  tablespoon of tomato paste to strengthen the tomato flavor and I served it over some steamed basmati rice. It was a great way to turn a sauce that I wasn’t terribly excited about into something really fantastic.

I also cannot say enough great things about my favorite new find, Trader Joe’s Garlic Naan. A couple minutes in the oven, brushed with a little margarine, and *POOF* restaurant-quality naan for dirt cheap. I’m super stoked about the Trader Joe’s that just opened near my house in Oak Park, and you can bet I’ll be getting even more adventurous with my cooking with some of their awesome prepared sauces. I can’t wait!!