Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp
Curry in a hurry! I am a big fan of curry. Green, Red, Yellow or Massaman Curry. However, my husband is not as big a fan as I am. So whenever he’s out of town it’s my time to enjoy homemade curry recipes. One of our favorite Asian restaurants makes a delicious Thai Style Red Curry dish. So tonight I improvised and came up with my own version of Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp.
As with most Asian dishes, the time you spend is in the prep. The cooking and simmering go quickly. So it’s worth the time to get your mise en place together before you even turn on the stove.
This recipe can be altered in many different ways in terms of what protein and vegetables you’d like to include. I chose to use what I had on hand. A bag of frozen, peeled and deveined shrimp that I thawed. Onions, carrots, sugar snap peas, fresh garlic and ginger root. Wish I had some fresh serrano or jalapeno chili peppers…but no matter. I kicked up the heat by adding plenty of sriracha hot sauce.
What you should make sure that you include is fresh garlic and ginger root. Do not use that awful powdered stuff. In no way does it compare to the fresh, pungent, slightly spicy and lemony flavor you get from the real stuff. Both are very inexpensive ingredients. I keep my fresh garlic bulbs in an open glass jar in the cabinet. Always pick up a head or two every time I visit the grocer. Yep…I use fresh garlic nearly everyday. Used correctly (not giant quantities) when cooked fresh garlic mellows out and adds amazing flavor to cuisines from all over the world. I also grab a knob of fresh ginger root, use what I need for a dish. I then pop the remaining part into a zip bag and put it in the freezer. It grates and peels easily…even when frozen.
You don’t have to go out to your local restaurant to enjoy the flavors of Thailand (salty, spicy, sour, sweet). Try this simple recipe and also visit my blog post from this past year for other delicious Thai recipes. Even my small city has plenty of Asian markets to pick up some unique ingredients. But for this recipe, you should be able to source all the ingredients from your regular grocer. If not…ask them to start carrying fish sauce, sriracha and ginger root!
Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola or coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cups onion finely diced
- 3/4 cups carrot sliced 1/2 inch
- 3/4 cups sugar snap peas sliced in thirds
- 2 large cloves fresh garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root minced
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 13 ounce can coconut milk non sweetened
- 1 pound raw medium shrimp peeled & deveined
- 1 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 whole lime juiced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro rough chop
- 2 cups Basmati Rice cooked
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet, heat oil over medium high heat.
- Add onion, carrot and sugar snap peas. Cook about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, ginger root, curry paste and salt to pan. Stir until combined. Cook for 2 minutes until aromatics release their aroma.
- Turn heat down to medium-low. Add fish sauce and coconut milk. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Sauce will reduce slightly and thicken a bit.
- Add raw shrimp, sriracha sauce, honey and lime juice. Stir to combine. Let simmer uncovered for 3 minutes (just until shrimp is cooked through).
- Ladle shrimp mixture with plenty of sauce over bowls of hot cooked rice.
- Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges and extra sriracha sauce.
Notes
- If you are not a cilantro fan (what is wrong with you?)...but seriously they find that there is actually a gene that makes cilantro taste like soap to some of you poor people. If that is you...please substitute fresh basil or mint...both used in lots of Thai cooking.
- If you don't have fish sauce...sub in some soy sauce.
- This recipe is only mildly spicy. If you like to sweat while you eat...crank up the amount of sriracha and add some serrano, cayenne or jalapeno chili peppers to the veggies in the beginning.
