The cooking of Western India often includes coconut. Add tamarind (a sour fruit) paste and all five of our healing spices, and you get a great balance of sweet, tangy, and fiery.
SERVES 6
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp minced garlic (about 4 cloves), divided
- 1 tsp chopped ginger, divided
- 1 ½ tsp salt, divided
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, divided
- 1 stick Ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 4 cloves
- 2 medium yellow onions, finely diced
- 4 tbsp unsweetened dried coconut, soaked in ½ cup hot water for 20 minutes
- 4 dried red chilies, seeded, soaked in 4 tbsp hot water for 10 minutes, liquid reserved
- 4 tsp tamarind paste
- 1 cup basmati rice, cooked according to package directions
- Cilantro or coconut flakes, for garnish
Directions
- Rub shrimp with turmeric, 1 tsp garlic, ½ tsp ginger, and 1 tsp salt.
- In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm ½ tbsp oil. Add cinnamon stick, peppercorns, coriander, and cloves; cook until seeds sizzle, 30 seconds. Add onions and cook until golden, 3–4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook until onions are fully soft, 7–8 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tsp garlic and ½ tsp ginger; cook 30 seconds. Stir in coconut, increase heat to high, and cook until coconut browns, 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in chilies and reserved soaking water.
- Pour pan contents and 2/3 cup cold water into blender; pulse to make a thick curry paste.
- In the same pan over medium heat, warm remaining ½ tbsp oil. Add shrimp and fry until they begin to turn opaque, 3–4 minutes. Stir in tamarind paste and cook, 1 minute. Stir in curry paste and remaining ½ tsp salt. Rinse blender with 1 cup water and pour water into pan. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to
- a simmer, cooking until shrimp are cooked through, 5 minutes. Divide rice and curry among 6 bowls. Garnish with cilantro and/or coconut flakes.
NUTRITIONAL INFO 322 calories per serving, 15 g fat (12 g saturated), 38 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 12 g protein, 838 mg sodium.
See also: Thai Red Curry