Coconut Shrimp Curry
Serves 4
The first time I had coconut milk, it was from whole coconut that I won at The Hoppings, Europe’s largest travelling fun fair. The fair was held on the Town Moor during the last week of June each year in Newcastle. This was back in the 1970s, I was a young child and having the time of my life, riding the merry go round, driving the dodgem cars, and sliding down the tall helter skelter. Most years, I’d go home carrying a coconut and a gold fish in a bag of water.
Unfortunately, the gold fish never lived longer than a week before being flushed down the toilet on its way back to the sea. The coconut didn’t last long either. We’d grab a nail and hammer and pierce the three eye holes of the coconut. We’d tip it over a bowl and empty out the coconut water to capture that amazing taste. I always thoughts of swimming in the turquoise blue Caribbean waters of Montego Bay, Nassau or Turks and Caicos and running along their white sand beach, stopping to pick up sea shells. I imagined having so much fun with my family. Those dreams sure beat our normal caravan holidays by the cold, rainy North Sea.
This is one of the reasons why I love food so much. The taste, the smell, and feel of something exotic that’s not normally grown in your home country can take you from your home kitchen to another part of the world. Try this coconut shrimp curry and day dream your traveling by train through a passage to Indian or you’re strolling along a Caribbean beach at sunset that is awash with vibrant colors and lush landscapes.
Ingredients:
2 cups brown basmati rice
4 cups low sodium chicken stock or water
For the Curry:
1lb large wild American shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 small chili pepper, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons oil
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
1 13oz can coconut cream
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon sliced almonds (optional)
How to make:
Place the rice and stock into a medium size saucepan over high heat to bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the liquid.
For the curry, place the shrimp, garlic, ginger, chili, curry, cumin, turmeric, and cardamom into a medium size bowl. Using a spoon, coat the shrimp with the spices and season with salt and pepper. Pop into the refrigerator for the flavors to infuse into the shrimp.
Place a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil and, when hot, the onions. Cook for three minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for a further three minutes. Stir in the coconut cream, and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and let cook for another three to four minutes or until the shrimp is cooked all the way through.
Stir in the cilantro, sprinkle over the sliced almonds and serve with the basmati rice.