This curry is more like a tribute to a great curry (it is good in it’s own right). We had just gotten back from vacation, not a lot of food in the house (not even a great selection of things to make food), we had already ordered in the night before, my husband suggested hamburger helper – I needed SOMETHING, anything (that wasn’t hamburger helper). I dug deep into my pantry, fridge, and freezer and came out with coconut milk, shrimp, and basmati rice. So, some sort of coconut curry. I got this. And I did in fact – this curry is held together by the tears of a desperate mom and wife, and damn if desperation doesn’t taste good.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Total Time: 20-25 minutes
Serves: 3-4
- 1 pound shrimp, chicken, tofu
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 1 cup shredded/chopped carrots
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 13 oz can coconut milk (I used lite, because that’s what I had in my pantry, but full-fat would be better)*
- 1/4 cup heavy cream*
- 3 teaspoons ground ginger or 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons curry powder – curry paste can also be used
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried cilantro or basil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
*cream is only necessary if you’re using lite coconut milk to give it a richer flavor
- If doing a chicken or tofu curry, dice those bad boys up unto bite sized pieces and in an oiled skillet over medium high heat, sear until they have a nice char, about 1-2 minutes each side. Remove from skillet and set aside for the moment.
- Drizzle the skillet with more olive (or coconut) oil and place over medium heat. Add your onions and carrots and sweat, stirring occasionally, until tender – about 5 minutes.
- Add your garlic and heat until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in your coconut milk, heavy cream (if using), and stir in the ginger, curry powder/paste, cumin, basil/cilantro, lime juice, brown sugar, and salt and pepper
- Simmer for about 5 minutes.
- If using raw shrimp, add it into your creamy curry and cook about 5 more minutes, or until shrimp turns pink. If using cooked shrimp, remove your sauce from the heat and add your shrimp.
- Load up your bowl with basmati rice and pile on the unbelievably delicious curry. For an extra kick, dollop on some chili garlic sauce.
As I stated earlier, this meal was born from a frantic search of what I could find in my kitchen. It didn’t start off great, but I kept tasting and adding things until it did, and now it’s a recipe I’ll make again and again. Don’t be afraid to experiment and add (or remove) things to your liking – for instance, I wanted to chop up some sweet peppers I found in my produce drawer, but like many well-intentioned purchases that are doomed to live in that drawer, they were moldy. This recipe might even be improved if you went shopping specifically for ingredients to make it – maybe.
Provisioned Kitchen 