thai red curry with shrimp
I used to work in an office a few years ago in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. And within walking distance was a GREAT Thai restaurant—we’d mostly order take-out, but the few times we’d sit in for lunch—it was always a treat.
I left Fort Greene a few weeks before the world turned upside-down because of the pandemic. And over the following few weeks, I really began to miss eating out. I would think about the small Thai restaurant near my old office and would crave two things: the papaya salad and the red curry. I haven’t attempted the papaya salad—but I did decide to experiment and create a recipe for red curry. And after a dozen or so failed and so-so run-throughs, I have a recipe I’m very happy with—I hope you enjoy this one too :)
Ingredients:
For 2 servings:
1 can of coconut milk (13.5 fluid ounces)
1 cup of sliced white onion
Vegetables of your choice (I used green beans and mini bok choy because that’s what I had—you can use broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, etc.)
5-6 shrimp (or protein of your choice: chicken, beef, tofu, etc.)
2 ½ tablespoons of red curry paste
2 tablespoons of fish sauce (I like the Three Crabs brand)
2 tablespoons of white sugar
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon of ginger powder
8-10 basil leaves (Thai and/or Holy basil. The European variety is not going to give the same flavor)
The coconut milk and brand of red curry paste I used—normally, I would recommend using full-fat coconut milk, however, I used the light version to cut the calories. Both versions taste good—but as with all things, the full-fat version is always KING.
The amount of vegetables in the curry is up to you—this is what I included for the recipe. One bunch of mini/baby bok choy chopped up and whole green beans.
Directions:
Heat your skillet/pot to medium high heat, add the vegetable oil
Add the onions, cook for 1 - 1 ½ minutes
Next, add ginger powder and red curry paste
Mix and stir the onion, ginger powder and red curry paste for about thirty seconds to a minute
Add the can of coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar—in this order; mix to combine everything
Let this cook for 1 ½ to 2 minutes
Add the shrimp and vegetables—note: if you are using a different protein, e.g. chicken, you should add it before the vegetables to account for the longer cooking time needed
Lower the heat to medium, cook the curry for 6-7 minutes; occasionally stirring it
In the last 1-2 minutes of cooking, add the basil leaves, then turn off heat
Serve with a hot bowl or rice, or noodles, garnish with additional basil leaves, chili peppers, green onion, etc.
Enjoy!
