Receta Thai Coconut Shrimp and Basil Curry
If you like Thai food I strongly urge you to try this recipe. It is so delicious and you won’t believe how quick and easy it is to make!
When I saw this recipe I knew immediately that I needed make it and I had a very strong feeling that it would be really good. If nothing else, I think I’m getting pretty good at being able to pick out a recipe right away and gauge that it will be a success. Granted, there are still times when a recipe ends up being ‘just ok’, but it’s rare that I pick something that turns out awful.
I really, really like Thai food. Such wonderful, bold flavor combinations, it’s never boring. In this recipe the Thai curry paste combined with the coconut milk and ginger…so yummy. Tons of fresh basil and the juice of a lime at the very end really finish this dish nicely and round out the flavors. Oh, and the sauce? It’s drinkable. Seriously, it’s so good. I’m almost embarrassed to say that we never have much left over when I make this. If anything, we just have some of the sauce remaining and we love to pour it over plain white rice and eat it like that. Soooo good.
I will warn ahead that this dish is spicy. It’s not ‘blow your head off’ spicy, but it does have a nice kick to it. And I found that it’s even spicier the next day, if you are lucky enough to have any leftovers. The Thai curry paste is what gives it the kick (so resist the urge to add more than this recipe calls for) but the sweet coconut milk balances it very nicely. I really love that this is made with shrimp. I don’t make shrimp as much as I would like, which is one of the reasons this recipe caught my eye. I can imagine this would work well substituting the shrimp with chicken, but I haven’t tried it. The first few times I made this I used fresh shrimp but I have to say that frozen works perfectly. So much so that it is all we use now. The only change I sometimes like to make with this recipe is adding sliced baby bok choy. It works really well. But don’t fret if you don’t have it, just stick to the recipe as is and you will be thrilled. I promise.
If you already like Thai food and are looking for a delicious, quick and easy meal to add to your recipe book, you must try this. If you are interested in trying Thai food for the first time, I think this is a great dish to get started with.
Here’s what you will need to serve 2 very hungry, Thai-food-loving people…
Recipe
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups broccoli florets, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into bite size pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced and then cut in half lengthwise
- 2 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 1/2 cups light coconut milk
- 1 1/2 tbsp green curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen brand)
- 20-22 large shrimp, peeled & deveined (I use 21-25 count/pound)
- 3/4 cup sliced basil leaves
- juice of one lime
- 3 cups cooked white rice (I use long grain basmati)
- salt to taste
** optional addition: 2-3 small heads baby bok choy, each stem/leaf sliced in half lengthwise
Method
Prepare rice according to directions.
In a large sauce pan heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the broccoli, red pepper (and bok choy if using). Add salt and stir. Cover and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the ginger and stir immediately and constantly for about 30 seconds. Add the coconut milk and curry paste. Stir well until all the curry paste has dissolved into the milk. Bring to a simmer.
Add the shrimp to the pan and cover. Cook for a few minutes just until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. Turn off heat.
Add the basil and lime juice to the pan and stir well to combine.
Divide the rice among bowls and ladle the shrimp curry on top, with a little extra liquid to soak into the rice.
Recipe slightly adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine
Thai Coconut Shrimp and Basil Curry Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 cups broccoli florets, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into bite size pieces 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced and then cut in half lengthwise 2½ tbsp fresh ginger, minced 2½ cups light coconut milk 1½ tbsp green curry paste 20 large shrimp, peeled & deveined (I use 21-25 count/pound) ¾ cup sliced basil leaves juice of one lime 3 cups cooked white rice (I use long grain basmati) salt to taste ** optional addition: 2-3 small heads baby bok choy, sliced in half lengthwise Method
Prepare rice according to directions. In a large sauce pan heat the oil over medium low head. Add the broccoli, red pepper (and bok choy if using). Add salt and stir. Cover and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the ginger and stir immediately and constantly for about 30 seconds. Add the coconut milk and curry paste. Stir well until all the curry paste has dissolved into the milk. Bring to a simmer. Add the shrimp to the pan and cover. Cook for a few minutes just until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. Turn off heat. Add the basil and lime juice to the pan and stir well to combine. Divide the rice among bowls and ladle the shrimp curry on top, with a little extra liquid to soak into the rice. 3.2.2929