Real Food, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, IBD-AID (Phase III), Paleo, Whole30
Fish and shrimp are a go-to of mine on busy week nights. They both defrost quickly from the freezer. Unlike beef, which may need to braise or stew for hours, fish and shrimp cook quickly, often in less than ten minutes. This Spicy Shrimp Curry is quick to prep and quick to cook. It only needs one pan, so it’s quick to clean up as well. It’s a flavor powerhouse that will fill your kitchen with the aroma of warm, comforting spices.
Prep the ingredients before you begin cooking.
WHAT IS CURRY?
Curry originates from India. It’s essentially an aromatic gravy or sauce made with different meats or vegetables, and served over rice. Curry is made from paste, powder, or fresh spices and herbs. I generally keep a bottle of Great Value Organic Curry Powder on hand. It’s a blend of fenugreek, coriander, turmeric, ginger, mustard seed, cumin, cloves, black pepper, allspice, cardamom, anise, and cayenne. It has a warm, fragrant aroma, and a gorgeous yellow color. When I cook, I do try to add fresh spices and herbs as much as possible, but relying on curry powder reduces my need to keep such a variety on hand at all times.
WHAT MAKES CURRY SPICY?
While curry powder and paste often contains black pepper and cayenne, I find that it’s generally pretty mild in terms of heat. In order to achieve a spicy curry, I add both ground cayenne powder, and red pepper flakes to the sauce. You can reach your personal heat tolerance by adding or subtracting from these two ingredients. Aside from the heat provided by cayenne powder, it’s also a benefit to the digestive system. Cayenne stimulates the digestive system. The capsaicin in cayenne peppers heals and prevents gastric ulcers and ulcerations of the colon.
THE BENEFITS OF TURMERIC
Turmeric is another ingredient that I add to Spicy Shrimp Curry. It’s a powder made from the root of the rhizome plant. A cousin to ginger, it is rich in phytonutrients and has anti-inflammatory properties. In Indian culture, turmeric was traditionally used to treat respiratory, joint, and digestive disorders. Today, you will find turmeric supplements for arthritis and GI health. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is not bio-available, meaning it’s not easily absorbed by the body. The addition of black pepper in supplements, or a curry recipe, aids in the bioavailability of the turmeric.
As with any recipe, I encourage you to adapt the ingredients and make this your own. Use vegetables that you enjoy. Add to the heat or take away to reach your personal heat preference.
Spicy Shrimp Curry
Ingredients
- 1 lb wild caught shrimp
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 6 mini sweet peppers, sliced thin
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 inches of fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/8 tsp cayenne powder
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 c stock (chicken or vegetable)
- 1 c non-dairy milk (coconut is best for the fat content, but I have used oat milk or almond milk)
- 2 large carrots, peeled into long slices
- 1/2 c cilantro, chopped
- 8 green onions, chopped
- rice or cauliflower rice for serving
Instructions
- If your shrimp is frozen, remove it from the freezer and thaw it in a bowl of water. Once thawed, set it on a plate with a paper towel below and above the shrimp to dry it thoroughly.
- Prepare the vegetables by dicing, slicing, peeling or mincing the onion, sweet peppers, garlic, ginger, carrots, green onions, and cilantro.
- Heat a large pan on the stovetop over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil. Add the diced onion, sliced sweet peppers, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Sauté until everything is fragrant and beginning to soften.
- Add the curry powder, turmeric, red pepper flakes, and cayenne powder. Stir to combine.
- Once the spices are combined with the vegetables, add the can of diced tomatoes, the stock, and the non-dairy milk. Stir to combine. Scrape the bottom of the pan so that everything is mixed well into the liquid. Simmer this mixture for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the peeled carrot slices and stir while they cook. Because the pieces are long and thin, it should only take 1-2 minutes to soften the carrots.
- Next, add the shrimp. Lay the shrimp flat on one side and allow them to cook for 1-2 minutes before flipping them over. When the shrimp are fully cooked, they should change in color so that they no longer look translucent. Do not overcook the shrimp. They can take on a rubbery texture if cooked for too long.
- Once the shrimp is cooked, add the chopped cilantro green onions and stir.
- Garnish with more green onions and serve over rice or cauliflower rice.
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