These days, I order most of my spices from Penzey’s, and a big thank you to Alton Brown and Good Eats for introducing me to this place. Penzey’s has pretty much every spice you can imagine, and I can really taste the difference between the quality in their spices and those that I pick up at the grocery store. I also appreciate the great prices that they have on bulk spices like ground ginger, cinnamon, and chili powder, which I seem to use by the bucketful.
Every season, I look forward to receiving the Penzey’s Spices catalog (you can read it online, too), not just because I love looking through all of the different spices and flavorings, but also because every catalog includes several recipes sent in by Penzey’s customers. Each recipe includes a heartwarming story that tells how a particular dish, dessert, or what have you became a part of the person’s life. I think that most of us can relate closely to these stories, as food is so much a part of all of our lives, and we all have recipes that are special to us.
The most recent Penzey’s catalog had a recipe for shrimp curry, and though I haven’t had much luck with Indian recipes, I had a good feeling about this one. Going with my gut definitely paid off because this curry is absolutely delicious. I shaved a few minutes off of the prep time here and there, and it was still wonderful. Plus, I’m almost giddy because I finally managed to concoct a coconut rice recipe that rivals the rice that I had years ago and have been trying to duplicate since. This was one of those meals where everything just came together in a magical way, and I know that I’ll be making it again. Next time, I think I’ll try chicken or sweet potato in place of the shrimp because I think that they’d both work well.
serves 6-8
Ingredients
FOR THE SHRIMP CURRY
adapted from The Eatons’ Shrimp Curry
2 lbs. shrimp (21-25 count per lb.), peeled and deveined
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large yellow or white onion, finely chopped
3-5 Tbsp. sweet curry powder (add 1-2 Tbsp. hot curry powder for a spicier curry)
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (vinegar will work in a pinch if you don’t have lemons)
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk (full fat or lite)
1/2 – 1 tsp. kosher salt to taste
FOR THE COCONUT RICE
1 medium yellow or white onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup jasmine rice
3/4 cup chicken stock or broth
1 14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk (full fat or lite)
1 tsp. kosher salt
Instructions
1. For the curry: In a large, deep sautee pan, melt the butter and add the onion. Cook over low heat until the onion is soft and transparent, about 10-15 minutes. Add the curry powder and continue to cook on low for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly as the curry forms a paste.
2. Add the lemon juice and stir. Add the tomatoes. Continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes on low. Add 1/4 of the coconut milk and stir. Add more coconut milk until you are satisfied with the consistency of the curry base. Remember, the shrimp will add some additional liquid. Simmer the mixture for another 10-15 minutes.
3. When ready, bring the curry base to a boil and add the shrimp. Stir constantly to ensure that the shrimp cooks evenly for 6-8 minutes. Add salt to taste and serve over rice.
4. For the coconut rice: In a medium saucepan over low heat, add olive oil and onion and cook until soft and transparent, about 10-15 minutes. Add the rice, chicken stock, coconut milk, and salt and stir. Place a lid on the pan and cook on low for 18-20 minutes. Do not remove lid or stir while rice is cooking. Remove from heat and allow to sit, with the lid on, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Posted in Favorites, Food, Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Seafood | 7 Comments »
Oh thanks, this looks yummy. I’m so lucky to have a Penzey’s just down the road
posted: September 8th, 2009 at 9:28 pmAdd a little (maybe 1/4 cup) toasted coconut to your rice. And we have a Penzey’s right in the Strip District in Pittsburgh. I love the place.
posted: September 8th, 2009 at 10:42 pmYay, more Penzey’s fans!
It hadn’t even crossed my mind to add toasted coconut, Mrs. T. Thanks for the suggestion!
posted: September 9th, 2009 at 7:31 pmLooks great!!
posted: October 9th, 2009 at 1:40 amI just made this and it was sooo good!! Thanks so much for the recipe!
posted: October 16th, 2009 at 2:11 amSure thing! Glad you liked it, Valerie!
posted: October 17th, 2009 at 11:45 amThis was so good! We made it using the Penzeys Vindaloo seasoning for the curry powder–by the way, we just used 1Tbsp since it was the first time we’d tried it. In fact, it was so good, I asked my husband if it was bad that I wanted to lick the pan afterward Thanks for sharing the recipe! We also just used plain white rice instead of the coconut rice, which was wonderful too!
posted: December 15th, 2010 at 11:47 pm