This curry coconut shrimp is so rich and smooth you will want to eat it every week. Load it up with plenty of vegetables for a complete meal or you can even swap in chicken for the shrimp!
For the past 15 years, I have mostly avoided curry. I am pretty sure it is because when I was pregnant with my first child, the smell of curry was one of my "triggers". Just the smell of it (as well as Buffalo Chicken sauce...and beef) would make me sick to my stomach.
I have been able to take it in drips and drabs...my curried chicken tidbits are a favorite with my children for dinner and always a hit when I serve them as an appetizer at parties.
It wasn't until I was at a Thai restaurant that I realized that there were different kinds of curry - and that the red curry paste used in Thai foods is a completely different "animal" than the curry powder that gave me "issues". Even better, once I tasted what my husband had ordered, I ended up practically interviewing the waitress about the differences between Indian curry and Thai curry.
Mind.Blown. (although I am sure the waitress thought I was an idiot)
And so, I found myself in the International Foods section of Wegmans with some red curry paste in my hand and trying to recreate the dish that my husband had inhaled...except instead of chicken, I was going to make coconut curry shrimp!
The best part is - you can really make this your own! The sauce is the star of the show and once you have that done, you can use shrimp, scallops or chicken. Don't like snow peas? Try snap peas. Use spaghetti instead of rice noodles if you prefer. Substitute kale for the spinach if you like...it's really up to you!
Thai Curry Coconut Shrimp With Rice Noodles
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil divided
- ¾ lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- ½ large red bell pepper seeded and sliced
- ½ large orange bell pepper seeded and sliced
- ½ medium yellow onion sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 4 T ¼ cup red curry paste
- 1 cup snow peas
- 2 cans 14-ounce each coconut milk
- 2 cups baby spinach I like to remove the stems, but you can leave them on
- 8 oz. rice noodles cooked according to directions on package
- 3 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped (+ additional for garnish, optional)
- 2 scallions sliced
- a pinch of red pepper flakes optional
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil.
- Lightly salt & pepper the shrimp and add them to the pan , being careful not to crowd the shrimp.
- Cook the shrimp until pink and opaque on both sides, Remove the shrimp and place in a bowl to the side.
- Add remaining coconut oil to the pan.
- Stir in the onions and peppers and toss to coat.
- Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the ginger, garlic and red curry paste. Stir to combine.
- Cook for a few minutes, scaping the bottom of the pan
- Add the coconut milk and stir to combine the "redness" of the curry paste with the coconut milk until all lumps are gone.
- Add in the snap peas (as well as the red pepper flakes, if you are using them)
- Turn up the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add in the shrimp, spinach and 2 tablespoon of cilantro
- Continue just until the spinach wilts.
- Spoon mixture over the cooked rice noodles, topping with remaining cilantro and scallions for garnish
