Indian Inspired: Paleo Coconut Curry Shrimp
Earlier this month I signed up for one of Sur La Tables’ wonderful cooking classes and used it to test out my Indian cooking skills. If you’re like me, you’ve tried to make Indian dishes in the past and ended up wondering if you’d ever perfect them enough to be worth of any Indian restaurants’ (or something even close!). Well, I can finally say that this class did the trick!
Enter: Paleo Coconut Curry Shrimp
Rich, buttery, spicy coconut curry sauce, resembling that of a traditional butter chicken sauce – simply delightful! Freshly toasted cumin and coriander seeds with their intoxicatingly delicious fragrant wafting from the pan. Vibrantly colorful veggies swimming among that sauce and toasted spices just perfects the dish further. It’s an incredible recipe and meal!
I’m pretty sure the secret to amazing Indian food is FRESHLY toasted and ground spices (you just cannot replicate this incredible flavor!) and ghee/coconut oil (i.e. FAT). Just. So. Good!
I must say, Sur La Table is a crazy-wonderful store. I mean, there is SO much to play with! And then, throw in a cooking class where you can literally play with anything they offer in the store AND eat the fruits of your labor… just wonderful. This was the third cooking class I have taken from Sur La Table because 1) they’re fun, 2) you learn new and fun recipes and culinary techniques, and 3) there’s such a huge variety of classes offered and it’s always a great time.
This particular class focused on Easy-to-Make Indian dishes and the meal line up included:
- Potato Stuffed Flatbread (Aloo Paratha)
- Shrimp Coconut Curry
- Roasted Eggplant with Coriander and Ginger
- Spicy Red Lentils (Dal)
- Cardamom-Scented Basmati Rice
YUM!
Enough with the chit-chat, let’s get to the recipe that you will make over and over and over again! The ingredient list is long, yes, but the dish itself is SUPER easy. Don’t let the length of the recipe stop you from making this- it’s a dish that will definitely impress time and time again.
Curry Mixture:
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp each cumin and coriander seeds, toasted then ground
- 2 tsp fresh turmeric, ground or 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes in juices
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sautee until deep golden, about 20 minutes. Add garlic and all spices, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Puree tomatoes with juices and yogurt in a food processor until almost smooth. Add onion mixture, pulse/puree again until almost smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Note: Curry can be made 1 day ahead, just put into a tightly sealed container and refrigerate.
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Shrimp & Veggies:
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
- 2 medium zucchini or squash, sliced into rounds
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup snow peas, stems removed
- 1 pound raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup green onion, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Heat oil in a heavy pot or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, peppers, and snow peas, sauteeing for a few minutes to slightly soften, about 5-8 minutes. Add in shrimp and sautee until partially cooked, about 2 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, cilantro, green onions, mint, lemon juice, and about half of the curry mixture.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve!
See, simple!
