I let the shrimp for this recipe steep in spices for a bit, starting with a combination of salt and pepper, turmeric, cumin and coriander, and adding chilies and sweet-sour tamarind paste.
Mushrooms, a natural pairing, also played a part. You can use whatever cultivated varieties you can find, whether button-type brown or white ones, pale gray or golden oyster mushrooms.
To put it all together, I used coconut oil and coconut milk.
My Indian grocery had fresh curry leaves, so I added those to the pan, but the dish is fine without them. Mint and cilantro and lime wedges decorated the platter.
Coconut shrimp curry with mushrooms
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
- 1 serrano chili, finely diced
- Pinch of cayenne
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- A few fresh curry leaves (optional)
- 6 ounces mushrooms, chopped
- 2 cups coconut milk, fresh or canned
- A few mint leaves and cilantro leaves, for garnish
- Lime wedges, for garnish
Ingredients for your coconut shrimp curry. Picture by Karsten Moran/The New York Times.
Method
- Put shrimp in a medium bowl, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin, tamarind paste, serrano chili and cayenne, and mix to coat well. Leave to marinate for 5-10 minutes.
- Heat coconut oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add curry leaves, if using, and let them sputter, then add mushrooms and stir-fry gently for about 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook, stirring for about 1-2 more minutes until shrimp have turned pink and mushrooms have softened.
- Add coconut milk and simmer for about 1 minute.
- Taste sauce and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with mint and cilantro and serve, with lime wedges on the side.