It seems forever since I made a homemade curry! We are a little spoiled here in New Haven as there are many good curry houses both Thai and Indian so I have been a little lazy in making one at home. I made curry more often when we were in west Michigan as, honestly, there weren't really any good authentic curry there so I had to make them at home a lot of times. But, it turned out well for us as I learned to make really good curry dishes so I am thankful for that opportunity and no regrets! You can check the search box and find 10 different curry versions on this blog - yes, that's how much we love curry!

However, I haven't made any curry featuring shrimps yet and when I saw some shrimps on sale at the grocery, I grabbed a big pack with the intent of making it one day. I thought of making my own curry paste for this as I actually learned how to make an authentic paste when I attended a cooking class in Thailand last year but I'll leave that for another post as this one is meant to be a quick and painless way to make curry. I say painless because I remember how my strict instructor made me do the red curry paste using a mortar and pestle and a lot of elbow grease (no electrical equipment allowed!) and she wouldn't approve it until it was totally smooth and vibrantly red. With a lot of pounding and grinding I managed to make a delicious curry paste but it took much longer than I thought. So, I will spare you that for now. LOL.

Since only hubby and I ate this curry as my kids are not shrimp fans yet, we had some left-over. The next day, I decided to add some frozen peas and butternut squash to the mix and we were even more delighted. I add this option to the recipe below but feel free to leave it out if you don't like it. With regards to the curry paste, every brand is different and the heat level varies so feel free to adjust the amount to your liking. I used a brand recommended by a Thai blogger - Maesri (found in Asian stores) but this is super spicy so I only need 1 tablespoon but if you use other brands you may have to add more than that to achieve more flavor. At any rate, this is a really quick and simple way to enjoy your favorite curry whether with chicken or shrimp! Don't forget the Jasmine rice!

Easy Thai Shrimp Curry

By: Manila Spoon
June 4, 2015



A quick and easy way to make a delicious Thai Shrimp curry. Spicy scrumptiousness guaranteed!

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 3 Garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 lb raw Jumbo Shrimps, shells removed and deveined but with tails on
• 1-2 Tablespoons Thai red Curry paste or to taste (I used Maesri curry paste and 1 Tbps is enough as it's very hot and spicy but if using Thai Kitchen 4-5 Tbsp should be used as it's so mild.)
• 2 Tablespoons Fish sauce
• 2-3 teaspoons brown sugar or to taste
• 1 can Coconut Milk (or Coconut Cream diluted with water)
• 1 cup cubed fresh or frozen Butternut Squash (optional)
• 1/2 cup frozen Peas (optional)
• A few drops of freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice (optional)
• Cilantro leaves, chopped for garnish

Instructions

1. In a deep pan or large skillet, heat the oil to medium. Sauté the chopped onions and garlic until tender about 2-3 minutes. Add the curry paste, stir and cook until fragrant about a minute or less.
2. Pour in the coconut milk, fish sauce and brown sugar. If using coconut cream, use only half and then add about 8 oz water (or 1 glass) in the pan to help dilute the cream. Bring to a boil.
3. Lower the heat to a simmer. If using butternut squash add them at this point. Simmer until the squash is tender but not mushy. Add the shrimp (and the peas, if using) and cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimps are nicely pink and cooked through and the peas are tender.
4. Adjust the seasoning if necessary by adding a bit more salt, sugar or fish sauce. If you think the sauce needs a little bit of a lift, a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice may help.
5. Garnish with some chopped cilantro and some cut-up lemons or limes. Serve with Jasmine rice.

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 10-15 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes

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