Delicious Coconut Shrimp Curry! Quick and EASY, this shrimp curry dish with coconut milk is perfect for a midweek meal. ONE pot and it takes only 30 minutes to make, and that’s starting with frozen shrimp!
Coconut shrimp curry is one of those quick and easy weeknight dishes. Unadorned, but so satisfying. This shrimp curry is convenient too, if you, like me, happen to keep a bag of shrimp in the freezer and a can of coconut milk in the pantry. You can cook this whole coconut shrimp curry dish in 30 minutes or less, and that’s starting with frozen shrimp!
Choose Coconut Milk Wisely for this Shrimp Curry
I made a momentous discovery while working on this recipe. The first batch we made ended up too thick, so we thought, why not use light coconut milk instead? Disaster. It tasted horrible.
We then did a taste test comparing regular coconut milk to the light variety, in their cans. The regular coconut milk was lovely, rich and coconut-y. The light coconut milk? Coconut flavored milk of magnesia.
So, I recommend, if you are even considering using light coconut milk for this recipe, that you do a taste test before making the sauce. Just pull out half a spoonful from an opened can. Compare it with regular coconut milk. You want the best tasting coconut milk for this shrimp curry recipe or any recipe that calls for it!
Check out this video I made on how easy it is to make this coconut shrimp curry!
Easy Coconut Shrimp Curry Recipe
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
To thaw frozen shrimp, place shrimp in a large bowl, cover with cold, lightly salted water. Add a couple ice cubes. Let sit for 15 minutes until defrosted.
This is a basic shrimp curry recipe. Please feel free to dress it up. Add chopped celery or bell pepper to the onions and/or fresh ginger or diced tomatoes. Experiment with the curry spices you are using.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon mild yellow curry powder
- Pinch of ground cardamom or the seeds from 1 cardamom pod, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup canned coconut milk (use regular coconut milk NOT light)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 pound raw, peeled, deveined shrimp (with or without tail)
- Cilantro for garnish
Method
If you haven’t already defrosted your shrimp, if using frozen, do that while you prepare the sauce. The shrimp will be thawed and ready to cook by the time the sauce is done.
1 Sauté onion, curry, cardamom: Heat olive oil in a medium sized sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped onion. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the curry powder, cardamom, and salt. Cook for two more minutes.
2 Add coconut milk and water, simmer: Add the coconut milk and water, simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
3 Add shrimp: Add the shrimp to the curry sauce and spread out evenly in the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp has turned from grey to pink and is just cooked through. Do not overcook or the shrimp will be rubbery.
Serve with cilantro for garnish. Serve with basmati rice or better yet, coconut basmati rice.
Links:
Caribbean Creole Coconut Curry Shrimp from Jaden on Steamy Kitchen
Coconut Shrimp Curry with jalapeños and tomatoes from Taste Food
Indian Style Coconut Shrimp Curry from One Life to Eat
