Steamed shrimp
By Cat, Jan 2018 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
I love curry recipes. When I lived in Portland, there were lots of restaurants that specialized in the curries of different Asian cultures, but here in Montana, they are few and far between. So if I want a curry dish, I have to make it myself.
This one appealed to me because it uses seafood – shrimp to be exact. I have a food sensitivity to shrimp, so I would use crab or perhaps sardines. It also uses my favorite curry mix: Garam Masala. Curries are very supportive of good health, having (generally) anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative ability. It’s a good idea to eat a curry dish at least once a week.
See also: 1. Fish and Seafood Menu; 2. Asian Foods Menu; 3. Ancient Medicine through Food; 4. Curries-3; 5. Fats and Oils: Smoke Point Chart
Seafood curry
This recipe is originally from a newsletter by Dr. Alan Christianson, a Functional Medicine practitioner who hosted the Adrenal Reset docu-series. His recipe suggests using ‘lite’ coconut milk, but I’d rather use whole coconut milk, and add water if needed to thin the sauce. Lite coconut milk is made from a second or third pressing of the coconut meat; most of the fats in coconut are in the first pressing (regular coconut milk), and because I’m following a ketogenic eating plan, I need those fats.
He doesn’t indicate what heat temperature to use; he uses olive oil for which I would recommend no hotter than medium (once the pan it hot). I prefer to use coconut oil which can stand a hotter heat, such as medium-high. It takes a while for the oil to warm to desired cooking temp. The Reluctant Gourmet (2) recommends to heat pan over high heat, then add a few drops of water to the hot pan; if the water sizzles and evaporates, you know the pan is hot enough to add the oil. Then you need to let the oil reach desired temperature; do not let it reach its smoke point (3). Then for this recipe, I’d lower heat to medium-high.
I’m not sure how many servings this makes, but likely 2 – 4.
Ingredients & Equipment:
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ diced onion
- 1 – 3 whole tomatoes – chopped
- ¼ cup red chili pepper diced – include seeds (if you need more ‘heat’ you can use more)
- 1 – 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 pound uncooked, deveined shrimp or other seafood
- ½ cup regular (full-fat) coconut milk
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- Powdered spice mix:
- ½ tsp garam masala seasoning
- 1½ tsp coriander
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp curry powder
- steamed white or brown rice
- Equipment:
- wok, saucier, or cast iron fry pan
- wooden spoon
Method:
- Prep: Dice garlic and onion.
- Chop tomatoes and set aside, separately.
- Dice peppers, removing seeds if you wish, or leave them in for a hotter dish.
- Cook: Sauté garlic/onion mix in hot coconut oil until translucent (see above for more about heating fats).
- Add shrimp or other seafood; add powdered seasonings, and warm with the garlic/onion mix, stirring.
- Add coconut milk, and give it a stir to combine.
- Add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste; then add chili peppers, with or without seeds.
- Serve over steamed rice.
References
- Dr Alan Christanson: http://drchristianson.com/ shrimp-curry/ (you need to remove space after “.com/” for link to work. It brings up a 1 minute video that you can also view on YouTube:
- The Reluctant Gourmet: reluctantgourmet.com/how-hot-should-you-heat-your-pan-when-sauteing/
- Comprehensive chart for smoke point of fats/oils: https://jonbarron.org/diet-and-nutrition/healthiest-cooking-oil-chart-smoke-points
