Recipe: Spicy Shrimp Curry

Talk about being creative by recycling stuffs in your fridge! With this awesome recipe which is a perfect match of a bottle of champagne, it will blow your taste buds away! If it weren't for http://seattletimes.nwsource.com by Carol Mighton Haddix then I wouldn't be able to make this.

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A bag of frozen, peeled raw shrimp tucked away in the freezer provides almost instant weekday meals. Lately, I've been preparing the shrimp in a number of curries, from a Thai version (using another handy convenience product, curry paste) to this spicy curry from the south of India.

Run the shrimp under cold water, or soak it just until thawed — about 10 minutes — then cook with seasonings or a sauce just until it turns pink, about 3 minutes.

Tips:

Use a bottled Indian curry sauce instead of this one; look for them in the ethnic aisle of the supermarket.

The curry leaves, found at Indian markets, lend a nutty flavor. Serve with cooked basmati rice.

Spicy Shrimp Curry

Makes 6 servings

1 pound frozen, peeled raw shrimp, thawed

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Sauce:

3 tablespoons canola oil

20 curry leaves, optional

4 small dried red chilies

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 piece (3 inches long) ginger root, peeled, minced

1 red onion, chopped

2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon turmeric,

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes,

1 can (15 ounce) coconut milk

1 cup chopped cilantro

1. Mix shrimp, salt, pepper, red pepper and lemon juice in a food-grade storage bag; toss to coat. Refrigerate.

2. For sauce, heat oil, curry leaves and chilies in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling, 1 minute. Add pepper, ginger, onion and salt; cook, stirring and sprinkling with a little water to keep from sticking if necessary, until onion is golden, 5 minutes.

3. Add garlic, coriander, turmeric and curry powder; cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium; add tomatoes. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 5 minutes, stirring. Add coconut milk; heat to a boil. Add shrimp and its juices. Heat until shrimp are cooked through and pink, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro.

Adapted from a recipe for a curry from Goa in the south of India in "American Masala," by Suvir Saran.

Nutrition information: Per serving: 322 calories, 64 percent of calories from fat, 24 g fat, 14 g saturated fat, 112 mg cholesterol, 15 g carbohydrates, 16 g protein, 1,103 mg sodium, 4 g fiber

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