Thai Shrimp Curry

Why did I have a hankering for curry?  Not sure actually but I had it in my head that I was going to make a few things over the weekend.  A batch of chocolate chip cookies, a huge pot of veal red sauce to break up into a bunch of tupperwares for freezing, a big batch of meatballs for the freezer, a pot of lentil chorizo soup and a shrimp curry dish for Sunday nights dinner.  Check all of them off the list.  Mission accomplished.  The added bonus is this curry dish is delicious and I will make it again and again.

I got the recipe off of Food 52.  Here is my rendition.

• 1 pound thin spaghetti, cooked
• vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon madras curry powder
• 2 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cup chicken stock or unsalted chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 lime quartered for garnish
• 1/3 cup scallions, sliced for garnish
• 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup shallots, sliced into rounds
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 2 tablespoons flour
• salt

Mix the flour,cornstarch and a tsp of salt in a small bowl.  Then add the shallots and toss until coated.  In a deep wok like pot pour oil in about one inch deep.  I used a candy thermometer to see if the temperature got up to 325.  Then put in the shallots and let them get super crispy.  Happens fast.  Take them out with a slotted spoon and put them on a paper towels to dry.

Drain that pot of oil and wipe it clean.  Put it back on the heat and add about 2 tbsp. more of oil.  Then put in the curry paste, cumin, tumeric and curry powder.  Let this mix together for about 30 seconds.  Then add in the chicken broth, sugar, fish sauce and coconut milk.  Bring to a boil and then simmer.  Let this hang out on the stove for roughly 20 minutes to let the flavors mix.

Add the shrimp and let it almost cook through.  Then crank the heat up to high and add the lime juice. 

Put the noodles in a bowl, ladle the shrimp and curry over the top, sprinkle with fried shallots and scallions.  Serve a piece of lime on the side. 

A winner!