Thai Red Shrimp Curry

Thai Red Shrimp Curry is a delicious example of the complex flavours that are the hallmark of Thai curries. Pungent curry pastes are often based on cilantro, lemongrass, chiles and garlic. They're seasoned with fish sauce, tamarind, shrimp paste, lime, sugar and spices for the perfect balance between the four key flavours; salty, spicy, sour and sweet.

Each unique combination creates a harmonious layering of flavour upon flavour called rot chart – the heart and soul of Thai cuisine.

Thai coconut rice is perfect with any Thai curry including a Yellow Chicken Curry or Pork and Vegetable Curry. For more dishes to create an amazing meal check out my complete Thai menu.

Store Bought or Homemade Curry Paste

There is so much more to curry paste than it’s colour yet they are often described that way. Yellow for chicken dishes, green for meat and red for seafood. Like most food topics they go deep and there is a lot more to learn about curry paste.

Both homemade and store bought curry pastes are typically gluten free. Using store bought paste decreases the number of ingredients you need to have and makes Thai curries quick and easy.

Both Cock brand and Thai Kitchen make curry pastes that are gluten free (at the time of writing). They can be found online or at Asian grocery stores.

• Green Curry Paste
• Red Curry Paste

Thai Ingredients

If you're new to Thai cooking check out this post, Introduction To Thai Ingredients. Don’t be intimidated, just go shopping and get cooking. Once you've got fish sauce and coconut milk in your pantry you can cook many amazing Thai dishes.

Dinner Club

Travel and food go hand in hand and can provide inspiration to try exotic dishes from cuisines around the world. My goal is to inspire you to cook anything you want at home. Anything!

Part of that is learning to be adventurous in the kitchen. People on a restricted diet have plenty of challenges with food so it’s easy to stick with tried and true recipes. However, if you start a Dinner Club you can share the culinary adventure with others and challenge yourself to cook dishes you would never have tried.

If you're intrigued about starting a Dinner Club check out these two posts and get planning.

• How To Start A Gourmet Dinner Club
• The category Dinner Club with 8 different menus.

Get The Tools

My flat-bottom wok is one of my favourite kitchen tools. I got my first wok as a gift when I was a young cook. It lives in the cupboard above the fridge. This makes it easy to grab whether I'm making an everyday stir-fry, a Thai curry or deep frying. If you don’t have one you don’t know what you’re missing. There is no comparison between cooking in a wok versus a large frying pan and I like to demonstrate this during my Thai cooking class.

Let me know in the comments below if you use a wok or were inspired to buy one.

A Travel Tale from Thailand

From time to time I write a travel post for my friend Sue over at Travel Tales of Life. I wrote this one titled Thai Red Shrimp Curry about our trip to Thailand many years ago.

As they say in Thailand…Gan gin gan yu.

As you eat, so you are.

Thai Red Shrimp Curry

This dish is a delicious example of the complex flavours that are the hallmark of those famous Thai curries. Red curry paste is most often used with seafood dishes.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: thai

Keyword: red shrimp curry

Author: Cinde Little

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 cups coconut milk
• ▢ 3 tablespoon red curry paste
• ▢ 2 tablespoon fish sauce
• ▢ 2 dried red chiles, broken and seeded
• ▢ 1½ lbs large shrimp, shelled with tails left on
• ▢ 4 fresh lime leaves torn in half (substitute dried or frozen lime leaves, fresh Thai basil or even mint)
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• ▢ 2 limes, cut in wedges

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Instructions

• Set a wok or deep pan over high heat and add coconut milk.
• When the milk is warm add the curry paste and gently whisk to blend in. Bring to a slow boil then reduce heat to low and simmer the sauce for 5 minutes.
• Add the shrimp and lime leaves. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp are just cooked through, 2-3 minutes.
• Transfer the curry to a large serving bowl. Remove the chile pieces or warn guests not to eat them. Sprinkle with cilantro and garnish with lime wedges.