Cold weather food returns with another pending dumping of snow headed for Greater Boston (though really, not that much and it *is* winter, after all). This Thai-style Red Curry with Vegetables and Shrimp is one of my favorite winter meals. Why? Because it’s spicy so it warms you up and it is *brilliantly colorful* which warms the soul too. Substitute chicken or beef for the shrimp if you aren’t a seafood person, or just do veggies. Serve with rice. On the table in under 30 minutes. Go!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, sliced
Pinch of salt, more to taste
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
1 orange bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
2 carrots, peeled and sliced to2-inch long match sticks
1/2 cup snow peas, trimmed
1 pound large shrimp (fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut sugar or turbinado (raw) sugar or brown sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Garnishes/sides: handful of chopped fresh basil or cilantro, optional red pepper flakes, optional sriracha or chili garlic sauce
Directions
Heat a large skillet with deep sides over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the oil. Add the onion and a sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, while stirring continuously.
Add the bell peppers and carrots. Cook until the bell peppers are fork-tender, 3 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the curry paste and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the snow peas and sauté for an additional minute. Add the coconut milk and sugar, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then add the shrimp. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the peppers, carrots and snow peas have softened to your liking and the shrimp are cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pot from the heat and re-season with salt, pepper and lime juice, to taste. Serve with steamed rice, with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. If you’d like. If you love spicy curries, serve with sriracha or chili garlic sauce on the side.
