Shrimp Curry

Curry dishes are easy to make, delicious, and loaded with anti-inflammatory benefits. Traditionally rice is included with a curry dish, as I did here, yet you could easily skip the rice and feel content without it in this meal.  To make this vegetarian, substitute 1.5 cups of cooked garbanzo beans instead of the shrimp. (For my own personal blend of curry spices instead of 2 tablespoons of curry powder, I typically use 2 teaspoons of ground cumin, coriander, and turmeric, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of ground clove and red curry powder, plus the salt, black pepper, fresh ginger, and garlic listed below.)

Prep Time: 40 Minutes

Rice Cooking Time: 45-50 Minutes

Serves: Two

Ingredients:

¾ cup brown rice

1 ½ cups water

¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons macadamia nut oil (or almond or avocado oil)

1 medium onion, chopped

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 tablespoons curry powder (for a personalized curry spice blend, see the intro above)

1 ½ tablespoons fresh ginger root, diced finely

½ medium head of cauliflower, chopped

¼ cup water

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

4 medium garlic cloves, chopped

½ cup organic plain low-fat yogurt (or plain coconut yogurt if you prefer non-dairy)

Garnish with 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped (mint, cilantro, parsley)

Directions:

In a saucepan, bring rice, water, and ¼ teaspoon sea salt to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer until rice is al dente, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet or sauté pan to medium-high heat, add oil, then onion, ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper and heat with an occasional stir for 2 minutes. Add carrots and curry powder blend and heat another 2 minutes with an occasional stir. Stir in ginger root, cauliflower, plus a ¼ cup of water, cover, and heat for 4 minutes. Then remove the pan from heat.

Check the rice and when it is nearly cooked, resume heating the curry pan to medium-high heat, it may take 1-2 minutes to reheat the pan. Then stir in shrimp and bell pepper, cover, reduce to medium, and heat for 3-4 minutes with an occasional stir until shrimp turns pink and curls. Then add garlic, cover, and heat a final 2 minutes.

Turn off heat and stir in the yogurt. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve over rice.

Enjoy,

Steven Masley, MD