Recipe
2 lbs shrimp (56-60 count)
2 stalks green onions
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup of small diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 cup of finely shredded coconut (unsweetened)
2 tablespoons of curry powder
1 large shallot thinly sliced
1 tablespoon freshly grated garlic
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 cup of coconut milk
1/4 stalk of lemon grass (use only the soft inner part)
3 piementos or trinidad seasoning peppers (if you do not have access to this you can use 2 thai chili peppers)
1 tablespoon seasalt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lime
Directions
Wash your shrimp under cold running water and drain.
Using a mortar and pestle, place 1/2 cup of cilantro, the green onions, 2 of the piementos or thai chili peppers and the tablespoon of the seasalt. Grind these into a paste.
Season the shrimp with the ground seasoning and the black pepper. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
In a medium skillet, over medium heat, toast the shredded coconut for 4-5 minutes to a light brown color. Stiring it occasionally. Set this aside in a small bowl.
In the same skillet, heat 1 table spoon of canola oil, on hign heat. Add the shrimp a few at a time to cook. Do not add all at the same time. You are going to brown the shrimp 1 minute per side. Remove and set aside when all the shrimp has been fried. Do not worry if the shrimp is not cooked all the way. It will cook more in the sauce. Reserve the marinade the shrimp was in.
After frying all the shrimp, in the same pan, add the shallots and lemon grass, let this fry for 2 minutes on medium heat. Once the shallots has started to soften, add the garlic and ginger. Once this is fragrant, add the curry powder.
The curry powder has to fry for a little to get that bitter taste out. Let it fry for 2-3 minutes, then add the tomatoes and the coconut milk. Add the last piemento pepper if you have it. Just split in in half down the middle. Add the reserved marinade ,let this come to a gentle simmer.
Once the sauce is simmering, taste it. Adjust the seasoning. Does it need more salt? A little more Ohpff! Go ahead spice it up some more, with a little black pepper.
Turn off the heat, remove the lemon grass and transfer the sauce to a blender and pulse to a smooth puree. Then re-add the sauce back into the skillet on low medium heat. Once the sauce has heated through add in your shrimp. Add the remaining chopped cilantro and the juice of the lime. Turn off the heat.
Empty your curry shrimp into a dish and sprinkle the toasted cocnut over. Serve over a bed of fluffy basmati rice or with warm breadsticks!
Enjoy.
