Coconut Shrimp Curry with Vegetables over Brown Rice

Ingredients

0 of 17 out on the counter

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced thin
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 medium zucchini, cut in half-moons
• 3 tbsp canned coconut milk (full-fat, shaken), thinned in the pot
• 1 lb large raw shrimp (21–25 count), peeled and deveined, thawed; buy bags whose label lists only shrimp, with no salt, sodium or phosphate added
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 4 cups cooked brown rice, cooked without salt (1 cup a bowl)

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1If the shrimp are frozen, put them in a bowl of cold tap water for 15 minutes, then drain and pat dry with a towel.
2. 2Warm the olive oil in a deep 12-inch skillet or a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper and cook 4 minutes, stirring, until the onion turns glassy. Do not let it brown.
3. 3Stir in the curry powder, ginger, garlic powder and cayenne. Cook 30 seconds, until the spices smell toasty.
4. 4Pour in the broth and add the zucchini. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 8 minutes, until the zucchini is tender and the broth has cooked down a little.
5. 5Whisk in the coconut milk. It thins into the broth and gives a light, pale-gold sauce. Turn the heat off.
6. 6Stir in the shrimp, the fish sauce and the salt, then lay the spinach on top. Cover the pan and let it sit off the heat for 5 minutes. The shrimp are done when each one is pink and opaque all the way through; check the largest shrimp with a thermometer: it should read 145 °F (FDA, USDA FSIS). If it does not, or any shrimp is still grey in the middle, set the pan on low heat and stir until it does.
7. 7Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Spoon over the brown rice, 1 cup of rice to each bowl.