Thai · main

Coconut Curry Shrimp

Coconut Curry Shrimp reads umami 7.3, salinity 5.2 and funk & ferment 4.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Thai main, about 34 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.3 · Salinity 5.2 · Funk & Ferment 4.9 · Citrus 4.9 · Richness 4.9 · Sourness 4.4 · Marine & Briny 4.2 · Sweetness 4.1 · Herbaceous 3.7 · Allium 3.6 · Warm Spice 3.0 · Nutty 2.6 · Floral 2.1 · Fruity 2.0 · Heat 1.8 · Earthy 1.7 · Bitterness 0.7

What's in it (15)

Time & effort: about 34 min (33 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 110.8 kcal, 6.3 g protein, 6.2 g fat, 9.3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

  1. Bring the rinsed rice and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes; remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
  2. While the rice cooks, pat the shrimp dry and season lightly with a pinch of the salt; set aside.
  3. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and sauté until it softens and picks up light char at the edges, 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. Push the pepper to the side, add the garlic and ginger, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir in the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it darkens a shade and smells toasty, about 1 minute.
  5. Pour in the coconut milk, whisking to dissolve the curry paste into a smooth sauce, and bring to a steady simmer.
  6. Stir in the fish sauce, brown sugar, and remaining salt; simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
  7. Nestle the shrimp into the sauce in a single layer and simmer, flipping once, until they turn pink and opaque and reach 145 F, 3 to 4 minutes.
  8. Add the snow peas and cook just until they turn bright green and are crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
  9. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the lime zest and juice.
  10. Spoon the curry over the rice and finish with the torn basil and sliced scallions.

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Keep reading: what umami, salinity, funk & ferment mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.