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Coconut Shrimp Curry

Coconut Shrimp Curry reads umami 6.0, richness 5.0 and sourness 4.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indian main, about 23 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.8 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.2 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 6.3 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.6 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.8 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.0 · Richness 5.0 · Sourness 4.9 · Citrus 4.7 · Allium 4.6 · Salinity 4.1 · Sweetness 3.5 · Marine & Briny 3.1 · Nutty 2.8 · Herbaceous 2.8 · Warm Spice 2.8 · Heat 2.5 · Earthy 2.4 · Fruity 2.2 · Floral 1.8 · Bitterness 1.1

What's in it (14)

• shrimp — 680 g
• vegetable oil — 27 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• garlic — 12 g
• ginger — 15 g
• curry powder — 15 g
• cumin — 5 g
• turmeric — 3 g
• cayenne pepper — 1 g
• tomatoes — 411 g
• coconut milk — 383 g
• salt — 5 g
• lime juice — 15 g
• cilantro — 15 g

Time & effort: about 23 min (22 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 102.1 kcal, 7.2 g protein, 7.1 g fat, 3.6 g carbs

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

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season lightly with a pinch of salt; set aside in the refrigerator while you build the curry base.
2. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Stir in the curry powder, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne; toast the spices in the fat until fragrant, about 1 minute — this blooms their flavor instead of leaving them raw and dusty.
5. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices and simmer, mashing them lightly with a spoon, until the mixture thickens into a jammy sauce, 4-5 minutes.
6. Stir in the coconut milk and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, until lightly thickened and the flavors have melded, about 5 minutes.
7. Add the shrimp in a single layer and simmer gently until they curl into a C-shape and are opaque throughout (145 F), 4-5 minutes — don't let the sauce boil hard or the shrimp will turn rubbery.
8. Stir in the lime juice and taste; add more salt if the curry needs it.
9. Spoon the curry over rice and scatter the cilantro on top before serving.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Mustard Seed Coconut Shrimp Curry — Indian
• Fish Curry with Coconut Milk — Indian
• Goan Fish Curry — Indian
• Sheet-Pan Chili-Lime Shrimp and Corn — Tex-Mex
• Kuku wa Nazi (Chicken in Coconut Milk) — Swahili Coast

Keep reading: what umami, richness, sourness 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.