Coconut Shrimp Curry Recipe

Looking for a simple flavourful but nutrient dense dinner. Then this shrimp and spinach coconut curry is calling your name. The shrimp curry is loaded with creamy coconut milk and infused with spices to provide a subtle kick of flavor. The best part is that it’s too easy and takes 15 minutes to create. Let’s dive in.

Shrimp, Spinach and Coconut Curry

A marriage or combination made in heaven. The coconut milk's creaminess and island summer vibes work fantastic with sweet, meaty, and plump shrimp. That’s not all. Using onion, a little garlic, and ginger with turmeric and garam masala-based spices provides a warm kick. The spinach added at the end provides more nutrients, such as folate and potassium, with a bit of bitterness.

The recipe is a mix between southeast Asian and Caribbean cuisine. The ingredients used and where I cooked this recipe are based in Nicaraguan, which has integrated Caribbean culture and roots.

This recipe is ideal for anyone on any diet (minus vegan/vegetarian), but if so, use a selection of root vegetables instead of the shrimp. I would not do that as shrimp are one of my favorite foods from the sea. I used locally caught shrimp just off the Nicaraguan Pacific coast. I used medium-sized and saved a lot of hassle and energy by politely asking my girlfriend’s sister and brother to peel and clean them for me, i.e., removing the digestive tract. Doing this avoids a bite of grit or seeing black in the shrimp meat. It will save you much time asking a fishmonger to do the dirty work.

Once you have all the ingredients, they must be prepared and ready to go. The shrimp and coconut curry recipe is quick, so if you don’t prepare ahead, you can easily overcook the onion, garlic, or shrimp. Lay out all the ingredients and then put on some old-school reggaeton music or whatever you fancy, then GO.

Is Spinach Healthy?

Many people nowadays avoid spinach as they think it is toxic and dangerous. There’s context in nutrition, so painting black-and-white narratives usually does not work - especially when you understand both mechanisms of the positives and negatives. The spinach was included as I eat my greens for their nutrient and lutein content. Spinach in a smoothie in its raw state is massively different compared to a common sense amount of spinach cooked in a meal that contains a little calcium and fat.

Spinach should be one of the last concerns for most of the public compared to consuming pseudo foods. However, there is likely a tiny minority of the population that warrants reducing spinach, especially in its raw or concentrated state or ingested in large amounts like a soup.

We used 2 large handfuls for this recipe between a serving of 4. Spinach contains unique nutrients - folate, vitamin K1, lutein, potassium, vitamin C, and magnesium. All play important roles in optimal health.

If desired, turn up or down the heat with the green chili or chili flakes. I served the curry with basmati rice that was precooked, cooled, and reheated for the resistant starch gains to support my microbiome, butyrate production, and overall systemic health with lower glucose response. Bacteria mainly digest resistance starch, and only 20-30% is left for human utilization.

Optional Upgrades

For this recipe and as an option for you to do. I marinated the shrimp 24 hours ahead of time in the spice to marinade them and let the spices penetrate deeper into the flesh of the shrimp instead of just being a sauce-based spices. You can marinade for as little as 2-3 hours or as long as 24 hours like me. This is just an option to consider if you have the time. I stored the shrimp in an air-tight container and in the fridge.

What Equipment Do You Need for the Shrimp Coconut Curry

You only need a cutting board, a good knife, and a quality wide saucepan. Ideally, I use the ceramic pan by Xtrema and a spatula - bamboo. Finally, it would be ideal to use a grater to make it easy for the garlic and ginger to be blended in. You could also grate the onion, but I decided to slice it. Using a grater allows these ingredients to blend into the curry into one smooth concoction.

Shrimp Coconut Curry Spices

Turmeric is added by itself at 1 tsp for the recipe. Ideally, this is organic. Then, the next step is the curry powder with 2 options. Either purchase a ready-made blend - ideally from the highest quality organic (due to some dried culinary herbs and spices containing yeasts, molds, heavy metals, and pathogenic bacteria but also not having any actual medicinal or health-boosting effect. I have a good, locally sourced brand here in Nicaragua, which I use. OR you can make it yourself, which will be the best.

You will likely find coriander, cumin, turmeric, fennel, cinnamon, ginger, curry leaf or bay leaf, garlic, black pepper, and red chilies or flakes in a typical curry powder mix. Cardamom and fenugreek are occasionally included, though not often. You can use this recipe HERE as an example to follow. Avoid the garlic and onion powders and the ground cinnamon with the linked recipe, as the recipe will use the cinnamon stick to infuse.

@livevitae Shrimp Curry Recipe 🦐 #shrimprecipe #recipe #shrimp #foodtiktok #health #livevitae #fypシ #fyp ♬ Paint The Town Red - Doja Cat

If you want to reduce the calories, then use half of the coconut milk and swap it for water to make it lighter. Additionally, the meal could stretch for 3 servings, reducing the calories per serving.

Shrimp Coconut Curry Recipe Step-by-Step

Serves: 2
Skill level: Easy / Beginner
Prep time: 10 minutes (shrimp prepped at fishmonger)
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound (450 approx grams) shrimp ready to go - shelled, innards removed

• 1/2 tbsp coconut oil

• 1 red or white onion - thinly sliced or grated

• 1 fresh plum tomato. - chopped

• 3 garlic cloves - grated - or finely sliced.

• 1 inch ginger - grated

• 1 tin of coconut milk (total fat)

• 1/2 cup of water

• 2 tbsp tomato paste/puree (concentrate)

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 tbsp curry powder (homemade* or store-bought (highest quality you can find - ideally organic))

• Spinach - 2 large handfuls.

• 1 stick of cinnamon

• Sea salt to season to taste,

• 1 green chilli - finely sliced

• Fresh coriander leaves to serve.

How To Cook Shrimp Coconut Curry

1. Option to marinate the shrimp in the turmeric and curry powder mix for 2 -24 hours before cooking.

2. Prepare all the ingredients and have them ready to be used.

3. Use a wide saucepan that holds the ingredients, or use 2 pans to split the components fairly — heat pan on medium heat.

4. Add the coconut oil to the pan.

5. Add the onion to the pan and cook until it turns golden.

6. Add the shrimp. Allow getting color on one side before turning. Cook for 2-3 minutes total.

7. Add the ginger and garlic. Add the cinnamon stick.

8. Add some spices to the mix (an extra 1/2 tbsp of curry powder).

9. Add the chopped tomato and tomato paste./puree. Mix in the pan.

10. Then, add the coconut milk and the extra water. Cook for 15 minutes on a low heat with the lid on

11. Take off the lid. Add 2 large handfuls of spinach leaves. Put the top on again for 2-3 minutes. Spinach would be wilted.

12. Prepare to serve. - add the green chili and fresh coriander and season to taste with salt.

13. Serve alongside rice, by itself, or with cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.

Shrimp Coconut Curry Nutritional Value (per serving)

CALORIES: 594
PROTEIN: 35g
CARBS: 23.6g
FAT: 40g
FIBER: 3.7g
VITAMIN B1: 0.1MG
VITAMIN B2: 0.2MG
VITAMIN B3: 5.3MG
VITAMIN B5: 0.4MG
VITAMIN B6: 0.6MG
VITAMIN B7: N/A
VITAMIN B9: 160UG
VITAMIN B12: 2.5UG
CHOLINE: 207MG
VITAMIN A: 368UG
RETINOL: 121.5UG
VITAMIN C: 23.7MG
VITAMIN D: 9IU
VITAMIN E: 4.7MG
VITAMIN K: 244.5UG
CALCIUM: 200MG
COPPER: 0.7MG
IRON: 3MG
MAGNESIUM: 120MG
MANGANESE: 1.2MG
POTASSIUM: 922MG
SELENIUM: 71UG
ZINC: 3MG
OMEGA 3: 0.2g
OMEGA 6: 0.6g