Spicy Shrimp curry with hot and sour vegetable salad

Tonight's Menu

Thai spicy shrimp curry

Hot and sour vegetable salad

Steamed rice noodles

Wine Pairing: German Riesling, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Rosé

This easy to make coconut milk red curry shrimp is the taste and flavor combination that defines Thai cooking. Paired with the hot and sour vegetable salad and steamed rice noodles, every last mouthful of this elegant combination is pleasure itself. The salad needs to be made just before serving and keep in mind 'quick flash cooking' so that every vegetable is tender crisp and not limp. Nothing tastes worse that soggy veges in this salad. Red curry paste is quite easy to make but requires some basic ingredients. You can make your own (recipe follows) or buy the ready to use paste from the supermarket.


Shrimp Curry
Ingredients:

20 large shrimps shelled, de-veined
2 cups unsweetened light coconut milk
2 lime leaves for garnish
1-2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp

Red curry paste 
12 dried red chilies
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp peppercorns
2 shallots
1 inch fresh ginger
2 stalks lemon grass
4 kaffir lime leaves
salt to taste
1/4 cup water

1. Make red curry paste  - Soak red chilies in boiling water for 10 minutes until soft. Drain and set aside. In a skillet dry roast cumin and coriander seeds till they start to pop 2-3 minutes. Grind these in a dry grinder. In a blender take this spice powder along with all the ingredients and process for 2-3 minutes till a smooth paste is formed. Store in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for up to a week.
2. In a pan bring 1 cup of coconut milk to boil. Add 2 tbsp red curry paste and mix to dissolve. Cook for 1 minute.
3. Now add sugar, fish sauce, and the second cup of coconut milk and bring to boil. Add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes till shrimps turn pink and springy. take off of the heat.
4. Taste for the perfect blend of sweet and salty. Adjust by adding more of the sugar or fish sauce.
5. Serve accompanied by steamed rice or rice noodles.

Hot-sour vegetable salad 

Hot and sour vegetable salad

Ingredients: 

1 onion sliced

1 small head broccoli cut into florets

2 carrots cut into thin sticks

1 red pepper cut in thin strips

1 yellow pepper cut in thin strips

8-10 baby corns halved

3/4 cup halved snow peas

2 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil

1 inch fresh ginger grated

Dressing

2 tsp chili oil or sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp Thai fish sauce

1. Heat a wok over high heat and add the vegetable oil.
2. Add onion and ginger and sauté for about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add all the vegetables and stir fry on high for 2-3  minutes till they are tender crisp. Remove from heat.
4. Mix all dressing ingredients together and drizzle over the vegetables. Serve warm.

Hot and sour vegetable salad

Recipe adapted from 'Simply Thai Cooking' by Wandee Young & Byron Ayanoglu and Cooking School Thai