This is a quick and easy Thai-style shrimp dish that preps and cooks up in less than 20 minutes, even faster if you use canned tomatoes. In this case, I used one tomato and can of fire-roasted tomatoes, which added some char to the mix, to good effect.
Try to use as large of shrimp you can find; smaller ones could easily get overcooked. You could also use a variety of chili types. Just use what’s in line with your preference for heat.
Enjoy!
What you’ll need
- 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 0.25 cups minced shallots or onions
- 1T minced garlic
- 2 – 3T oil
- 0.5t turmeric
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes or 1 14-oz can chopped tomatoes, mostly drained
- 0.5 cups water (omit if using canned tomatoes)
- 1T fish sauce
- 1 – 2 serrano chili, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 small bunch cilantro, chopped (optional)
- Lime wedges (optional)
What to do
Heat the oil in a heavy frypan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the turmeric and stir, followed by the shallots. Fry the shallots for a few minutes until they’re softened, then add the garlic and mix it in. Continue frying for about another minute (careful not to scorch the garlic) before adding the tomatoes. Let the tomatoes simmer and cook until they’re softened—this will take a few minutes.
Add the water and fish sauce and bring it to a medium boil. Now add the shrimp. Cook the shrimp, mixing it in, until it begins to turn pink. Add the chili, mixing it in well. Cook the mixture for one more minute before removing the wok from the heat when the shrimp is fully cooked.
Immediately serve hot with cilantro, accompanied by rice and lime wedges.
