Here’s another delicious variation on Thai shrimp curry, this time adding fresh pineapple to the mix. This Indonesian recipe is somewhat similar, but with a very different flavor profile.
Fresh pineapple, as it cooks, seems to intensify in sweetness, making for a nice offset to the heat of the curry paste and Thai chili.
As with most Thai curries, don’t hesitate to let the coconut milk cook down and thicken.
What you’ll need
- 1 14-oz can coconut milk or coconut cream
- 1 – 2T red curry paste
- 0.5 lbs. raw, fresh pineapple, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 6 – 12 oz mushrooms of any kind, sliced
- 1 medium onion or 3 medium shallots, cleaned and cut into large pieces
- 1T fish sauce
- 1T brown sugar
- 1 fresh Thai chili, whole
- 2t lime juice or 2 large lime leaves
- 1 lb. large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined w/ tails left on—seasoned with 1t of salt
- Your preferred amount of chopped cilantro, as a garnish
- Your preferred amount of chopped peanuts, as a garnish
What to do
Ensure your ingredients are mis en place before starting to cook.
Begin heating your frypan or wok over high heat. Without disturbing the can, open the coconut milk. When the wok is about 300 degrees, add about a tablespoon of oil and swirl it around the inside of the wok. Spoon 2 – 3T of the solidified coconut milk at the top of the can and add it to the wok. Stir-fry the coconut milk until the oil begins to separate out from it—about 2 – 3 minutes. Add the curry paste and continue to stir-fry it for a few more minutes.
Add the onions, mushrooms and pineapple, stirring to coat them with the curry/coconut milk mixture. Cook over high heat for about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining coconut milk from the can. Fill the can about half-full of water and swirl it around to get the remaining coconut milk into the water. Add to the wok and stir.
Stir in the fish sauce, brown sugar, the chili and lime juice/lime leaves. Reduce the heat to a simmer, letting the curry slowly simmer and thicken—stirring every so often—for about 45 minutes.
When the coconut milk is at the amount of thickness you like, turn up the heat to a more vigorous simmer and add the shrimp, stirring to distribute them throughout the curry. Cook the shrimp until cooked through—about 4 – 6 minutes, depending on the rate of simmering and the size of the shrimp. At this point it’s ready to serve.
Serve hot, topped with the chopped peanuts and cilantro, with or over rice.
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