Shrimp and Mango Curry

I just spent an hour peeling, dicing and stirring for a dish that really didn't live up to it's hype. I totally hate when that happens. I bought all these really great ingredients and it smelled AMAZING in here. Curry tends to have that effect, but the flavor just didn't live up to the smell. I made a shrimp and mango curry, with mangoes and sweet potatoes and onions. When all was said and done it was very anti-climactic, like the end (or entire duration) of The Blair Witch Project. I promise I will not go off on a tangent about how god-awful that movie was...I'll save it for a separate post.

ANYWAYS, I felt as though the dish needed something else...and this is where I get sad. I don't have that culinary expertise of knowing what spiced and seasonings to add to things. My immediate thought was that the dish would have been better with some bacon and/or cheese. Bacon and cheese are two very magical super foods. Not super healthy, like avocados or acai berries, but super as in super heroes. They really do save the day for a lot of dishes. This post, like my dish, is very anti-climactic. The only saving grace was that my mum made spaghetti and meatballs (which she stole my leftover roasted red peppers and carmelized onions to add to the sauce), and I had a little dish to satisfy my palette.



Shrimp and Mango Curry

1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
1 sm. onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp. salt
dash black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
1 (15 oz) can light coconut milk
2 cups water
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and diced
2 med. sweet potatoes, diced and blanched
4 tbsp. minced green onion
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced

1. Melt butter and oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, saute until aromatic, about 3 minutes. Stir in curry, ginger, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Add coconut milk and water; bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 of the potatoes and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
2. Add shrimp, mango, and remaining potatoes to pan. Bring back to a simmer and cook 4-5 minutes or until shrimp are pink. Stir in green onion and cilantro. Serve over rice.

If you've never blanched anything it's super easy. Blanching is just boiling a vegetable and then submerging into an ice bath or running it under cold water to stop the cooking process. It keeps the veggie nice and tender without continuing to cook and get mushy. Great for prepping veggies for fondue!