Snuggle in with this spicy shrimp curry dish

Late fall on the Texas Gulf Coast can be such a tease. Some years, we endure quite a long wait before ever spying a scarf waving in the breeze. When fall arrives, our appetites tend to follow suit, craving warm, satisfying dishes.

You may be tempted when making this dish to reach in the pantry for red chili flakes or cayenne in lieu of gochugaru, but you’d be cheating yourself and the dish out of incredible flavor. This traditional Korean spice is usually a vibrant red with a coarse texture. It’s fairly spicy, hitting hot, sweet and smoky notes. And now, gochugaru is easy to spot on the shelf at the grocery store.

Photo by Alicia Cahill

Ground Shrimp Curry

Servings: 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small jalapeño, seeds removed if desired, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon gochugaru

2 teaspoons ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, finely chopped

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1⁄2 lemon

Brown rice, prepared according
to package directions

Garnish: sliced scallions

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium and cook the onion, stirring often, until soft and starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, pulse shrimp in a food processor until coarsely ground; set aside.

Add the jalapeño and garlic to the pan along with curry powder, gochugaru and ginger. Stir to combine, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook another 3 minutes. Add water chestnuts and stir to combine.

Gradually add broth, stirring and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until reduced by a third, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add shrimp and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Remove from heat.

Divide rice among bowls, top with curry and garnish with scallions. Serve immediately.

Pro tip: This dish comes together quickly. Have your ingredients prepped and ready before starting.