Shrimp + Coconut Milk

Make this recipe. Tonight. It is seriously delicious.

Some dinners I make are just okay, some are good enough to eat and then there are the few that I simply cannot wait to make again. The dinner I made last night fits into that last category.

We had leftover coconut milk from when Rich made us Poisson Cru I wanted to use. Coincidentally, my mom sent me a recipe last week that called for coconut milk and shrimp, among other things. Before I committed to a recipe, I intended to do a comparison. However, after I reviewed the first result of my coconut milk and shrimp recipe query, I called Rich for an inventory of what we had at home and hit print. I did tweak the recipe to my own preferences; my changes are listed in full below.

Shrimp + Coconut Milk
{adapted from Food and Wine}
Ingredients
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 can Red Gold diced tomatoes, drained
2 1/2 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk (from two 15-ounce cans)
1/2 cup water
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, shelled
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
Lime wedges, for serving
Bed of cooked basmati rice (optional)

{ingredients in photo form}

Directions
In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderately high heat.
Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

{onions+garlic+ginger+spices, mingling}

Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add the coconut milk, water, and salt and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat and cook at a low boil, stirring frequently, until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.

{saucy}

Add the shrimp to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are just done, 3 to 5 minutes.

{scrumptious sauce+shrimp}

Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

{ready for plates}

Serve with the lime wedges over a bed of rice.

{dinner time!}

For fun, I assembled nutritional information for this recipe. As far as I am concerned the numbers are pretty good. Though the stats exclude the optional rice; if you use 3/4 c. cooked basmati rice, add an additional 150 calories to the total number. Oh. I forgot to mention, this recipe is fast and flavorful, too!