Vibrant Thai-Style Shrimp Curry with Jasmine Rice

This Thai-style shrimp curry with jasmine rice bathes plump shrimp in a fragrant coconut broth laced with lemongrass and lime leaves, served over fluffy rice. The silky sauce clings to each bite, balancing creamy richness with bright citrus and gentle heat. It’s a restaurant-worthy dish that comes together in 30 minutes for effortless elegance.

DIY GUIDESKITCHEN PROTOCOLS

11/11/20253 min read

Time + Yield

  • Prep: 10 min (active)

  • Cook: 20 min (active)

  • Total: 30 min

  • Servings: 4

  • Active Time: 30 min

  • Passive Time: None

Ingredients

Curry:

  • 400 g medium shrimp, peeled and deveined [~2 cups]

  • 400 mL coconut milk [1¾ cups]

  • 150 g green beans, trimmed, cut 3 cm [1 cup]

  • 100 g red bell pepper, sliced [½ cup]

  • 10 g lemongrass stalk, bruised [1 stalk]

  • 5 g kaffir lime leaves (fresh or dried) [2 leaves]

  • 15 mL fish sauce [1 tbsp]

  • 10 mL lime juice [2 tsp]

  • 5 g red curry paste [1 tsp]

  • 5 mL vegetable oil [1 tsp]

  • 5 g palm sugar or brown sugar [1 tsp]

Rice:

  • 200 g jasmine rice [1 cup]

  • 400 mL water [1¾ cups]

Garnish:

  • 10 g Thai basil or regular basil, torn [¼ cup]

  • 1 small red chili, sliced

Substitutes:

  • Kaffir lime leaves unavailable? Use 5 mL lime zest.

  • Jasmine rice alternative: 200 g basmati rice.

Method

  1. Cook Rice: Rinse jasmine rice until water runs clear. In a pot, bring 400 mL water to boil (100°C/212°F). Add rice, reduce to low (90°C/195°F), cover, cook 12 min until fluffy. Fluff with fork.

  2. Start Curry: Heat oil in a wok (28 cm) over medium (160°C/320°F). Add red curry paste, stir 30 sec until aromatic and oil separates slightly.

  3. Build Sauce: Pour in 200 mL coconut milk, add lemongrass, lime leaves, fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer 5 min until sauce thickens and smells fragrant.

  4. Add Shrimp and Veggies: Stir in shrimp, green beans, bell pepper, and remaining coconut milk. Cook 5 min until shrimp curl and turn pink (internal 63°C/145°F). Add lime juice.

  5. Serve: Spoon rice into bowls, ladle curry over. Garnish with basil and chili slices.

Pressure-Cooker Variant: After step 2, add all ingredients except shrimp and lime juice. Cook 1 whistle (3 min). Add shrimp, simmer 2 min.

Air-Fryer Variant (for shrimp): Air-fry shrimp at 180°C/350°F for 5 min, add to finished curry.

Parallelization Timeline

  • While rice cooks (12 min), prep curry paste, lemongrass, and veggies.

  • While sauce simmers (5 min), peel shrimp and slice chili.

  • Finish curry as rice rests to hit 30-min total.

Substitutions & Swaps

  • Veg/Vegan: Swap shrimp for 400 g tofu cubes (add in step 4, cook 3 min); use soy sauce instead of fish sauce.

  • Gluten-Free: Ensure fish sauce and curry paste are gluten-free.

  • Budget: Replace shrimp with 300 g mushrooms (cook 4 min).

Scaling

  • Halve: Use 200 g shrimp, 200 mL coconut milk, 100 g rice; use a 24 cm wok.

  • Double: Use 800 g shrimp, 800 mL coconut milk, 400 g rice; cook rice in two batches or larger pot.

Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat

  • Make-Ahead: Prep curry base (without shrimp) 1 day ahead; add shrimp when reheating.

  • Storage: Store curry and rice separately (fridge, 2 days; curry freezer, 1 month).

  • Reheat: Simmer curry (120°C/250°F, 5 min) with 20 mL water; microwave rice (800W, 1 min).

  • Safety: Reheat shrimp to 74°C/165°F internally.

Troubleshooting

  • Curry Too Thin: Simmer uncovered 2 min to reduce.

  • Shrimp Overcooked: Add in last 2 min; check temp early.

  • Under-Spiced: Stir in 2 mL extra fish sauce or 1 g chili.

Nutrition per Serving

  • Calories: 410 kcal

  • Macros: 25 g protein, 45 g carbs, 18 g fat

Cost per Serving

  • Shrimp (400 g): ₹150 / $1.80 / €1.65

  • Coconut milk (400 mL): ₹60 / $0.72 / €0.66

  • Jasmine rice (200 g): ₹30 / $0.36 / €0.33

  • Veggies, spices: ₹40 / $0.48 / €0.44 (amortized)

  • Total: ~₹70 / $0.84 / €0.77 per serving

Variations

  1. Green Curry Chicken: Swap shrimp for chicken (cook to 74°C/165°F), use green curry paste.

  2. Vegan Coconut Tofu: Use tofu, add 50 g baby corn, finish with coconut cream.

  3. Spicy Fish Curry: Replace shrimp with 400 g firm white fish (cook 6 min).

Plating & Garnish Serve in deep white bowls with rice molded in a small cup for shape. Ladle vibrant curry around, letting shrimp peek through. Scatter basil and chili for color and aroma. A lime wedge adds sharp acidity.

FAQs

Q:Can I skip coconut milk?

A:Use 300 mL vegetable broth + 50 mL cream, but flavor will be lighter.

Q:Jasmine vs basmati?

A:Jasmine is stickier and floral; basmati is fluffier and nutty.

Q:No lemongrass?

A:Use 5 mL lemon zest + 5 g ginger for citrus depth.

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