When my father returned home from Hawaii where he was stationed for 3 years during WWII, he brought with him a recipe for shrimp curry. It soon became the Corbett family's most exotic, celebratory dish. It was not a dish to be taken lightly in the 1950's. The process was involved: Minerva (my mom's nickname) would station me at the peanut grinder where I'd grind peanuts for one of the condiments while she boiled eggs and grated them for another essential topping.
Minerva stood at the sink and meticulously peeled and deveined the shrimp with a kitchen knife while the rice cooked. (One cup of rice in a pan with enough water to come up one-inch above the rice. She used her index finger to measure. She stuck in her finger and added water to come up to the first knuckle.)
Fast forward to 2023. No need to laboriously peel and devein shrimp--we can get them frozen and ready-to-cook at Costco. We've also got fancy rice cookers. And bonus: we've got healthier alternatives for rich dishes that traditionally contain cream.
This shrimp curry comes from an old Weight Watchers cookbook, "Simply the Best," that I bought at a Weight Watchers center in 1997. It's a compilation of WW members' favorite recipes. When I first made it I was wowed! This curry was just like mom's, delicious and rich tasting but minus the fat. If you like shrimp and you like curry, this will be your guilt-free go-to curry from now on.
2 tsp. olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2. cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb. cooked, peeled medium shrimp
Cooked white or brown rice
In a large nonstick pan heat the oil. Add the green pepper, onion and garlic; cook, stirring as needed, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the flour, curry powder, ginger and salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broth, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, about 2 minutes.
Add the shrimp and cook. Stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve with rice and condiments such as chopped peanuts (Sorry, Minerva, I don’t grind them anymore), grated egg, chopped scallions and chutney. You can even add some chopped banana for a tropical touch.
