2tablespoonsto 1/4 cup yellow currysee notes below about spiciness!
3tablespoonstomato paste
114.5 ounce can coconut milk or coconut cream (NOT light coconut milk!)
128 ounce can diced tomatoes
114.5 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
3teaspoonsgaram masaladivided
Kosher salt
2poundspeeleddeveined shrimp (21-25 per pound)
1/4cupminced cilantro
Substitutions
Olive oilyou can use absolutely any oil here. Coconut, avocado, grapeseed, do your thing.
Curry pasteyou can also use red curry paste. Curry powder is really not the same thing, but if that’s what youve got, use 3 tablespoons of it, and yes, you’re still gonna toast it with the tomato paste!
Coconut milktraditional tikka masala uses heavy cream, yum. If you also want to do that, use 1/2 cup and stir it in at the same time as the coconut milk.
Diced tomatoeswhole peeled tomatoes, but crush with your hands as you add them. Tomato sauce (the canned kind, not marinara!) also works. You can also use 2 pounds of fresh tomatoes, but it’ll be a lot waterier and take longer to cook into a thick sauce.
Garbanzo beanscannellini or navy beans.
Garam masalayou need it for this tikka masala-ish dish, but if you don’t have it, omit it and you’ve got a nice curry!
Shrimpchicken! 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed up. Simmer for 10 minutes or until cooked through and tender. Or, go vegetarian by using 2 cans of garbanzo beans!
Cilantrobasil ain’t traditional, but neither is this dish, so it would be tasty too.
Instructions
Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 cup curry paste and 3 tablespoons tomato paste and stir until things are smelling very fragrant and wonderful and start to stick to the bottom of the pan, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Don’t you dare let it burn!
Pour in a big splash of the coconut milk and stir until the curry and tomato pastes are completely smooth and no lumps remain. Add the remaining 1 (14.5 ounce) can coconut milk, 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes. 1 (14.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, 2 teaspoons garam masala, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Scrape the bottom of the pan to make sure you get up any curry paste that might have stuck.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the mixture has thickened and the chickpeas are very tender.
Meanwhile, toss 2 pounds peeled, deveined shrimp with 1 teaspoon garam masala and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Refrigerate.
When the mixture is thick and the chickpeas are tender, use your spoon to crush about half of the chickpeas and tomatoes. Stir in the shrimp until they are covered in sauce. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until completely opaque and cooked through. Stir in 1/4 cup minced cilantro and remove the pan from the heat.
Taste!!! What does it need more of? More salt? Do it! Want it spicier? Add some cayenne pepper (tiny bit!) or red pepper flakes.
Serve over plain white or brown rice, or quinoa, OR better idea… my coconut rice.
Notes
MORE IDEAS: Stir in 3 cups of spinach at the end to bulk up the veg. Frozen peas would be tasty too. No coconut milk or heavy cream? Stir in 1/2 cup of plain whole milk yogurt (after the tomatoes simmer and thicken for 25 to 30 minutes).