There is a kind of summer afternoon that is almost magical. The afternoon that is neither too hot nor too cold, pleasantly breezy, and magically mellow. As I sit and type this I hear the gentle swishing of leaves and branches, the lake water lackadaisically lolling against the dock, the kids quietly painting, and Coke Studio in the background. We are up in the Kawarthas for our annual cottage vacation. The first time we came up here my little one wasn’t born yet and now she is the one who is most enthusiastic and will plunge right into the lake on overcast days with an infectious glee. I will be totally honest with you and say that although I have adjusted to it cottage living does not come naturally to me. In my childhood an outdoorsy trip meant going to stay in a fully staffed guest cottage up North in Pakistan. Outdoor excursions were peppered with “bhutta” (roasted corn), expresso, and chai breaks. Here if I want a chai break then I should get cracking right about now. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how time consuming cooking ‘our’ food can be. Most dishes, especially those with some kind of gravy, take a long time to get there. This delicious 15 minute Shrimp and Coconut Curry fortunately isn’t one of them. It gets ready thanks to the tomato paste and quick cooking protein (shrimp). If you want a smooth curry (i.e. no onion pieces) then simply pull out the onions after sauteing them and blitz to a paste with a little water. I’ve tried making a paste before frying the onions and I find two things happen. One it takes a lot longer to saute a raw onion paste. Two it takes a lot more oil. Bah I say. Now if you’ll excuse me I am going to go hunt down some tea bags. If you make this recipe do take a few seconds to rate it! I would love to see your recreations so tag me on instagram @flourandspiceblog !
Pin it right here to try later!
