Thai Yellow Shrimp Curry
Yellow Shrimp Curry is a savory and fruity seafood dish that’s as delicious as it is colorful! Using some ingredients you might not expect and taking less time than you might think, this bright and herbaceous Thai recipe is a new and refreshing way to enjoy shrimp.
Asian curries are deliciously customizable, with a surprise in each spoonful — if you’re creative enough! And with this Thai yellow shrimp curry, you’ll definitely be trying something new.
This unique recipe includes my own spicy yellow curry paste, which is incredibly simple to make at home with all of the flavor (and more!) than you would get from store-bought.
And now for the surprising part – we’re using bananas to sweeten and thicken our coconut sauce. Along with the caramelized pineapple, there is an intoxicating fruity sweetness that is like nothing you’ve ever tasted before.
Serve this saucy shrimp curry with fluffy steamed rice. Want even more heat? You can try this dish with my red curry paste, or opt for my Thai Red Curry Chicken.
INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- Ghee – Indian clarified butter. If this ingredient proves difficult to find, you can use vegetable oil instead.
- Yellow Curry Paste – A bright, savory, and spicy paste made from peppers and other seasonings.
- Pineapple & Banana – These fruits add acidity, sweetness, and vibrancy to the seafood. Don’t swap these out – they’re vital to the overall flavor profile.
- Shrimp – Peel and devein before sautéing. Frozen or fresh are both options. If using frozen, let thaw in the refrigerator or a cold water bath before throwing into the pan.
- Coconut Milk – Sweet, creamy, and not as coconut-y as you might expect. It helps to form the thick sauce and tone down any overbearing heat.
- Fish Sauce – Salty and savory. If you find the flavor too strong, you can use soy sauce or oyster sauce instead.
- Zucchini – A mild, juicy, seasonal squash that is commonly found in Thai curries. Yellow squash works well, and broccoli would be just as delicious.
- Thai Basil & Cilantro – Thai basil is a bit more substantial than regular Italian basil, which shrivels and wilts quickly. Along with fresh-tasting cilantro, the sauce becomes bright and herbaceous.
- Lime – To add some much-needed acidity. Lemon juice, as always, is a fine substitute.
HOW TO MAKE SHRIMP CURRY
- Make the Coconut Purée. Purée the coconut milk, fish sauce, and banana in a blender.
- Heat the Paste. Melt the ghee in a skillet over medium heat. Spoon in the yellow curry paste and stir into the ghee. Heat for 2 minutes.
- Cook the Fruit and Shrimp. Add the diced pineapple and caramelize for about 2 or 3 minutes. Follow with the shrimp and quickly stir fry for just a couple of minutes, flipping to ensure that it warms and turns pink all the way through. Remove the shrimp from the heat.
- Make the Sauce. Add the coconut milk and banana mixture to the skillet. Mix in with the pineapple and curry paste, cooking for another 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and stir fry for 2 minutes longer while the sauce thickens.
- Coat the Shrimp & Serve. Return the shrimp to the skillet. Sprinkle half of the herbs into the mix and combine. After everything cooks for another minute, it’s ready to serve. Plate with the remaining herbs.
What veggies go with shrimp curry?
Aside from the zucchini that is already a part of this recipe, there are plenty of vegetables that meld with the flavors in shrimp curry. Yellow squash is an excellent choice, for example. Onions or shallots, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and peas are some other great options.
You can use either fresh or frozen produce – it won’t make much difference!
How do you make curry sauce for shrimp?
The sauce (or purée) used in this recipe is a combination of coconut milk, fish sauce, and banana. The coconut milk and fish sauce are rather commonplace, with the unusual note here being the banana.
Don’t let that discourage you! The banana mostly adds sweetness and not an overbearing fruitiness.
Is Thai yellow shrimp curry spicy?
Yellow curries in general are spicy, but this dish is only mildly so.
The yellow curry paste has some heat to it. The banana and coconut milk tone it down considerably. If you’d like more heat, feel free to use more paste or to add chili powder. A helping of hot peppers wouldn’t be out of place in the dish either, if desired.
Thai Yellow Shrimp Curry
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup yellow curry paste
- 1 1/2 cups pineapple diced
- 1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 banana
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 zucchini diced
- 1/4 cup Thai basil and cilantro chopped
- 1 lime quartered
Instructions
- In a blender add the coconut milk, fish sauce and banana. Purée until blended. Set aside.
- Heat the ghee or oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat. Add the yellow curry paste and stir. Cook for at least 2 minutes.
- Add the pineapple and stir to caramelized and brown slightly, 2-3 minutes. Add the shrimp and sauté quickly for a minute or two, stirring to flip shrimp and turn pink. Remove shrimp and set aside.
- Pour the coconut milk mixture over the pineapple, stirring to incorporate. Cook for another 3 minutes and add the diced zucchini. Cook another 2 minutes, stirring often. The sauce will thicken.
- Add the shrimp back to the pan along with half the herbs and stir. Heat through for a minute. Serve with remaining chopped herbs and sliced lime over steamed rice.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This was awesome – I imagine what curry paste you use is important; we used Maesri Yellow Curry Paste (Kang Karee). In the way of substations we opted for light Coconut milk to try and keep the calories down and all cilantro out of necessity and it came out phenomenally well. Great dish!
So happy you enjoyed this one Geoff. Thanks for coming back to let me know.
This was heavenly! The flavor and spice build as you eat more. It was sweet and spicy, and the Thai basil complimented it very well. I made it exactly true to the recipe and even my kids loved just the shrimp with some rice– I just had to ‘pat’ the sauce off of the shrimp and it wasn’t too spicy for them. My husband got some bread after all the shrimp were gone and enjoyed sopping up just the sauce with bread. It’s a keeper!
So happy all of you enjoyed this one Terri. Thanks for coming back to let me know!