Did I mention that I love Indian food?

Before I go any further, let me explain that I'm not one for "presentation" when it comes to cooking.  Quite honestly, I always feel a bit pretentious when adding a garnish.  And I usually fail miserably (hence the poor, wilted cilantro sprig).  Also, even though my husband just bought me a super cool new cell phone, it IS a cell phone, and takes cell phone quality pictures.  I am also not a professional food photographer, so please keep in mind that these dishes will usually taste much better than they look.  :D

That being said, this is a recipe I discovered ages ago, but made only recently.  I've doctored it up by adding a little, taking away a little, and it's absolutely wonderful.  I love love love Indian food, and I also love shrimp.  This is great, and as with all curries, you can make it as hot or mild as you want.  I make it mild so my young sons will eat it.

Shrimp Curry

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 heaping tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 green chili pepper, finely chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup coconut milk

3 tablespoons oil (I prefer peanut.  Must be the southerner coming out in me.)

1 1/2 teaspoons mustard powder

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 pound medium or large shrimp

Add the tomato paste, salt, sugar, garam masala, cumin, cayenne pepper, cilantro, chili, lemon juice and one tablespoon water in a food processor and pulse until pureed.  Add the coconut milk and blend thoroughly.  (If you want to make the sauce ahead of time, it's perfectly fine to cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for an hour or so to let the flavors meld.  There's nothing perishable in it.)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  When it's hot, add the dry mustard powder and stir for a few seconds.  Add the minced garlic and cook it until it's lightly golden.  (This will not take long.  Anyone who has ever burned garlic knows how awful it smells, and what a pain in the butt it is to start over.)  Add the shrimp and cook until it's almost done.  Add the sauce, bring to a simmer, and cook until it's completely done (just a few more minutes).

I served mine with basmati rice (my husband thought it would be funny to purchase a 12 lb. bag of basmati rice at BJ's.  We've been eating a lot of rice lately.)  If you know how to make rice, or have your own recipe, awesome.  If not, here's mine (not that it's much of a recipe):

1 cup basmati rice, rinsed several times until the water is clear

1 3/4 cups water

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger

Large pinch of salt

Put all the ingredients into a pot with a lid.  Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.  NOTE:  Because of the coconut milk, this rice has a tendency to be a bit on the sticky side, so if it comes out looking the exact opposite of this, don't say I didn't warn you!