A winter curry is a one-stop-shop for comfort and flavor. You can turn the heat level up or down based on your preference, but best not to skip the key accessories: lots of herbs and lime. Ready-made red curry pastes are available, but making your own paste allows you to perfectly calibrate the heat according to your taste. To make this dish vegetarian, skip the shrimp and add cubed pumpkin or squash instead. This recipe is part of the 2021 Feel Good Food Plan, our eight-day dinner plan for starting the year off right.
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Curry paste
1
2
1
4
1
2
2
1
1
Assembly
3
½
1
1
4
2
2
Preparation
Curry paste
Step 1
Blend red bell pepper, chiles, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, paprika, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and a couple of big pinches of salt in a blender until a smooth paste forms.
Assembly
Step 2
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Cook cabbage until deeply browned on both cut sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Step 3
If pot looks dry, add another 1 Tbsp. oil. Add curry paste to pot (still over medium-high heat) and cook, stirring often, until paste is slightly darkened in color and beginning to stick to bottom of pot, about 5 minutes. Pour coconut milk and 2 cups water into pot and reduce heat to medium; season with salt. Cook, scraping up any curry paste stuck to pot until flavors come together and curry is slightly thickened, 10–12 minutes.
Step 4
While the curry is cooking, coarsely chop cabbage.
Step 5
Season shrimp with salt and add to curry. Cook, stirring, until shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove pot from heat; stir in cabbage, scallions, and lime zest and juice.
Step 6
Divide curry among bowls and top with herbs. Serve with lime wedges.
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Reviews (74)
Back to TopThis is fantastic! I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about one of the main ingredients being cabbage, but this was so so good!! The curry paste was actually very easy to make (although, I couldn’t find Thai chiles so I used the Fresno option, and lemongrass proved to be hard to find this time of year but I had success at an Asian grocery!), and the curry ended up being so flavorful and delicious. Will definitely make a again! I served it over a little rice. Got rave reviews from my partner.
Faith B
California
1/7/2021
the cabbage was the best part of this! I can't wait to cook it like this and add to future curries. the dish ate a bit salty but otherwise was a good curry! the cabbage was the winning part though.
Anonymous
nyc, ny
1/7/2021
This is GOOD. Thank you for teaching me how to make my own curry paste!! Maybe I didn't cook the cabbage long enough or my cabbage was too big, but it was much too crunchy at the end. Next time I'll just toss it in with the curry sauce while it's reducing. Also, if your store is out of lemongrass, the zest of a lemon was perfectly delicious as a substitute.
Anonymous
1/9/2021
Absolutely delicious! Never buying red curry paste again, that was so easy and so good. I didn't seed the chiles and loved the amount of heat. Cabbage added such a good crunch and green to a well balanced dish. Served over rice and got rave reviews from.my partner.
Kate P
Denver, CO
1/9/2021
This is by far the best recipe in this year’s plan. Absolutely delicious. I subbed salmon for shrimp.
Anonymous
1/9/2021
Really disappinted with this curry, it smelled amazing but had no flavor and was watery despite me reducing it for 20 minutes. Less water and more curry paste next time although I probably won't make it again.
Andrea
Houston, TX
1/11/2021
Absolutely loved this. I think it was my favorite recipe of this plan. Super easy, I am so happy to know how to make my own curry paste!!
Melissa
Chicago, IL
1/11/2021