Red Curry Risotto with Shrimps

This Red Curry Risotto with Shrimps is a twist on creamy risotto. By adding Thai red curry paste, coconut milk and fish sauce, this dish is packed with flavors. Something a little different for your dinner rotation or date night!

I love risotto. It’s one of my favorites things to make. When my parents were visiting, I made them risotto for dinner. It’s not something they eat often, so they really enjoyed it. This red curry risotto recipe is inspired by a dish that I tried at a restaurant a while ago. Who knew Thai curry would go so well in a risotto?

First, work on the shrimps. I used shrimps that still have shells on. Remove the shells and devein the shrimps. Save the shells because you want to add them to the seafood broth. The shrimp shells would add extra flavor to the broth, which means more flavor in the risotto. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Keep the shrimps in the fridge in the meantime.

Now for the actual risotto, saute a good amount of aromatic, like shallot, garlic and ginger. Then add the rice and toast for a couple minutes until fragrant. Mix in the red curry paste and cook for a minute. Add some seafood broth and give a good stir until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add 1/2 cup of broth and do a quick stir. Then let the liquid to be absorbed again. Repeat this until the rice is cooked through, about 20 minutes. I personally like my rice a bit more cooked, so I add a few extra minutes. Don’t forget to mix in red bell pepper dices a few minutes before rice is ready. Last, stir in some coconut milk. Season with fish sauce, salt and pepper. The risotto is ready.

For the shrimps, quickly saute it with a little bit of butter, garlic and ginger. Be careful not to overcook. Place them over the risotto. Sprinkle with fresh basil and top with a few squeezes of lime juice. That’s it.

This risotto is creamy with lots of flavors. I love the balance of acidity from the lime, sweetness bell pepper, savoriness from the fish sauce and the richness from the coconut milk. It’s not too complicated and something a little different. It would be great for a date night! Hope you guys like this.

Print Pin

Red Curry Risotto with Shrimps

Course Main Course

Cuisine Fusion, Italian

Keyword curry risotto, date night, dinner, rice, risotto, romantic dinner, seafood, shrimp risotto, thai red curry

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Author Lokness

Ingredients

• 4 cups seafood broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large shallot (finely diced)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 teaspoons ginger (minced)
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• ½ tablespoon fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons red bell pepper (cut into ¼-inch dices)
• ⅓ cup canned coconut milk
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons basil or Thai basil (thinly sliced)
• ½ lime

Sautéed Shrimps:

• ½ pound large shrimps with shells
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1 teaspoon ginger (minced)
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

Instructions

• Prepare the shrimps by removing the shells. Do not discard the shells. Transfer to a small bowl. Devein the shrimp. Rinse and pat dried with paper towels. Transfer to a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and keep cool in the fridge.
• In a medium pot, bring seafood broth, 1 cup water and shrimp shells to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add shallot and saute for 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add rice and stir continuously until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Mix in curry paste and stir for another minute. Add 1½ cups of seafood broth (just broth, no shell). Lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add another ½ cup of broth and stir until most of the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until the risotto is creamy and the rice is al dente, about 20 minutes. Add bell pepper about 3 minutes before the risotto is ready. Season with fish sauce, salt and pepper.
• When the risotto is almost ready, in a medium skillet over medium heat, add butter and olive oil. Stir in garlic and ginger until aromatic. Add shrimps. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until pink and cook through, about 2 – 4 minutes.
• Back to the rice, stir in coconut milk. Warm for 1 more minute. Transfer the risotto to serving plates. Top with cooked shrimps and basil. Squeeze a little lime juice over and serve immediately.

Notes

1. The shrimp shells add extra flavor to the seafood broth. Definitely do not skip. 
2. The Thai red curry brand I picked is from Thai Kitchen. It may not be the strongest in flavor, but it’s the least spicy compare to other brands. I don’t want the risotto to be spicy, so this brand is great and it’s very easy to find in most supermarket. 
3. For the fish sauce, it added umami flavors. If you don’t have fish sauce, use soy sauce. 
4. Leftover coconut milk can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for other uses, like banana butter mochi and pineapple toasted coconut ice cream.