Coconut Shrimp Curry!

During a trip to Atlanta, I discovered a little restaurant called The Urban Pl8.  They specialize in gluten free and paleo meals!  I had the pleasure of trying the Indian Shrimp, a fantastic coconut milk based curry.  I requested the paleo option, which came with cubed sweet potatoes instead of rice.   Uhhhh-mazing!!  Today is my first day home from Atlanta and I am already trying to replicate it...here is what I have come up with so far.  It turned out awesome..I think I might add more veggies next time, like red bell pepper for example.

Coconut Shrimp Curry

• 3 pounds large or extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 sweet potatoes cubed(peels can remain on)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, from about a 1-inch peeled piece of ginger
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can coconut milk, light or regular
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 TBS unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup chopped fresh kale

Begin by melting 1 TBS of coconut oil in medium sized frying pan over medium heat.  Add cubed sweet potato and stir often till all pieces are lightly browned and tender(approx 20 min).  Next, set a pot of  lightly salted water to boil.  Meanwhile...

In a medium-sized pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat until rippling and hot. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the pepper, ginger, salt, garlic, coriander, turmeric and curry powder. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture is very fragrant and the onion is soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the undrained tomatoes and cayenne pepper to the pot and cook, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, for about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. Add the coconut milk, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil  Stir in the cilantro, shredded coconut, and lemon juice and reduce heat.

Drop the shrimp into the boiling water till they turn pink, scoop out and plunge into ice water to keep from overcooking and getting tough.

Remove the sauce from heat and stir in the sweet potatoes, shrimp, and kale.  Allow the kale to wilt slightly before serving.   Enjoy!