Italian Campaign

Passport & Plate - Oriental Shrimp in Coconut Milk

Philippines | Saturday, March 8, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients
Ingredients
1 litre Coconut milk
1 kilo of shrimp or prawn
250 g Lady Finger
250 g string beans
250 g Pumpkin
250 g Water Spinach
125 g Tomato
10 g of fresh spicy red chilli
20 g of garlic
50 g onion
50 g ginger
50 g fresh turmeric
100 g Lemon grass
2 tablespoon of fish sauce
Pinch of Salt
Cooking oil for sauteing

 

How to prepare this recipe
Methods of Work
1. You may use coconut milk in can, but I prefer extracting milk from an old coconut, for it is more authentic and flavorful.
2. Chop the onion and garlic finely, then chop the ginger and turmeric in thin strips. Simply chop the chili
3. Wash all the veggies then chop in bite size as well.
4. Wash the skinned the shrimp while the head is intact, season with salt.
5. Heat the cooking oil.
6. Then sauté the onion, garlic, ginger and the turmeric for 2 minutes, add the tomato and let it cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Pour the coconut milk continually stirring until it boils, add the lemon grass, let it cook for 5-8 minutes do not let it dry.
8. Add the pumpkin, lady finger and string beans, let it boil again, and then put the shrimp. The coconut milk is ready with procedure number 9 if the oil from the coconut comes out, that the real flavor begins.
9. Adjust the taste with fish sauce, and chili.
10. Mix in the water spinach 1 minute before you turn of the heat.
11. Serve with rice.

 

The story behind this recipe
This recipe of Oriental Shrimp in Coconut milk portioned a special place in my family’s heart. Way back 2008, we are not in good financial standing. My Mom is strict in managing our expenses, since two of my sisters don’t have their stable job, and I was in my high school that time. In the midst of this, I tried think of a Sunday meal that will suffice our hunger, provide nutrients and satisfy our appetite. Iv'e tried several dishes every Sunday, but my family are not satisfied with the food. Until Mom suggested me to try Oriental shrimp in coconut milk that is relatively cheap and healthy, at first I have doubt on my side, whether I can cook this or not, for it’s not easy to get coconut from the tree, grate it and extract the milk, so it’s a challenge for me, I have one week to prepare for this dish. On Sunday morning I demanded the help of each of my family member, My Dad picked coconut from a tree, and my sisters chopped the vegetables which my mom bought from the market as I cook the dish. Cooking this dish is already a family bonding for us, because all members have their part. The smell of the dish was inviting due to the heaven scent of sautéed onion, ginger and garlic, made even better because of the lemon grass, coconut cream and milk being cooked. The dish is creamy and runny perfect for white rice. My Cousins came in to eat because they can’t resist the smell, but we only estimated the dish for five, but it’s ok, we still ate together, we maybe ate less shrimp that time, but we are still happy because the spirit of sharing and generosity prevails. My Dad said that it’s almost exactly the same dish Grandma used to serve him when he still young, I was touched. Until now 2014, when we are in good financial standing, we can buy more shrimp for this dish we still choose to buy less, for we anticipate the spirit of sharing and generosity not only in food but in love. The cream in this dish leaved an indelible mark in our heart, notable and worth celebrating.