Shrimps with Peppers and Herbs with Basmati Rice

After the fairly time consuming stuffed cabbage recipe of last week, it’s time for a quick and easy “all in one pan” kind of dish, that you can fix in almost no time.

This Asian flavors inspired dish is tangy, salty, sweet and spicy all at the same time. It’s full of fresh flavors of vegetables and herbs, combined with the tasty fresh and quickly cooked shrimps. Serving it with Basmati rice, that cooks while you’re preparing the shrimps, creates a tasty and well balanced quick meal.

Mix and match the ingredients according to your liking;  if you can’t get fresh shrimps, you can replace them with cubed chicken breast. Another option is to make it vegetarian, by using thick cut mushrooms or cubed eggplants or Tofu. Try it and enjoy.

Makes: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: The rice: 20 minutes; The shrimps: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
For the rice:
1 Tbs oil
1 cup Basmati rice
1 tsp salt
2 cups water
For the shrimps:
About 20 medium size fresh shrimps
2 Tbs oil
1 large garlic clove, chopped
5 red and yellow mini peppers, roughly chopped
1 large scallion, roughly chopped
1” (2.5cm) fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
½ cup mint leaves, chopped
½ cup cilantro leaved, chopped
2 Tbs each: soy sauce, rice wine vinegar
1 Tbs each: Tamarind paste, sweet chili sauce, Hoisin sauce, dark sesame oil
A few drops of hot sauce, to taste

1. The rice: mix the oil and rice in a medium pot over medium heat. Gently fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring gently, until the rice is coated with oil and a few grains change their color to white. Add the salt and water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and lower the heat to minimum. Cook for 20 minutes and turn the heat off. Keep in the pot, covered, until serving.

2. The shrimps: while the rice is cooking, peel and devein the shrimps and prepare all the ingredients at hand.

3. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds, until it changes its’ color. Add the chopped peppers, scallions and ginger. Mix and fry for 2 minutes. Move the mixture to one side of the pan and add the shrimps to the empty side. Fry for 2 minutes and turn them to the other side. Fry for 2 minutes, until they change their color to white.

4. Lower the heat to medium. Add all the rest of the ingredients and mix gently, to create the sauce. Cook together for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens a bit. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed, and serve over the rice.