This is a great Spicy Shrimp with Ginger Coconut Rice recipe … I love coconut rice! It seems “exotic,” but really you just substitute canned coconut milk for some of the water. For this version, I added some ginger and fresh lime juice, but if you decided to take the really easy way out (fine by me!) and do nothing more than substitute the coconut milk for water, it would still be delightfully delicious.  The first time I ever had coconut rice was with an extra spicy Jamaican curried chicken. I love the flavor and cool creaminess of the coconut milk, especially when it’s combined with something spicy. The fresh lime juice and herbs balance out the heaviness of the sticky rice. The shrimp are not really that spicy- feel free to add more chili powder and chili garlic sauce if you want to increase the heat. Chili garlic sauce can be found in the Asian section of your supermarket- it’s red and comes in a jar of about 8 ounces- and it has a good “kick” to it! I like jasmine rice, but really any non-instant white rice will do.

Spicy Shrimp with Ginger Coconut Rice Recipe:

• 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
• 1- 13.5 oz. can coconut milk
• 1 – 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled and finely minced.
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 1 scallion (green onion), sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley
• 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice, divided (juice from about 1 lime)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 cup apricot jam
• 1/2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (found in Asian section of supermarket, it’s red and comes in a jar)
• 1/2 tablespoon cooking oil

Rinse shrimp and place on several layers of paper towels to dry. In a heavy sauce pan with tight fitting lid, combine ginger, rice, coconut milk, 1 cup of water, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15-20 until rice is cooked. Check rice occasionally and add water, 1/4 cup at a time, if rice starts to dry out. While rice is cooking, make the seasoning mix and sauce. For seasoning mix, combine in a small bowl 1/4 teaspoon salt, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper. Set aside. To make sauce, in another small bowl, combine jam, chili garlic sauce, and 1 tablespoon of the lime juice. Set aside. When rice is cooked, stir in peas and onion. Add more salt if necessary. Replace lid and cook 1 minute. Add cilantro or parsley and 1 tablespoon lime juice; stir, replace lid, and remove from heat. Heat oil in large skillet. Add shrimp in a single layer- do not stir. Sprinkle with the seasoning mix. When shrimp begin to turn golden on the bottom (about 1-2 minutes), stir shrimp. Cook another minute. Stir in sauce.  When shrimp are done, remove from heat. Place rice on plates and spoon shrimp and sauce over the top. Makes 4-6 servings

So what do you think- maybe this is for dinner tonight?  Have you ever had coconut rice? As I mentioned above- it goes great with spicy food like curries and spicy shrimp. Why not try adding coconut milk to your rice next time you are serving Mexican food? Do you have any other ideas for “cooling down” spicy foods?