Shrimp Curry with Spinach, Rice & Lentils

This satisfying and flavourful curry will have you coming back for seconds - maybe even thirds! If desired, the spinach, rice & lentil dish can even be made a day in advance and heated up in the microwave to break up the work... and you'll probably have enough of the rice dish to use on the side of a second meal.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 + 1 onions, coarsely chopped
  
• 2 + 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  
• 1 cup basmati rice
  
• 3 tsp Tandoori Marsala
  
• 3 tsp + 2tsp curry powder
  
• 3/4 + 3/4 tsp coarse sea salt
  
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
  
• 20 oz (2 pgs) frozen chopped spinach, thawed & with liquid squeezed out
  
• 2 cups cooked brown lentils
  
• 2 + 1 cans of good quality coconut milk, unshaken
  
• 1.5 cups diced tomatoes, either fresh or canned
  
• 3 dried hot chilies
  
• 25-30 large shrimp, peeled & deveined 
  

Directions: Curried Spinach Rice & Lentils

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. Add olive oil to a large skillet and add 1 of the onions & 2 cloves of garlic over medium heat until translucent.
   
3. Stir in basmati rice, 2 tsp of curry powder, 3/4 tsp sea salt & ground white pepper and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
   
4. Add the chopped spinach and stir to mix thoroughly.
   
5. Stir in the cooked brown lentils.
   
6. Shake two of the cans of coconut milk to blend thoroughly, then add to the skillet and mix well with the rice, beans & spinach.
   
7. Pour the contents of the skillet into an oven proof casserole dish and cover, then bake for 30 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Serve with Shrimp curry (directions below).
   

Directions: Shrimp Curry

1. De seed the hot chilies, and soak in 1/2 cup of boiling water until steps 2-5 are completed.
   
2. Add vegetable oil to a large skillet and saute 1 of the onions and 2 cloves of garlic over medium-low heat until translucent.
   
3. Stir in Tandoori Marsala and 3 tsp Curry powder, and saute for 4-5 minutes more.
   
4. Add the tomatoes and stir well, cooking 2-3 minutes more.
   
5. Open the coconut milk, and skim off the coconut paste portion, leaving the watery portion in the can (you should be left with about 1/2 can of coconut "water" once you've removed the paste.) Add the paste to the frying pan and stir until melted.
6. Remove the hot chilies from the water and chop finely, then add to the pan.
   
7. Approximately 5-7 minutes before serving, add the shrimp and stir occasionally until each shrimp is opaque. 
   
8. Serve over Spinach Rice & Lentils.