Supper Club: Spicy Thai Shrimp with Mint Raita

This month’s Supper Club theme was Thai food, and after the insane amount of cooking I did last weekend, I needed to pick a few low maintenance items this time around. This recipe sounded interesting – raita with a Thai dish? – and it turned out fantastically! It’s a super simple recipe that I could see making for a quick dinner at home with just some rice on the side. The cooling yogurt is the perfect complement to the spicy shrimp. I’ll definitely be making this one again.

Spicy Thai Shrimp with Mint Raita
SELF April 2005

Raita
1 cup nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup peeled, seeded and diced cucumber
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup mint leaves, minced
2 tsp lemon zest

Shrimp
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup Thai red chile paste (at Asian grocery stores)
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tbsp snipped fresh chives

In a bowl, combine all raita ingredients and set aside.
Heat olive and sesame oils in a medium saucepan over high heat. Sauté ginger and garlic about 45 seconds. Add shrimp and chile paste, tossing to cook evenly, about 3 minutes. Add lemon juice and stir. Serve raita with shrimp; garnish with chives.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars