Food and Recipes Recipes Poached-Shrimp Curry with Coconut Rice Middlins Be the first to rate & review! Born in Kentucky to Sri Lankan parents, Samantha Fore masterfully blends Southern and South Asian ingredients and cooking techniques to create dishes that represent her background. At first glance, this recipe for Poached Shrimp Curry with Coconut Rice Middlins might look like traditional shrimp and grits, but it's flavored with lemongrass, garlic, ginger, Madras curry powder, and lime. Fore says, "This recipe is a callback to my childhood when my mother would make beautifully scented and spiced curries." Fore uses creamy rice middlins as the base for this curry, but you can substitute rice or grits if you prefer. Through her Lexington-based traveling pop-up Tuk Tuk Lex, Fore serves up other Southern favorites that nod to her upbringing like fried chicken brined in a buttermilk-curry mixture. Serving delicious food isn't Fore's only mission with Tuk Tuk, she aims to expand people's minds and palates too. "If I can push those borders a bit, then it's all worth it," she says. For this reason, and many more, Fore is one of our 2020 Cooks of the Year. By Sam Fore Sam Fore Sam Fore is a first-generation Sri Lankan-American chef from Lexington, Kentucky. A 2020 Southern Living Cook of the Year, She started TukTukLex, pop up restaurant in 2016, after traditional Sri Lankan brunches in her home outgrew her dining room. Her work has been featured in multiple national publications and she can be seen on PBS's Somewhere South. Sam was named a Southern Living 2020 Cook of the Year. Find her on Facebook, Instagram, and at tuktuklex.com. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on May 3, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Cook Time: 20 mins Active Time: 25 mins Total Time: 45 mins Servings: 4 Ingredients 1 (13.2-oz.) can coconut milk, well shaken and stirred 1 cup rice grits (rice middlins) 1 tablespoon coconut oil 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 small red onion, thinly sliced (about ¾ cup) 1 plum tomato, cored and sliced 1 banana pepper, seeded and sliced 1 (6-inch) lemongrass stalk, split lengthwise 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh ginger (from 1 [1-inch] piece) 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds ½ teaspoon ground turmeric ½ teaspoon tamarind concentrate 1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick 1 (4-inch) curry leaf sprig (optional) ½ serrano chile, seeded and sliced Fresh cracked pepper 1 pound extra-large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1 lime) Sliced scallions or chile threads Directions Heat coconut milk in a large saucepan over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until blended and warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer ½ cup to a medium saucepan; set aside remaining coconut milk. Stir 2 ½ cups water, grits, coconut oil, and 1 teaspoon of the salt into warm coconut milk in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high, and reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring often, until grits are tender and liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside. While rice grits cook, add onion, tomato, banana pepper, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, curry powder, fenugreek, turmeric, tamarind, cinnamon stick, curry leaf sprig (if desired), remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and serrano chile to remaining warmed coconut milk in large saucepan. Sprinkle with several grinds of pepper. Simmer over medium-low, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Add shrimp; poach until just cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; discard lemongrass, cinnamon, and curry leaf sprig. Stir in lime juice; add salt and pepper to taste. Serve shrimp curry over rice grits, and garnish with scallions or chile threads. Rate it Print