
Curry and sushi are my two favorite foods – I am mentioning both instead of just curry because I can’t, no matter how hard I try, pick between them. THEY ARE BOTH TOO GOOD DON’T MAKE ME CHOOSE. But speaking of curry in particular, the beautiful curry that you see above is a little non traditional. We throw a bunch of extra goodies in there to make it a little lime-y, slightly sweet, peanut-y, and GLORIOUS.
The flavor is just insane. I could eat it every day. If you don’t like/don’t have shrimp? No problem! Make this with another meat. Or veggies. Or chickpeas. The world is your curried oyster.

Let’s talk more details about this sauce, because it just deserves to be discussed and loved and obsessed over. What exactly is in here?
- Curry paste
- Coconut milk
- Garlic
- Shallot
- Brown sugar
- Peanut butter
- Lime juice
- Basil
Cook your shrimp in your pan, remove and set aside, and then add all that goodness and let it simmer together for ten minutes. Then add a handful of chopped spinach and some crushed peanuts. Then it goes rice, sauce, shrimp. SO. FREAKING. GOOD.

I could eat this every single day. I LOVE curry in its natural form, but this curry with that little bite of lime juice, sweetness from the brown sugar, and crunch from the peanuts…it’s just too good. Too. Dang. Good.
I can’t wait for you to try it!

Peanut Lime Shrimp Curry

This shrimp curry is exploding with flavor and is the perfect, most satisfying meal!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 3 basil leaves, sliced
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1–2 tablespoons brown sugar (depends on your preference of how subtle you want the sweetness. See instructions below for further info)
- 1/2 cup packed spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
Instructions
- In a large, non stick skillet, add a little oil (avocado or coconut work great) over medium high heat
- When hot, add your shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until just cooked through. Set aside
- In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add a little more oil + your curry paste, shallot, and garlic
- Cook, stirring often, for a minute or so. To this, add your coconut milk, peanut butter, lime juice, basil, brown sugar, and some salt. The amount of brown sugar you’ll add will depend on how subtle you want the sweetness. Start with 1 tablespoon, whisk to combine, and taste. If you want it a little sweeter, add the other tablespoon
- Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add your spinach and peanuts, and cook until the spinach has wilted and cooked down a bit (just a few minutes). Season to taste with salt!
- To serve, start with a base of rice or cauliflower rice, top with plenty of sauce, and finish off with some shrimp! Optional garnish: more crushed peanuts and some chopped cilantro
Notes
If you don’t like shrimp or don’t have shrimp, use a pound of any other meat and follow the same instructions! Just cook the meat and then set aside and make the sauce in the same pan!
If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and tag @thegarlicdiaries so I can see!
I made this last night and it was one of the best things I have ever had! My boyfriend loved it possibly even more than I did. The only thing I did differently was use more shallots and lime juice but that is just personal preference! Thank you so much for this recipe! I will be making it again next week!
★★★★★
Yay!! Comments like this make my day – I’m so glad it was a hit for you Savannah! Thank you for the comment!
This was so delicious! I did add a little more shallot, garlic, curry, lime, peanut butter and spinach than what it called for, because I really like those ingredients. The cilantro really took the taste to the next level. I also enjoyed it with some shiracha and Bragg’s. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will be making it again soon!!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you liked it, Veronica! Thank you so much for the comment and feedback!
I’ve commented on a few of your recipes, we love this one too! My kids love it and request it often. I really love everything you post!
★★★★★
At first I thought it was going to be totally blah, but ended up being rather good. I used the entire lime, half the sugar, and used the peanuts as a topping only because I didn’t want boiled peanuts. I make red curry often but had never added peanut butter. It’s something to keep in mind. Oh, and I sauteed garlic BEFORE the shrimp in the oil to add the flavor more deeply to the shrimp.
★★★★
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Jean!
The food looks beautiful… I love to try :)
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