Lemongrass Seafood Curry

This dish is SO simple to make, and the flavors are really exotic! I buy a brand of curry paste at an Asian market near my home. The brand is called "Maesri" and it comes in small, 4 oz cans, which is about 4 tbsp. I recommend using anywhere from one QUARTER to one HALF that amount if you are not used to it spicy!!! The Maesri brand makes many different types of canned curry pastes. Some are marked simply "red", "green" and even "yellow". I've become quite fond of one of their red curry pastes called "prik khing"; prik meaning chile pepper and khing meaning garlic. This particular flavor has a bit more "heat" than the regular red curry paste

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  peanut oil
• 2  cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1  stalk lemongrass, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1  red bell pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 (8 ounce) can bamboo shoots, drained
• 2 -4  tablespoons red curry paste
• 2 -3  tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 1⁄2 lbs fresh shrimp or 1 1⁄2 lbs scallops or 1 1⁄2 lbs  fish fillets
• 1 (14 ounce) can  thai kitchen light coconut milk
• 1⁄2 cup fresh basil leaf, shredded
• 1⁄2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
•  basmati rice, for serving

Directions

1. Heat peanut oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and lemongrass pieces until fragrant and golden.
3. Add red bell pepper strips and sauté for about 30 seconds – 1 minute, just until slightly tender.
4. Add the can of bamboo shoots and 1-4 tbsp curry paste, (depending on how hot you like it), as well as the fish sauce.
5. Mix around in pan to coat everything evenly with paste.
6. Shake can of coconut milk well, open, and slowly add it to the pan.
7. Bring liquid to a simmer for about 4-5 minutes, to let the lemongrass release its flavor.
8. Next, add 1-½ lbs of the seafood of your choice.
9. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes or until seafood is cooked through.
10. If you can, try and remove the lemongrass pieces before serving, they are a bit woody.
11. Before serving, toss with shredded basil and chopped cilantro.
12. Serve in bowls over basmati rice.