Thai red curry with shrimp

I wanted to use the shrimp that I've had sitting in the freezer for a while and decided to make Thai curry. I cheated and bought the red curry paste from the store. (I don't have all the individual spices for Thai cuisine yet).  I have learned that I need to be careful about the amount of curry paste I use. The last time I made some Thai curry I used 4 tbs of paste and had to throw the whole pot of curry out because it was sooooo spicy. Jord and I could not handle it. We tried yogurt and milk but the heat was too intense. So I used 1.5 tbs of paste today and it was still pretty hot. I think I am going to add 1 tsp of curry paste next time.

So here is the recipe. It took me about 15 minutes to make the curry, including the simmering.  This recipe will yield 4 servings.

Step 1: Saute some onions and green bell pepper in a non stick pan for about 1 minute on high-medium heat. I used 1/4 of an onion and 1 whole bell pepper. You don't need to add oil. Feel free to add carrots or red bell peppers or broccoli, if you had any.

Step 2: Add red curry paste and 1tsp minced garlic.

I added 1.5 tbs and the curry was spicy. So if you want a milder curry add about 1 tsp of paste. Stir the paste for about 30 seconds or so until you can smell the aroma of the spices.

Step 3: Stir in 1 tsp of brown sugar. Stir for another 30 seconds.

Step 4: Add 1 entire can of lite coconut milk and let the curry come to a boil.

Step 5: Add the cooked shrimp (I used 1.5 cups of cooked shrimp) and let the curry boil for about a minute more. Then, turn the heat down to low setting and let simmer for as long as you want. I let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Add cilantro now, if you have any, and serve with jasmine rice.