Curry Cashew Long Bean Shrimp (咖哩腰果豆角蝦, Gaa3 Lei1 Jiu1 Gwo2 Dau6 Gok3 Haa1)

When you see a dish in a Chinese restaurant whose title contains the word, curry, it means that curry powder was added to the sauce. These dishes are usually stir fried (even when curry is used in a clay pot) and reflects the quick nature of Chinese wok cooking. This dish reflects that background using long beans and shrimp. The cashew nuts are toasted while the wok heats up, and then the ingredients are cooked quickly over high heat before adding the curry sauce. The one thing that a home kitchen can’t reproduce fully is the wok flavor imparted to the dish that comes from using high heat available in restaurant, the so called, “breath of the wok” (鑊氣, wok⁶ hei³).

Enjoy!

Ingredients

¾ lb.	375 g.	Shrimp meat (蝦仁, haa1 jan4), shelled and deveined
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
1 lb.	500 g.	Long beans (豆角, dau6 gok3), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
¼ cup	60 ml.	Cashew nuts (腰果, jiu1 gwo2)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
		Oil for cooking

 

Sauce Ingredients

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Curry powder (咖哩粉, gaa3 lei1 fan2)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Worcestershire sauce (喼汁, kip1 zap1)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
½ Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
1 Tbs.	30 ml.	Water

 

Equipment

14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

 

Preparation Instructions

1. If using frozen shrimp, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Shell and devein the shrimp. Marinate the shrimp for at least one hour in the refrigerator with the ginger crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. Take the shrimp out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
2. Wash and cut the long beans into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces.
3. Put the cashew nuts into a small bowl.
4. Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
5. Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the curry powder, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat a wok or pan over medium heat and before the bowl with the cashew nuts. Brown the cashews before returning them to the bowl.
2. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the bowl with the ginger and garlic. Quickly stir fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant before adding more oil and then the long beans. Add some liquid (water, stock, or Shaoxing wine) to facilitate heat transfer and stir fry the long beans. Add the shrimp to wok and stir fry all the ingredients together until the shrimp just turn pink.
3. Add the sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. If more sauce is desired, add some liquid (stock or water) to the wok. Add the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce and mix all the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, top with the toasted cashews, and serve with steamed rice.