The Prawn Curry with Darkened Cinnamon recipe calls for cinnamon sticks that are broken in pieces and toasted. Then grind them up to look like pepper.

Serves 4

splendidtable.com

INGREDIENTS
3 sticks cinnamon
2 teaspoons Madras Curry Powder
6 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 slices fresh ginger (each about the size of a quarter), finely chopped
1 pound large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined, but tails left on
2 tablespoons coconut or canola oil
1 teaspoon black or yellow mustard seeds
1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh curry (or cilantro) leaves
2 teaspoons black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot (holding your palm close to the base, you should feel the heat within 5 seconds), break up the cinnamon sticks into smaller pieces (for an even toast) and throw them in the skillet. Toast, stirring the pieces constantly, or shaking the skillet very often, until they darken further and smell incredibly fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer them to a spice grinder (or clean coffee grinder), and allow the pieces to cool, about 5 minutes. Pulverize the cinnamon to the texture of finely ground black pepper.

Combine the cinnamon, curry powder, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl; add the shrimp and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil appears to shimmer, add the mustard seeds, cover, and cook until the seeds have stopped popping, about 30 seconds. Immediately add the shrimp in a single layer, and sear them for about 30 seconds on each side.

Shake the coconut milk well and pour it in. Add the curry leaves, peppercorns, and salt. Bring the curry to a boil and continue to cook until the shrimp curl and turn salmon in color, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a serving platter. Keep warm.

Continue to cook the sauce, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the shrimp and serve.

In Coconut-Creamed Swiss Chard unsweetened coconut milk and refined coconut oil combine to add a creamy richness to this vegan Swiss chard side from chef Rocco DiSpirito. Reducing the coconut milk deepens its flavor and lends a velvety texture that truly mimics dairy.

Serves 2-4

foodandwine.com

INGREDIENTS
1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk, well shaken and stirred
4 quarts water
3 tablespoons plus 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 (1-pound) bunch Swiss chard
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil [maybe use butter if not concerned about being vegan]
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
Cook coconut milk in a large high-sided skillet over low, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Pour into a liquid measuring cup or small bowl; set aside. Wipe skillet clean.

While coconut milk cooks, bring 4 quarts water and 3 tablespoons salt to a boil in a large pot. Separate Swiss chard leaves from stems. Tear each leaf into 3 or 4 pieces. Chop stems into 1/4-inch pieces.

Transfer stems to boiling water; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl. Add leaves to boiling water; cook until bright green and almost tender, about 1 minute. Drain. Add leaves to stems in bowl.

Add shallot and coconut oil to cleaned skillet; cook over medium-high, stirring often, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add reduced coconut milk and Swiss chard stems and leaves; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is warmed through and Swiss chard is coated, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in pepper and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve immediately.

Your meal prep rotation isn’t complete without this simple and versatile coconut curry—it’s designed to make enough sauce for three different dishes that come together in minutes.

Makes 6 cups

Consider doing half and then see these recipes:
recipe/yellow-curry-chicken-with-vegetables and butternut-squash-and-green-bean-stew

bonappetit.com

INGREDIENTS
1 6″ piece ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped
10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
6 Tbsp. (or more) grapeseed oil or vegetable oil
2 tsp. brown mustard seeds
6–8 fresh or dried curry leaves (optional)
1 tsp. asafetida (optional)
2 large red onions, finely chopped
Kosher salt
2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 13.5-oz. cans unsweetened coconut milk (not low-fat)
2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

INSTRUCTIONS

Pulse ginger and garlic in a food processor, adding a few drops of oil if needed to help blend smoothly, until a coarse paste forms. (Alternatively, you can finely grate ginger and garlic with a Microplane.)

Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Add a few mustard seeds to the pot. When seeds start to wiggle and pop, reduce heat to medium and add curry leaves (if using), asafetida (if using), and remaining mustard seeds. Cover pot and cook spices, swirling, until mustard seeds start popping more gradually, about 30 seconds. Uncover pot and return heat to medium-high. Add ginger-and-garlic paste and cook, stirring constantly, until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add red onions and a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring often and reducing heat if needed to prevent burning, until onions are golden brown and jammy, 10–12 minutes.

Stir in turmeric, then tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes are glossy and darkened in color and oil starts to separate around edges of pot, 7–9 minutes.

Add coconut milk and broth and stir to combine; season with salt. Bring curry to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook another 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes to prevent sticking and burning. Taste curry and season with more salt if needed.

Do ahead: Curry can be made 5 days ahead. Let cool, then transfer to an airtight container and chill, or freeze up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator before using.