Description

A vibrant and aromatic golden curry leaf butter sauce that uses turmeric and lime to create a quick alternative to traditional seafood boil sauces. This sauce is made in a single saucepan and pairs perfectly with a variety of seafood.

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup (225g) unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, finely minced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
20 fresh curry leaves, finely minced
1.5 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
0.5 cup (120ml) low-sodium vegetable stock
2 tablespoons (30ml) fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons (10g) light brown sugar
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Clarify Butter: Melt the unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the milk solids separate from the clear golden liquid. Use a spoon to skim off the white foam that rises to the surface.
Sauté Aromatics: Add the minced shallots and minced curry leaves to the clarified butter. Sauté over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes until the shallots turn translucent and the curry leaves become fragrant, being careful not to brown them.
Bloom Spices and Deglaze: Stir in the ground turmeric, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper (if using). Cook for 1 additional minute, stirring constantly. Pour in the vegetable stock and scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan to incorporate them.
Simmer and Balance: Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the fresh lime juice and light brown sugar. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar fully dissolves and the flavors meld. If the sauce separates, turn off the heat briefly and whisk vigorously to re-emulsify.
Season and Serve: Season with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Ladle generously over hot cooked seafood (shrimp, crab, crawfish) and vegetables.

Notes

For best results, store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat gently over low heat; if separation occurs, whisk vigorously to bring it back together. Avoid high heat during reheating to maintain the emulsion. For a low-carb version, simply omit the light brown sugar from the recipe.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: sauce
Method: simmer
Cuisine: fusion

Nutrition

Serving Size: 0.25 cup
Calories: 410 kcal
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 200 mg
Fat: 45 g
Saturated Fat: 29 g
Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 4 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 1 g
Cholesterol: 120 mg

Keywords: seafood boil, butter sauce, curry leaf, turmeric, lime, quick recipe, easy sauce, seafood, spicy, family meal