This shrimp or prawn curry uses only six ingredients and gets ready in less than 20 minutes. Prawns, curry powder, coconut milk, and a few other pantry staples are all you need. Serve it over steamed rice for a complete Indian meal.
Table of Content
Why make this curry?
- This is a very simple and easy recipe. All you need are prawns, curry powder, and a few other pantry staples.
- This is a very tasty curry. And you can control the level of spiciness with your choice of chili pepper. Or, you can also use sweet paprika instead.
- It's fast. Prawns or shrimp cook in less than 10 minutes. A side dish and steamed rice are all you need to make a complete meal.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Prawns - I have used large prawns but you can also use shrimps, squids, or fish.
- Curry powder - Pick a good brand of curry powder. You can find these at most supermarkets these days in the spice aisle. And you can also make your own curry powder. In fact, you probably already have the spices you need in your pantry.
- Coconut milk - Milk will keep it light while coconut cream will be too thick for fish. And if coconut cream is all you have, use only ¼ cup and add some water.
- Cilantro - Is the herb of choice with most Indian dishes but you can also use parsley.
Step by step instructions
- Clean, shell, and devein the prawns leaving the tails intact.
- In a skillet, add oil and mustard seeds and let them sputter - 30 seconds. Then, add the curry leaves and garlic. Followed by the curry powder, cayenne, or paprika - and saute for 30 seconds.
Pro tip - If you are not using mustard seeds and curry leaves - start with the oil and garlic.
- Next, add the coconut milk - and bring it to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
Pro tip - We partially cook the gravy first to prevent the prawn/shrimp from overcooking. - Next, open the lid and add the prawns/shrimp and cilantro. Then, cover and cook for 8 minutes or until prawns are cooked through.
- Garnish with more fresh cilantro. Serve over steamed rice.
Frequently asked questions
This prawn curry will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It has coconut milk, which reduces its shelf life.
Absolutely, you can see I have used codfish here in my recipe for fish curry.
No, mustard seeds need will burn the olive oil and olive oil should not be cooked on high heat. Instead, you can use coconut oil.
Yes, you can add carrots, potatoes, and such. My favorite is turnip or parsnip. And if you use veggies, cook the veggies in the curry first, then add the prawns because veggies take longer to cook.
Well, you can use 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon paprika (plus the cayenne in the recipe of course).
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Printable Recipe
Easy Prawn Curry
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Ingredients
- 1 lb (500 g) Prawns
- 1 tablespoon Cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon Garlic minced
- 3 tablespoon Curry powder
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne hot or sweet paprika
- ½ cup (120 ml) Coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds (optional)
- 4 Curry leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Clean, shell, and devein the prawns leaving the tails intact.
- In a skillet, add oil, mustard seeds and let them sputter - 30 seconds. Then, add the curry leaves and garlic. Followed by the curry powder, cayenne, or paprika - saute for 30 seconds.Pro tip - If not using mustard seeds and curry leaves - start with the oil and garlic.
- Next, add the coconut milk - and bring it to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Pro tip - We partially cook the gravy first to prevent the prawn/shrimp from overcooking.
- Open, add the prawns/shrimp and cilantro. Cover and cook for 8 minutes or until prawns are cooked through.
- Garnish with more fresh cilantro. Serve over steamed rice.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Pamela Maxfield
The recipes are very well explained and sound delicious, I am going to try all of them, I am hungry already. Thank you
Laura
Hello! This curry looks great. My family is planning on camping near the seaside and I thought this would be nice to make with fresh seafood. I have a question though - is it possible to steam rice over a pan of curry, since I will only have one camping stove? Thanks for any advice! Laura
Veena Azmanov
Hey Laura. Sorry not sure I understand what you mean by steam rice over a pan of curry. I'm not into camping so I'm probably not the right person to answer that questions. Sorry.
Laura
Hi,
I meant can you steam rice straight over the curry instead of over a pan of water? It’s ok, I will ask someone else! 🙂