Prawn curry is a simple delicious Indian gravy made with fresh prawns, onion, tomatoes & spice powders. Serve it with steamed rice, chapati, naan, parathas or roti.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 2 to 2½ tablespoons oil ((divided))
  • ¾ cup (1 medium) onion (chopped or sliced)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste ((or ½ inch ginger & 2 to 3 garlic cloves, read notes))
  • ¾ cup (1 large) tomato (chopped or pureed)
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon sea salt ((more to adjust))
  • ¼ cup raw coconut ((or coconut milk or 10 cashews))
  • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala ((use as much as you want))
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper ((adjust to taste, optional))
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds ((optional))
  • 1 green chilli (chopped or slit)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 1 large garlic (clove chopped - optional)
  • 250 grams (9 oz) prawns ((more if you want))
  • 1¼ cup water (or 1 cup water + ¼ cup coconut milk (read notes))
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (fine chopped to garnish - optional)
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon tamarind paste ((or lemon juice to serve) optional)

Method

  1. Prep-up prawns: Devein and wash the prawns well with cold water. Drain the water completely. Optionally toss them in a pinch of salt, chili powder and garam masala.
  2. Make the masala: Heat half of the oil in a pan and saute onions till transparent. Stir in ginger garlic and saute for a minute. Add tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Saute until they break down, for 5 mins. Stir in chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder and coconut. Saute well for 3 to 5 mins until aromatic.
  3. Blend: Cool this and blend with half of the water and tamarind (optional) to a smooth puree.
  4. Cook the curry: Pour the rest of the oil and optionally fry the prawns on a medium heat, just for 2 mins. Remove them to a plate.
  5. Add cumin, green chili, garlic and curry leaves to the pan. Saute till the garlic smells aromatic, for 40 to 50 seconds. Pour the ground masala and add more water or coconut milk only if needed. It should have a slightly runny consistency.
  6. Make prawn curry: Bring to a rolling boil on a high heat and reduce to medium. Cook until the curry/masala is thick and you see traces of oil on top. Reduce the heat completely and add the prawns. Cook just until the tails curl up to C shape, meaning they are cooked. Avoid overcooking to prevent them rubbery. Taste test and add more salt or black pepper if you want.
  7. Garnish with coriander leaves and squeeze lemon if you want. Serve prawn curry with any jeera rice, plain rice or roti, naan or chapati.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.