Description
A flavorful and aromatic curry prawns recipe featuring a rich blend of spices, coconut milk, and fresh ingredients. This dish delivers tender king prawns in a thick, fragrant gravy that’s perfect served with steamed rice for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable or coconut oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- ½ scotch bonnet chilli (optional)
- 24–36 whole king prawns, or peeled prawns
- 1½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 5 cloves, ground
- ½ tsp ground fenugreek
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp tamarind paste
- 400ml coconut milk
- Cooked rice, to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Heat the oil in a frying pan over low to medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook for 15 minutes until it softens and starts to caramelize, stirring regularly to prevent burning.
- Add aromatics and tomatoes: Add the crushed garlic, grated ginger, chopped tomatoes, and scotch bonnet chili if using. Increase the heat to medium and cook for an additional 10 minutes, allowing the mixture to soften and meld.
- Prepare prawns: If using shell-on prawns, remove the head and use scissors to cut down the back of the shell to the last segment attached to the tail. Cut through the top layer of flesh on the back to remove the vein gently, pulling it out completely. Optionally, keep the heads and shells for making stock.
- Add spices and tamarind: Mix all the ground spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander, cloves, fenugreek, paprika, allspice) with the tamarind paste and 2 tablespoons water. Stir this mixture into the onion base and cook for 5 minutes until the spices are fragrant and most of the water has evaporated.
- Add coconut milk and simmer: Pour in the coconut milk and cook for 5-10 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce to a thick, rich gravy consistency.
- Cook prawns: Add the prepared prawns to the gravy and cook for 5 minutes until they turn just pink and are cooked through. Avoid overcooking to maintain tender prawns.
- Serve: Remove from heat and serve the curry prawns hot with cooked rice for a hearty, flavorful meal.
Notes
- If preferred, keep prawn heads and shells to make a flavorful seafood stock for soups or stews.
- Adjust the amount of scotch bonnet chili based on your spice tolerance or omit for milder curry.
- Use peeled prawns for quicker preparation.
- Serve curry prawns immediately to enjoy the best texture and flavor.
- You can substitute tamarind paste with lemon juice for a slightly different tangy taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: curry prawns, king prawn curry, coconut milk curry, Indian prawn recipe, seafood curry, spicy prawn dish
