An Easy Prawn Curry recipe that works
People always ask me how to make a good Prawn Curry although everyone has their own versions with slight variations. I’ve experimented with a few recipes and have come up with a simple, authentic, tasty recipe that seems to be a hit with kids and friends from East and West. So try it and tell me what you think…
Luckily in Dubai we can easily and cheaply obtain staples for a lot of Indian cooking, things like ready chopped onions, fresh curry leaves, coriander and tamarind paste all cost a fraction of what they would in London, so get into using them regularly !
Here are the ingredients for Prawn Curry for 6 people
- 1 kg of fresh medium-sized prawns washed and deveined or large packet of frozen shrimps which have been defrosted
- Half a small box of ready chopped fresh onions, red or white (most local supermarkets)
- 3- 4 garlic cloves (again ready peeled in a box)
- 2 inches or so of fresh peeled ginger
- 4-5 med fresh tomatoes cut in halves or quarters (get local ones, much cheaper and really tasty)
- 1/4 tsp of salt, same amount of fresh black pepper and turmeric (spices)
- Half a fresh deseeded red chilli chopped up
- 1 tablespoon of tamarind paste dissolved in warm water (most supermarkets, any brand is fine, but try to get Indian as opposed to Thai variety)
- Coconut milk (I use 1 tablespoon of powdered coconut from a box and add hot milk/water all in a small jug, but places like Lulu’s sell fresh grated coconut if you prefer)
- 1tsp of dark brown sugar
- Ideally you want some curry leaves and mustard seeds but again not essential
- Fresh coriander to garnish
Method to make your Prawn Curry
- Put onions, tomatoes, garlic and ginger in a food processor and pulse till the mixture resembles a watery paste · Transfer mixture to a pan which has some vegetable oil already heated in it. (no hard and fast rules on amounts but try 1 dessertspoon per kilo roughly) any veg oil is fine, corn oil or sunflower seem to work well, do not use olive oil · Fry your paste and add in all the spices and chilli, fry a little more until the paste thickens and darkens in colour, I also add in half tsp of brown sugar at this point as well, · Then add the prawns, put lid on and cook slowly, about 10 mins or so) · Then add the tamarind paste dissolved in hot water, stir through
- Finally pour in coconut milk and let the new mixture heat thoroughly · Add coriander to the curry before serving, or if you want it to be really South Indian, heat some oil in a small frying pan, throw in a small teaspoon of mustard seeds, let them sizzle till you get a nutty aroma, throw in a stem’s worth of fresh curry leaves and watch them curl and darken slightly, then pour this whole mixture over the curry, stir through. · Serve with rice, your favourite salad, plain yoghurt with chopped up cucumber ENJOY
Related articles
- Prawn and Black Pepper Curry (foxtrotandfennel.wordpress.com)
Thank you so much for the comment and so glad it was a successful meal ! Here at Doindubai we try and share recipes that work and easy to access, local ingredients. A couple of versatile ways to use dates coming up soon !
Thanks again, Monica.
i made this last week for 2 teenage boys (and ourselves) and it was fantastic! everyone loved it, even the picky boys. It will become a staple in our family. Please share more of your recipes. We love them. We will be trying the chicken next week and will report back. We have a curry leaf tree in the garden and we love it! thanks for sharing.
Thanks Tessa, glad you enjoyed the Prawn Curry ! Look out for more recipes coming soon,
Monica
My husband and I love the light, fresh and tasty prawn curry! It is officially on our list of Top 3 curries…
I’m not easily impressed. . . but that’s impressnig me! 🙂