Each region makes curry in a different style with different locally grown or available ingredients. Different ingredients like coconut, coconut milk, kokum, tamarind, red chilies, whole spices, poppy seeds etc are used depending on the region. This prawn curry is made with the most basic ingredients that most of us have in the pantry. It never fails to surprise me & my guests at how superb it tastes every time. The recipe shared here yields a restaurant style gravy. It is a generic one and is not made in any regional style. You can also check this Andhra style royyala iguru, it is a simple prawn curry made without tomato or coconut. More similar recipesShrimp Tikka MasalaSpicy prawns fryPrawn biryaniChilli prawnsPrawn pulaoSpicy prawns pakora
Please scroll down to the recipe card to find the quantities of ingredients.
Preparation
- Fry onions in hot oil till they turn pink or golden. Then fry ginger garlic paste till the raw smell goes away.
- Add chopped tomatoes, sprinkle salt and turmeric. Fry till the mixture turns mushy & break down completely.
- Add garam masala, coriander powder, red chili powder and grated coconut. I used frozen coconut. you can also replace coconut with cashews nuts.
- Fry on a medium heat till the mixture is nicely roasted, for about 3 to 5 minutes. Take care not to burn. To give a restaurant gravy taste and texture, we need to cool this and blend. You can also continue to cook the curry without blending. Just skip the next 2 steps and follow from step 7.
- When it cools down blend with ¾ cup water to smooth. I pour ice cold water to the blender. Then I add the hot mix and blend to cut down the cooling time. Set this aside.
How to make Prawn Curry
- Heat the same pan. Add oil and heat up. Next add cumin, green chilli and garlic. Wait till the garlic is lightly roasted then add curry leaves. Fry till crispy.
- Pour the onion tomato mixture and more water or coconut milk as needed. Cook until the gravy thickens and traces of oil are seen on top. Reduce the heat completely, and add the prawns. Simmer just until they swirl up to “C” shape, meaning they are fully cooked. Overcooking will make them hard. Switch off the stove. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves. Optional : Alternately: You can also saute the prawns first till they turn pink, for about 2 minutes. Then add to the gravy. This helps to remove the raw flavor of prawns. Serve with fragrant rice or roti, naan or chapathi. Ghee rice & Jeera rice is a good choice to enjoy this prawn curry.
Tips to make best prawn curry
- The base of this prawn masala is made by frying the onions, ginger garlic & tomatoes along with the spice powders until aromatic. This is what elevates the flavor of the gravy. Roast these ingredients very well to get a unique flavor.
- I have used tiger prawns. You can use any variety even the small ones. Just make sure you devein, clean & rinse them well before using in the recipe.
- The prawn curry is made using a small amount of fresh coconut. If you do not have that replace it with cashew nuts.
- For a creamy and rich taste, you can pour little coconut milk towards the end of making the curry. You can use either canned coconut milk or fresh homemade coconut milk. If you prefer to make your own their just blend a cup of fresh coconut with half cup of water. Filter it and use in the recipe.
- The roasted onion tomato masala is blended to give a restaurant style taste & texture. However you can also make the prawn curry without blending the masala. You will just have a chunky prawn curry.
- Garam masala is a common spice blend used in Indian cuisine. It is available in most Indian grocery stores. If you are not accessible to it, then just replace it with curry powder. But the taste of the curry will be different.
How to choose prawns for curry
Preparing prawns
Fresh vs frozen prawns
Most times I use fresh prawns as they are easy accessible here. But if you are using frozen prawns, then defrost them for 20 to 30 mins at room temperature before using. Devein them and rinse well. Drain and use them in the recipe. Related Recipes
