Prawn Curry (Prawn Masala)

This Prawn Curry is super simple to make and you will love the amazing Indian flavors. Prawns are cooked in a spicy and fragrant masala made with onions, tomatoes, Indian spices and herbs. It goes well with plain steamed rice, cumin rice, plain dosa, appam and with flatbreads like naan, roti, plain parathas or chapati.

My recipe is easy enough for beginners and customizable to your palate, with the help of my expert tips section below. Indian cuisine comprises of many regional cuisines that use different cooking styles and practices. So the ingredients used may be different from one region to the other.

This recipe is generic and made with easily available ingredients. I prefer my curry/masala to be smoother because that gives a better texture to the dish and coats the prawns well. So I prefer to blend the sautéed onion tomato masala.

However if you prefer a coarse texture, you can simply omit that step. I have a similar dish on the blog but made without coconut and tomatoes. You may have a look at it here – Royyala iguru.

I use fresh tiger prawns but you can also use fresh or frozen shrimp or smaller variety of prawns. Make sure you devein, clean & rinse them well before using in the recipe or buy pre-cleaned from the stores. If you are new to prawns, read how to choose prawns, how to prepare sections below. Here are more details on the ingredients & substitutes for this recipe.

Ingredients and Substitutes

• Onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chilies form the base of the curry. If you don’t have green chilies you may omit them. They are used for flavour and heat. You may use yellow onion or shallots.
• Ground spices: Garam masala, red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, black pepper (optional) are the key ground spices to use. While garam masala is used for flavour, red chili powder is used more for heat and color. Coriander powder is a filler and helps balance the strong flavors of garam masala. Black pepper adds some pungent flavors. For the best prawn curry, use a good aromatic garam masala and for low heat use Kashmiri or Byadgi chili powder.
• Whole spices: I use only cumin seeds as we prefer lesser whole spices in this dish. But you may use a pinch of mustard, a small cinnamon piece and green cardamoms but I feel they are too intense for this dish, especially if you are using a good garam masala.
• Curry leaves: Fresh curry leaves are classic in any South Indian dishes. But feel free to omit them if you do not have. Dried curry leaves are not a substitute for fresh.
• Coconut: I have made this recipe with raw coconut (grated frozen coconut). You can substitute it with ¼ cup thick coconut milk or 10 cashews. Raw coconut is easily available in the chiller or frozen section of Indian grocery stores. Also note using cashews will make the dish taste more like a North Indian restaurant curry.
• Tamarind: In a lot of coastal regions, tamarind or kokum is used for a tangy flavor. Growing up I have never seen my Mom (though from coastal region) using these ingredients. Her meat dishes were always served with a sprinkle of lemon juice. So I do the same here and don’t use tamarind or kokum. If you want you may use it.

More similar recipes
Shrimp Tikka Masala
Spicy prawns fry
Prawn biryani
Chilli prawns
Prawn pulao
Spicy prawns pakora

Photo Guide

Step by Step Photo Instructions

Devein and wash the prawns well with running cold water. Drain the water completely. Optionally toss them in a pinch of salt, chili powder and garam masala if you want. I do not do that.

1. Heat a tablespoon oil in a pan and saute ¾ cup sliced onions (1 medium onion) until they turn pink, for 5 to 6 mins. Add ¾ tsp each chopped ginger and garlic (or 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste). Saute for a minute.

2. Add ¾ cup chopped tomatoes (1 large tomato), sprinkle ½ teaspoon sea salt and ⅛ teaspoon turmeric. Saute till the tomatoes turn mushy & break down completely, for about 5 mins.

3. Add ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ to ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder and ¼ cup grated raw coconut. (I used tightly pressed frozen raw coconut). You can also use ¼ cup coconut milk or 10 cashew nuts.

4. Saute on a medium heat till the mixture is nicely roasted, for about 3 to 5 minutes. Take care not to burn. Cool down completely.

5. Transfer to a blender with ¾ cup water. If you want add half to 1 tsp of tamarind paste (not concentrate) and blend to a smooth puree (or slightly coarse paste if you want). Be careful with tamarind as there is no way back.

6. Heat the same pan with 1 to 1½ tablespoon oil. This step is optional and you may instead cook the prawns directly in the gravy later. Place the prawns in the pan and cook just for 2 mins, 1 min on each side. I also added a few curry leaves with the prawns for flavor. Remove to a plate.

7. Add ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 slit green chili (optional) and 1 chopped garlic clove. Wait till the garlic is lightly roasted then add 1 sprig curry leaves. Fry till the garlic turns aromatic and the leaves turn crispy.

8. Pour the onion tomato mixture and mix well. If required add more water or coconut milk to bring to a slightly runny consistency. Bring to a rolling boil and cook until it is thick and traces of oil are seen on the curry. Reduce the heat completely, and add the prawns. Simmer just until the tails curl up to “C” shape, meaning they are fully cooked.

Overcooking will make them hard. Switch off the stove. Taste test and add more salt or ¼ teaspoon black pepper if you want. If you have not used tamarind like me, sprinkle some lemon juice for a tang.

Garnish prawn curry with coriander leaves. Serve with rice or roti, naan or chapathi, Ghee rice or Jeera rice.

Expert Tips

• Your masala/curry will taste the best with elevated flavors only if the onion tomato masala is sautéed well. Do not undercook these.
• Store bought garam masala is low in flavour. I use homemade so the quantity I use here is lesser. Feel free to use more if required at the finishing stage.
• Coconut is used to round out the flavors and give thickness to the curry. The dish still tastes good but I cannot assure if everyone likes that. If you decide to omit it, do not blend. Fine chop onions, tomatoes and keep the masala coarse.
• For a more creamy and rich taste, double the amount of coconut milk (not cashews). You can use either canned coconut milk or fresh homemade coconut milk. If you prefer to make your own blend a cup of raw coconut with half cup of water. Filter it and use in the recipe. Use half to blend and use the rest at the finishing stage.
• If you love your curry tangy, use little tamarind paste or tamarind water while blending. Or soak a few kokum and add them while blending. But be sure to add in lesser amounts, there is no way to go back.
• For a really hot and spicy curry, soak some dried red chilies and blend them with the sauteed ingredients. In this case you may omit the red chili powder.

How to choose prawns for curry

1. Choose prawns that have the shell on as they are fresher.
2. Avoid buying prawns that have a fishy smell. Fresh prawns do not have any odor or fishy smell.
3. If buying from the fresh market, look out for prawns on the ice as they are well kept. Avoid prepacked ones unless they are frozen.
4. When you touch the prawn with shell, it has to be firm. Avoid buying prawns that are slimy & limp as this indicates they are not fresh & are a sign of decay. They will not taste good too.
5. Look out for the right color of prawn. Fresh prawns are white or grey in color. However brown prawns will be brown in color.
6. The meat of the prawns should be white without any black spots on them. Black spots begin to appear first on the head and then on the body of the prawns which are an indication of losing the freshness.

Prepare prawns

1. Discard any spoilt or discolored prawns.
2. Shell them first by removing the head. legs & tail. Devein them.
3. Then transfer them to a bowl and pour 2 to 3 cups of cold water. Drain and repeat rinsing them a few times. If using frozen prawns defrost them the same way and avoid thawing or defrosting in microwave or using hot water as the prawns lose their taste and texture.
4. Rinse each prawn well, drain the water & place them in a bowl.
5. Use them up immediately to make the prawn curry.

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.

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