Quick and Easy Indian Prawn Curry

This Indian prawn curry is hot, sour and all sorts of delicious & if that is not enough it cooks in just 15 minutes, yes you read that right!

This is the perfect midweek quick and easy dinner that feels special and uses ingredients that I usually have in the freezer and store cupboard.

Spicy Shrimp Curry

All cooks have one of those quick meals that they can rustle up with their eyes closed, a recipe that tastes great and can be rustled up quickly.

I have many, but this easy prawn curry is one of my favourites and one of the quickest recipes that I cook. It sits right alongside my Thai Red Prawn Curry and Prawn Panang Curry as “brothers from another mother” as well as glorious Indian-influenced recipes like my king prawn bhuna, king prawn balti and prawn and mango curry!

Flavour-wise we go sour with the help of a little tamarind. I keep the heat fairly low key but you can increase this if you wish.

This ensures that the flavour of the sweet prawns shines through, I do exactly the same thing with my pheasant curry.

Most of the ingredients are store cupboard staples for anyone who cooks Indian food regularly.

This is the same approach that I take with my sea bream curry, Macher Jhol Bengali fish curry, Keralan fish curry, salmon tikka, Indian salmon curry and my curry mussels!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen prawns?

Yes, absolutely! I always use frozen prawns.

Can I cook the prawns from frozen?

In theory yes, but I do not like doing that because it reduces the temperature of the pan too much.

I place the prawns in a colander and run them under cold water, they will defrost in 5 minutes or so. This should give you time to prep the vegetables for this recipe.

Can I use “blanched” prawns?

I used blanched frozen prawns in the video for this recipe to test them for a reader.

They work perfectly well, but they do need the shortest of cooking times. A couple of minutes should suffice so long as they are properly defrosted.

What size prawns do you use?

I use size 20-25 head-off shell-off (apart from the tail) prawns in this curry. That number represents how many prawns you get per pound.

Can I use tamarind pulp?

Yes, over the years I have migrated to using tamarind pulp for all of my tamarind recipes.

If you want to use tamarind pulp take 60g of pulp (around 3-4 cm 1 1/2″ cube). Soak it in 65ml (around 1/4 cup) of boiling water, let it steep, and then pass it through a sieve.

Serving Suggestions

If I am cooking in a rush I serve this prawn curry with plain basmati rice but it is awesome with a nice pilau rice.

I’ve not hidden my love of Indian flatbread under a bushel on my site and of course, I’d serve this recipe with some. Chapatis would be my first choice but a tandoori-style naan bread works really well too.

Potatoes are also superb with this dish, both my roasted Bombay potatoes and aloo methi recipes are ideal.

You can also enhance the sour vibes in this prawn curry by adding a little lime or lemon pickle on the side!

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Stovetop.
• Wok.
• Kitchen knife.
• Chopping board.
• Grater.
• Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.