Quick and Easy Indian Prawn Curry

This Indian prawn curry is the perfect easy mid-week curry fix, a delicious treat that can go from your fridge to your table in 15 minutes.

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 1½" cube). Soak it in 65ml (around ¼ 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.

• Hob/stovetop.
• Wok.
• Stirring and serving spoons.
• Kitchen knife.
• Chopping board.
• Grater.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
• A sieve if you want to defrost your prawns in a rush.