Description
A flavorful and aromatic curry prawns recipe featuring a rich coconut milk sauce infused with warm spices and tamarind paste. This dish combines tender king prawns with a slow-cooked onion, garlic, ginger, and tomato base, producing a thick and fragrant gravy perfect for serving over steamed rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable or coconut oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- ½ scotch bonnet chilli (optional)
- 24–36 whole king prawns, or peeled prawns
Spices and Flavorings
- 1½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 5 cloves, ground
- ½ tsp ground fenugreek
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp tamarind paste
- 2 tbsp water (to mix with spices)
Liquids and Serving
- 400ml coconut milk
- Cooked rice, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oil and sweat onions: Heat the vegetable or coconut oil in a frying pan over low-medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook slowly for about 15 minutes until soft and starting to caramelise, stirring regularly to prevent burning.
- Add aromatics and tomatoes: Stir in the crushed garlic, grated ginger, chopped tomatoes, and the optional scotch bonnet chilli. Increase the heat to medium and cook for another 10 minutes to soften the tomatoes and meld the flavors.
- Prepare the prawns: If using shell-on prawns, remove the heads and devein by cutting down the back shell and gently pulling out the vein. Keep shells and heads for stock if desired. This step ensures prawns are cleaned and ready for cooking.
- Add spices and tamarind paste: Mix the turmeric, ground cumin, coriander, cloves, fenugreek, paprika, allspice, and tamarind paste with 2 tablespoons of water to form a spice blend. Add this mixture to the onion base and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the spices become fragrant and the water mostly evaporates.
- Incorporate coconut milk: Pour in the 400ml of coconut milk and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes, letting the sauce reduce down to a thick, rich gravy.
- Cook the prawns: Add the prepared prawns to the gravy and cook for about 5 minutes until they turn just pink and are cooked through. Avoid overcooking to maintain their tenderness.
- Serve: Remove from heat and serve the curry prawns hot with cooked rice for a complete and satisfying meal.
Notes
- Adjust the heat by adding or omitting the scotch bonnet chilli to suit your spice preference.
- For extra flavor, save prawn shells and heads to make a seafood stock that can be used in other dishes.
- Use either vegetable oil or coconut oil to complement the curry’s tropical flavors.
- If using peeled prawns, you can reduce prep time but ensure freshness for best taste.
- Serve with basmati or jasmine rice to soak up the delicious curry sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Caribbean
Keywords: curry prawns, coconut milk prawns, Caribbean prawn curry, spicy prawn curry, king prawns curry
