Perfectly cooked prawns. Fresh curry leaves. Green chilies. Coconut milk. Are you feeling it? Prawn curry done South Indian restaurant style.
Prawn curry just like you wish they served you at your local Indian restaurant. But made in your kitchen. By you. For you. And your friends. Seem like a tall order? Read on.
I’ve been asked many times. More seafood please? More fish? This is the start…

South Indian prawn curry
This is the first prawn curry ever on glebekitchen. So I’m pulling out all the stops. Bash you over the head flavours. But balanced as well.
It works. South Indian is all about big flavours. Flavours you should get to know. Because you are going to love it. Lots of coastline in Kerala. Coastal means shellfish. See why I think this works? Match made in India.
There’s something magic about how South Indian flavours come together. A little spicy. A little peppery. The irreplaceable flavour of curry leaves. Green chilies and tomatoes. And coconut milk to bring it all together.
That’s the backbone. The common theme. Not always. But often. Mustard seed, cumin seed, a hint of cinnamon and whole cardamom are the little bit extra here.

Prawns vs shrimps – it really doesn’t matter in this case
Shrimp and prawns are different. Anatomically. And in habitat. But they are really close in flavour. I’ve only had real prawns a couple times. But in the dishes I enjoyed I could not really taste the difference.
I made this recipe with shrimp. The bag said shrimp. In Canada we call them shrimp. I don’t actually think I can actually buy prawns. Not easily anyway. So this is south Indian shrimp curry.
Problem is – the world seems to want to call this prawn curry. So I’m calling this prawn curry.
I have lots of battles I want to fight. Use fresh ingredients. Don’t use store bought garlic ginger paste. Do your prep. Bloom your spices. Use an instant read thermometer.
These are things I care about. Passionately. I want you to hear what I’m saying. So I push hard.
Shrimp vs. prawns. That I care less about. If they look like they do in the pictures you are probably OK. I am pretty sure I’m OK.

Fresh curry leaves are best
If you can get fresh curry leaves do it. Just do it. Seriously. Especially if you’ve never cooked with them before. They are special. There is no substitute.
Dried curry leaves are not a substitute. They aren’t even a fleeting shadow of the flavour fresh brings. Seriously. Might as well throw dust bunnies in your curry. About the same flavour.
Think about fresh coriander leaf. Cilantro. Bright. Fresh. Distinctive. Nothing like it.
Now think about dried coriander leaves. Do they even exist? They shouldn’t. Zero flavour. Dust. Curry leaves are exactly the same. There is just no point.
If you can’t get fresh curry leaves just leave them out. It won’t be what this recipe is about though. Tasty? Absolutely. Amazing? Probably not.
Seems I’m passionate about fresh curry leaves. Add that to the list on the side of my soapbox…

Season your prawns for an extra layer of flavour
I think a lot of people expect they can just chuck a bunch of prawns into the gravy and everything will work out.
They are probably right. Won’t be bad at all. As long as the prawns don’t get overcooked.
But it won’t be as good as it can be either. There’s definitely room for improvement there.
There’s a couple things I like to do. I like to season the prawns. An extra layer of flavour.
Not complicated either. A little turmeric. A little kashmiri chili powder. Boosts the flavour. And it makes them look great.
The other thing I like to do is pre-cook them. That way I know what I’m putting into my prawn curry. I have control. No guessing what’s going on with them in the dish.
How exactly do you tell when they are done if they are covered in a lush, thick and opaque sauce? Unless I bite into one I’m not sure I can.

Shallow fry your prawns
I usually poach shrimp when I want them done perfectly. It’s repeatable. And you can shock them in cold water to stop the cooking.
You can’t beat that for a lot of dishes. And for perfect prawn cocktail. And I love prawn cocktail so I’ve worked pretty hard nailing down my technique.
But for this prawn curry I’m going a different route. Shallow fry. That’s a restaurant trick. Coat the prawns in a bunch of flavour. Fry them. Enjoy.
It’s a little trickier. There’s a hard and fast formula for poaching. Controlled. Consistent results with zero stress. If you can work a timer you can poach shrimp.
Shallow frying is more about feel. Not precision. No formula here. Sorry about that. It’s a bit of a test. Every pan is different. Every stove is different. I cannot tell you exactly how long to cook them.
But you don’t have to full on guess either. There are guidelines here. You want to cook them until they just start to turn pink on the bottom. A hint of opaque up the side.
Then flip and repeat. Same story on the other side. You want to slightly undercook them. They will continue cooking as they cool. And they will likely cook a little more when you add them to the final curry.
It’s a life skill. Part of getting your chops down in the kitchen. It’s not trivial. But it’s not impossible either. Have a little faith. You can do it.

Restaurant style – real restaurant technique for real restaurant taste
This is a glebekitchen restaurant style recipe. That’s pretty specific. It means you are cooking the same way they do in restaurants.
You’ll get restaurant results if you pay attention. But you have to do restaurant style prep. No real way around it. I have an easy Indian restaurant series that comes really close if this is too much.
It means making curry base gravy. Not hard. But it has to be done. And it’s best done ahead of time. You can portion it out and freeze it. Once you have this you can make restaurant curries in around 20 minutes, including prep.
You need to make Indian restaurant mix powder. That’s just a fancy way of saying you need to make a spice blend. It’s about as hard as it sounds. Measure out some spices. Mix. Done.
If this is your first time you probably should read this primer on making Indian restaurant curries. It covers everything in detail. There’s also a video on technique.
This style isn’t dead easy. There are a few techniques you need to get down. It’s not impossible either. If you are able to make a meal that doesn’t involve just opening a package you can do this.
It will take a bit of practice at first. But you can do it. I have faith. And so should you. You will be very happy with yourself when you get it down.
Prawn curry. Loaded with south Indian flavours. A lush restaurant style sauce. Perfectly done prawns. Are you feeling it now? I know I am.

South Indian prawn curry
Ingredients
Pre-cook the prawns
- 1/2 lb prawns 16-20 count (that is 16-20 prawns per pound) so 8-10 prawns
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- sprinkle of salt
- enough oil to shallow fry the prawns
- 1 tsp garlic ginger paste
The spice mix
- 2 tsp indian restaurant spice mix – recipe link below
- 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
The curry ingredients
- 3 Tbsp oil – you can use the oil you fried the shrimp in. That's seasoned oil now.
- 3 cardamom pods (green)
- 2 inch cinnamon stick cassia bark
- 1/2 tsp mustard seed
- 1/4 tsp cumin seed
- 12-15 curry leaves fresh, not dried. If you can't get them fresh leave them out.
- 1 Tbsp garlic/ginger paste – recipe link below
- 2 green chilies – cut in half lengthwise and then into 3/4 inch pieces. Seed the chilies to tame the fire a bit.
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste with enough water to dilute to the consistency of pasatta
- 15 oz curry base
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (not coconut cream)
- 2 tbsp tomato diced
- 1 green chili diced
- the prawns from above you are just warming them through in this step
Instructions
Pre-cook the prawns
- Gently toss the prawns with 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp kashmiri chili powder. Sprinkle with salt.
- Pick a pan that is just big enough to comfortably hold the prawns in one layer.
- Add the oil and heat over medium low. You want enough to come up the sides of the prawns about 1/4 of the way up. That's why you want the smallest pan that fits. It will take less oil.
- Add the garlic ginger paste and fry until it stops sizzling.
- Cook the prawns until the bottom turns pink and they just start to go opaque on the sides. This takes somewhere between 30-45 seconds depending on how hot your pan is. Note that the times are for 16-20 prawns. You will need to adjust up or down based on the size of shrimp you use.
- Flip the prawns and cook another 30-45 seconds or so. You don't want them fully cooked as they will cook a little more as they cool and then in the final curry. As soon as the slit in the back turns opaque you are done.
South Indian prawn curry
- Make the spice mix.
- Dilute the tomato paste with enough water to get to the consistency of passata.
- Heat your frying pan (don't use non-stick) briefly over medium heat. Add the oil (you can use some of the oil from frying the shrimp). Use all the oil specified. It's important. You need that oil to bloom the spices. You don't want them to stick and potentially burn because you skimped on a bit of oil.
- When the oil starts to shimmer add the cardamom and cinnamon stick. You should see little bubbles form around them. Let that go for around 20 seconds.
- Now add the mustard and cumin seed along with the curry leaves. Stir and cook until the seeds start to crackle. This takes another 20 seconds or so.
- Add the garlic ginger paste and large pieces of the two green chilies to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste stops sputtering.
- Turn down the heat and add the spice mix. This is the moment of truth in any curry. Stir it constantly for 30 seconds. If it starts to darken lift the pan off the heat. You want the spice mix to cook in the oil but not burn. If it burns you are starting over. No way around it.
- Turn the heat up to medium high. Add the diluted tomato paste immediately and stir until bubbles form (the oil will likely separate). This takes around 30 seconds to one minute depending on the heat.
- Add 3 oz of curry base. Stir until you see small craters forming, around 30-45 seconds. If it takes much longer that's a sign that you can turn the meat up a bit more. Watch the edges of the pan. The curry can stick here. That's not a problem. Just scrape it back into the pan.
- Now add 6 oz of curry base and stir briefly. Let it cook until the craters form again. This takes 1-2 minutes.
- Add the rest of the curry base and let cook until the craters form. Turn the heat down to low. Add the coconut milk and stir.
- Mix in the remaining diced green chili. Simmer for about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes. Stir to combine. Add the prawns and cook until they are just warmed through.
- Serve with rice and/or parathas or chapatis.
Made this with U-10 shrimp and coconut oil. Mind blowing.
U-10. I like the way you roll!
Really yummy! I did puree everything before adding the coconut milk and I added a little more coconut milk (personal preference). Turned out great. Thank you!
You are very welcome. I’m delighted to hear you enjoyed it!
Romain
Made this last night and it was excellent and will be making this again, though I have several of your other curries to make and next one hubby wants is your garlic chili chicken as its one of his first choices when ordering. I have already made the spice mix and have a freezer full of the restaurant curry base. I have made your Nadan chicken and that was also wonderful, could I use some of the coconut oil I bought for that in this one?
Andie
Delighted you are enjoying the dishes. The coconut oil makes a great addition to any South Indian dish.
great recipe
Thanks!
Just discovered your site and excited about trying some recipes. All sound wonderful. Plan to make this for group on New Year’s Day. Wondered if there was something that would make a good sub for the shrimp, dealing with allergies.
Delighted to hear you found glebekitchen!
Chicken is always a great stand in. Won’t have that shrimp ocean tang to it but will still be good. Happy New Year!
Romain you’ve done it again. A really delicious curry, well done.
Regards jeff
Glad you enjoyed it!
I made this on Friday for a group of friends, and it was a HIT. It was fairly hot but everyone said it was really flavoursome. I was a little worried as I don’t eat fish myself, but I’ll certainly be doing this one again when entertaining. Thanks Romain for another great curry!
Delighted to hear it was a hit!
I love the south Indian flavor. I’m crazily in love with variety. This one hit both! It is a week ago since I made it and I’m drooling just thinking back on it. It is that good!
I’m addicted to South Indian as well. Just can’t get enough of it!
Hi can I make this Prawn curry with the hotel curry base as have it already made
You will need to reduce the amount of gravy to 1 cup, leave out the tomato paste and follow the hotel style technique rather than the restaurant technique and I think yes, it would work. You might need a bit more liquid at the end to get the consistency right. Not sure about things like that until I actually try them out.
Enjoy!
An amazing curry! I didn’t have fresh curry leaves so I skipped those, but it came out tasty like hell. BTW, just before adding the prawns, I’ve added about a cup of grated coconut. Turned out superb!
I went through all the other indian dishes you have on your site, and everything looks amazing. Too bad landmark vegeterian northern indian curries (palak paneer, Shahi Panner, etc.) are missing. I would definitely liked to see your take for these dishes.
You have made me realize I didn’t make vegetarian very easy to find when I rebuilt the website. I do have a few – palak paneer, gobi Manchurian, saag aloo etc.
https://glebekitchen.com/vegetarian/
We have made this curry twice this week as it was so good, having the frozen curry base makes it so easy. The second time we put less coconut milk and couldn’t get fresh curry leaves so tried fresh coriander instead which worked. Looking forward to being able to find the curry leaves and trying it again though! Thank you…
Delighted you enjoyed it. I haven’t tried it with coriander but I bet it would be good!
Our family have made a lot of your recipes and love them. I had your spice mix already made, and frozen curry base. I did make a freezable recipe of the ginger paste while making this dish. So the recipe and the ginger paste did take a lot of time even with the other parts pre-made. I thought it was good, but not out of the ballpark like your other recipes. High quality shrimp from our local fish store and fresh curry leaves, too. The spice mix might be close to year old–would that make a difference, do you think?
I’m very sorry to hear that. A year is old for spices for sure.
That said, spice mix, black pepper, chili powder, mustard seed, cumin seed, green chilies and curry leaves is a pretty potent mix of flavours. Coconut milk does tend to mute flavours when added though. Maybe up the spice mix a bit to get a bigger flavour to cut through the coconut milk? Or roll back to a bit less coconut milk?
Hi Roman
I’ve been cooking your curries for friends and family and they absolutely love them, I’m making 3 curries for a dinner party so just wondered if I can make the sauces the night before and add the meat when I reheat them?
Louise
While I have never done that I am confident it would work.
I had the curry sauce in freezer and spice mix on shelf so only had to make garlic ginger paste and dish itself. It took some time and was tasty. Take note: took some time.
Glad you enjoyed it. Note the times are for the dish itself and do not include the garlic ginger paste/curry base/spice mix. That said I’m delighted you took the time to make your garlic ginger paste from scratch! So much better than the stuff from jars.
Just made this and it’s my new favorite curry. The curry is amazing on its own and if I didn’t have shrimp/prawns on hand, I would be completely happy with a bowl of this curry and rice. Add in the seasoned shrimp though and WOW! Thank you for another stellar recipe!!!
Fantastic to hear! It’s the power of South Indian flavours. I’m a huge fan.