Goan-style Prawn Curry
A fast Goan-style prawn curry in a creamy coconut sauce — the prawns cook in minutes, so dinner is on the table before the rice is.
Prawns are the ultimate curry shortcut — raw to done in under five minutes, which makes this Goan-style curry one of the fastest proper curries you’ll ever cook from scratch.
Get the coconut-tamarind base simmering first, then slide the prawns in right at the very end: any longer and they turn rubbery, any less and dinner isn’t cooked. Ready in under 45 minutes, and brilliant with rice, naan or even spooned over buttery mashed potatoes if you’re feeling adventurous.
Ingredients
- 500 g raw king prawns (peeled, deveined)
- 5 ml sea salt — plus extra to taste
- 5 ml turmeric powder
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 5 ml mustard seeds
- 5 ml cumin seeds
- 1 onion (roughly chopped) — about 200 g
- 4 garlic cloves
- 30 g fresh ginger (chopped) — about a 3 cm piece
- 1 green chilli — deseeded if you prefer less heat
- 1 ripe tomato (chopped) — about 150 g
- 10 ml ground coriander
- 5 ml Kashmiri chilli powder (or mild chilli powder)
- 5 ml tamarind paste — or juice of 1 lime
- 400 ml coconut milk (full-fat recommended)
- 150 ml water or fish/vegetable stock
- 5 ml sugar — balances the tamarind
- 15 g fresh coriander (to garnish) — roughly chopped
- 10 fresh curry leaves — optional but authentic
- 0 ml freshly ground black pepper — optional
- 2 lime wedges (to serve)
Equipment
- blender or small food processor
- heavy-based saucepan
- wooden spoon
- measuring spoons
Instructions
Pat the prawns dry with kitchen paper, then toss with 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric. Leave to rest while you prepare the masala — about 15 minutes.
In a small dry frying pan over medium heat toast the cumin seeds and mustard seeds for 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Transfer to a blender.
Add the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli and chopped tomato to the blender with the toasted seeds, 1 tsp ground coriander and the Kashmiri chilli powder. Blitz to a smoothish paste (about 45–60 seconds). Add a splash of water if needed to get it moving.
Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the curry leaves (if using) and let them sizzle for 20–30 seconds. Add the blended paste, reduce heat to medium–low and fry, stirring frequently, until the oil starts to separate from the paste and it darkens slightly — about 8–10 minutes.
Stir in the remaining 1/4 tsp turmeric, 3/4 tsp sea salt, the tamarind paste and sugar. Cook for 1 minute.
Pour in the coconut milk and the stock or water. Increase heat to bring to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 6–8 minutes to thicken slightly and let the flavours marry.
Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning — you may want a little more salt, a squeeze of lime or an extra 1/2 tsp tamarind for brightness.
Raise the heat to medium and add the prawns to the simmering curry in a single layer. Cook, stirring gently, until the prawns turn pink and opaque and just curl — 3–4 minutes depending on size.
Stir in freshly ground black pepper if using, check seasoning again and turn off the heat. Let the curry sit for 1–2 minutes — the residual heat will finish the prawns.
Scatter over the chopped fresh coriander and serve immediately with steamed basmati rice, naan or warm chapatis and lime wedges.
Tips
- Toast whole spices briefly in a dry pan to unlock more flavour — but watch them closely, they go from perfect to bitter in seconds.
- If you don’t have a blender, finely grate the onion, garlic and ginger and simmer a little longer to soften — the texture will be a bit different but still delicious.
- Always pat prawns dry before cooking and add them at the end — overcooking prawns is the fastest way to spoil this dish.
- Make-ahead: cook the sauce (without the prawns) and cool quickly. Refrigerate for up to 2 days; reheat and add prawns only at service.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 48 hours; reheat gently on the hob (low heat) — avoid boiling to prevent the coconut from splitting.
Substitutions
raw king prawns (peeled, deveined) → large prawns or raw peeled prawns of any variety, same weight
Stays closecoconut milk (full-fat recommended) → light coconut milk (same volume) for fewer calories; sauce will be less rich
Noticeably differenttamarind paste → juice of 1 small lime plus 1/2 tsp brown sugar (adjust to taste)
Stays closefresh coriander (to garnish) → fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 360
- Calories
- 30 g
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 650 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use frozen prawns?
Yes — thaw fully in the fridge, pat dry with kitchen paper and proceed. Extra water in frozen prawns can dilute the sauce, so dry them well.
How do I make the curry hotter or milder?
Remove the seeds from the green chilli and use a milder chilli powder for a gentler heat. Add chopped fresh chilli or extra chilli powder at the end to increase heat.
Can I make this in advance?
You can make the sauce ahead and store for up to 48 hours. Add and cook the prawns only at service so they stay tender.
Why did my coconut milk split?
Boiling coconut milk too vigorously can cause separation. Keep a gentle simmer and stir occasionally; if it splits, it will still taste fine but the texture changes.
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