Advertisement

Ingredients

  • 12 large whole shell-on raw prawns
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 green bird’s-eye chilli, slit lengthwise
  • 10-12 curry leaves, (see notes below)
  • 400ml coconut milk
  • a pinch caster sugar
  • 3 tbsp tamarind paste
  • chopped to make 1 tbsp coriander leaves

PASTE

  • ½ onion, roughly chopped
  • a large bunch coriander, leaves and stems chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • a thumb-sized piece ginger, roughly chopped
  • 1 green bird’s-eye chilli

Method

  • STEP 1

    Put the prawns, turmeric and a pinch of salt into a bowl and toss well.

  • STEP 2

    Put the paste ingredients and 70ml of water into a blender or food processor and whizz to a smooth paste.

  • STEP 3

    Heat the oil in a large, lidded, heavy-bottomed pan over a low heat. Add the green chilli and curry leaves, and, as they begin to sizzle, add the paste and fry for 3 minutes. Add the prawns, stir well and fry for 1 minute. Add 100ml of water, season and cook with a lid on for 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk, sugar and tamarind paste. Stir well and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the curry has thickened slightly and the prawns are cooked through. Scatter over the coriander and serve with rice, if you like.

*This recipe is gluten-free according to industry standards


Kashmiri chillies and chilli powder are a vivid red and have a milder flavour. Jaggery is an unrefined brown sugar with a deep caramel flavour most often sold in blocks. Find all of them, and curry leaves, at Indian grocers, larger supermarkets and online.

Authors

Advertisement

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Overall rating

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement