Bengali prawn curry

Name: Bengali prawn curry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indian recipes
Ingredients: 3 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra; 600g sustainable raw king prawns, peeled and deveined but with tails still intact (see introduction and food team’s tip); 1 tsp black mustard seeds; 3 bay leaves; 1 onion, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2.5cm piece fresh ginger, grated; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp chilli powder; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp caster sugar; 2 tbsp chopped tomatoes from a tin; 200ml boiling water; 25g desiccated coconut; 1 tsp garam masala (optional); To serve; Steamed basmati rice or Indian flatbreads

Easy
April 2015

Easy
April 2015

Serves 4
Hands-on time 45 minutes

The prawns in this recipe add sweetness to the curry that’s balanced by the spices, tomatoes and black mustard seeds, giving it a beguiling depth of flavour. It’s a curry to savour.

For something a little simpler, try our speedy prawn and spinach curry recipe.

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Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 248kcals
Fat: 14g (4.5g saturated)
Protein: 28.2g
Carbohydrates: 4.7g (3.3g sugars)
Fibre: 1.8g
Salt: 2g

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 248kcals
Fat: 14g (4.5g saturated)
Protein: 28.2g
Carbohydrates: 4.7g (3.3g sugars)
Fibre: 1.8g
Salt: 2g

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Ingredients

3 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra
600g sustainable raw king prawns, peeled and deveined but with tails still intact (see introduction and food team’s tip)
1 tsp black mustard seeds
3 bay leaves
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2.5cm piece fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
2 tbsp chopped tomatoes from a tin
200ml boiling water
25g desiccated coconut
1 tsp garam masala (optional)

To serve

Steamed basmati rice or Indian flatbreads

3 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra
600g sustainable raw king prawns, peeled and deveined but with tails still intact (see introduction and food team’s tip)
1 tsp black mustard seeds
3 bay leaves
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2.5cm piece fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
2 tbsp chopped tomatoes from a tin
200ml boiling water
25g desiccated coconut
1 tsp garam masala (optional)

To serve

Steamed basmati rice or Indian flatbreads

Method

Heat the oil in a karahi or large frying pan (see Knowhow) over a low-medium heat. When hot, add the prawns and cook for a minute or so on each side until they turn pink. Remove and set aside.
Drizzle a little more oil into the pan, if needed, then add the mustard seeds. Take care as the oil can spit as the seeds burst. Stir in the bay leaves.
Add the onion, garlic and ginger to the pan and gently cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until they begin to turn golden.
Stir in the turmeric, chilli, cumin and coriander, then season with the salt and sugar. Stir in the chopped tomatoes.
Add the boiling water and desiccated coconut to the curry, then bring to the boil, gently stirring. Add the cooked prawns, gently spooning over the sauce to cover, then simmer for a few minutes to warm through. Taste and season if necessary.
Sprinkle over the garam masala, if using, give the curry a quick stir, then serve immediately with steamed basmati rice or Indian flatbreads.

Method

Heat the oil in a karahi or large frying pan (see Knowhow) over a low-medium heat. When hot, add the prawns and cook for a minute or so on each side until they turn pink. Remove and set aside.
Drizzle a little more oil into the pan, if needed, then add the mustard seeds. Take care as the oil can spit as the seeds burst. Stir in the bay leaves.
Add the onion, garlic and ginger to the pan and gently cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until they begin to turn golden.
Stir in the turmeric, chilli, cumin and coriander, then season with the salt and sugar. Stir in the chopped tomatoes.
Add the boiling water and desiccated coconut to the curry, then bring to the boil, gently stirring. Add the cooked prawns, gently spooning over the sauce to cover, then simmer for a few minutes to warm through. Taste and season if necessary.
Sprinkle over the garam masala, if using, give the curry a quick stir, then serve immediately with steamed basmati rice or Indian flatbreads.

delicious. tips

If you can, buy king prawns with their tails on as the prawns hold together better and make the dish look more attractive and substantial. They also add extra favour to the sauce.
You could try making this curry with chunks of firm white fish in place of the prawns. Start the recipe from step 2. Add the fish to the curry sauce in step 5 and cook for 8-10 minutes until the fish is cooked and flakes easily.
A karahi is a deep, circular cast-iron pot used in South Asian cooking. You can buy one from a specialist cook shop or online. Or use a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan or wok.

Recipe By

Torie True-Bhattacharyya

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3.7 votes

Reviews

Read what others say...

Cheryl Carr says:
10th Aug 2018 at 7:46 am
The easiest and most delicious curry recipe I’ve done- the whole family loves it
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Laurie Hills says:
30th Jun 2015 at 5:47 am
I love this recipe because I am guaranteed to have absolutely everything I need already in the cupboards, except one ingredient. Which means a rubbish day at work can start to fall away from memory and with a quick nip to the shop for prawns I’m happy!
Perhaps most lovely of all for me is the smells it creates while it’s cooking transport me right back to the fresh prawns we’d shell on the beach every summer, back home in Australia. So this is a nostalgia treat recipe for me!
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karolyn Holden says:
21st Jun 2015 at 6:09 pm
I love prawns ,and this recipe is very easy and really tasty .
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Joan Apperley says:
11th Jun 2015 at 11:16 am
I love this receipe because it looks and tastes delicious
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Jane Sparrow says:
4th Jun 2015 at 4:07 pm
Reminds me of a glorious trip to India…more…more….
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Neville Davidson says:
29th May 2015 at 12:53 pm
Nice and easy to prepare and very tasty.Missed out the garam masala but would add that next time,worried in case it was to hot.
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