Description
A flavorful and aromatic Kerala prawn curry featuring a vibrant blend of spices, fresh curry leaves, and creamy reduced-fat coconut milk, served with basmati rice. This South Indian dish balances heat, earthiness, and tangy lime, making it a perfect quick and comforting seafood curry.
Ingredients
Scale
Spice Paste
- 2 red chillies, split, cut into quarters lengthways and seeded
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 2½ cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
- 3 tbsp water (for blitzing)
For Cooking
- 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seed
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 14 curry leaves, fresh or dried
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cracked black peppercorns
- 250g jumbo prawns, leave some with their tails on if you like
- 150ml reduced-fat coconut milk
- A squeeze of lime
- Chopped fresh coriander, plus a sprig or two for garnish
- Freshly boiled basmati rice, to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the Spice Paste: In a food processor, blitz the split and seeded red chillies, chopped red onion, and peeled chopped ginger with 3 tablespoons of water into a smoothish paste. Scrape down the sides as needed to ensure an even consistency.
- Heat the Spices: Heat the vegetable or sunflower oil in a heavy pan or wok over medium heat until hot. Add the black mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and curry leaves. They will crackle and pop; fry them for about 10 seconds to release their flavors.
- Cook the Spice Paste: Add the prepared onion-chilli-ginger paste to the pan. Reduce the heat slightly and cook without browning for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add a splash of water if the paste starts to catch or stick to the pan.
- Add Ground Spices and Prawns: Stir in the turmeric and cracked black peppercorns for a few seconds to toast the spices gently. Then, add the jumbo prawns to the pan and stir well to coat them with the spice mixture.
- Add Coconut Milk and Simmer: Pour in the reduced-fat coconut milk and bring the curry to a gentle simmer while stirring continuously. The coconut milk will turn a golden yellow from the turmeric. Cook for about 1 minute until the prawns are heated through and the sauce is well combined.
- Finish and Serve: Squeeze fresh lime juice over the curry and sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander. Serve immediately with freshly boiled basmati rice and garnish with a sprig or two of coriander.
Notes
- Using fresh curry leaves adds authentic flavor; if unavailable, dried can be used but the taste will be milder.
- You can keep some prawn tails on for a more rustic presentation and added texture.
- If you prefer a spicier curry, do not remove the seeds from the red chillies.
- Reduced-fat coconut milk lowers calories but still keeps the rich coconut flavor.
- This dish pairs wonderfully with basmati rice to soak up the flavorful sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: South Indian
Keywords: Kerala prawn curry, South Indian prawn curry, coconut prawn curry, seafood curry, spicy Indian prawns, prawn recipe, Kerala cuisine
