Goan Shrimp Curry (Goan Prawn Curry)
on Mar 13, 2024
Goan Shrimp Curry (Goan Prawn Curry) is a robust shrimp curry made in Goan style. Make it at home using my traditional recipe.
You may also like these shrimp recipes: Shrimp Masala Curry, Kerala Shrimp Curry, Goan Shrimp Vindaloo, and Indian Coconut Shrimp Curry.
We go to Goa every year. Yes, you heard it right. Whenever we feel like taking a quick vacation and cannot finalize a place, it’s Goa time. Goa is one such place that has something for everyone. It has great beaches, temples, resorts, sports activities and of course amazing food.
On each trip, we always have one meal at a restaurant serving local cuisine. If I like a dish, I shamelessly ask for the recipe from the chef, and my request has never been declined to date. During one of our visits, I learned to make this shrimp curry recipe from a restaurant’s chef and now sharing it with you all.
About Goan Shrimp Curry
Goan Shrimp Curry (Goan Prawn Curry) is a tangy and spicy shrimp curry made in Goan homes for everyday meals.
Marinated shrimp are simmered in a curry made using freshly ground masala paste and coconut milk. It has a nice tang from the use of tamarind or kokum.
Serve this gluten-free curry with steamed rice for a hearty meal.
Ingredients
To Marinate The Shrimp
Shrimp – Use fresh or frozen medium-sized shrimp. Ensure that they are properly cleaned and deveined.
You will also need salt, turmeric powder, and lime juice.
For The Masala Paste
A spicy masala paste is made using coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fresh coconut, Kashmiri dry red chilies, garlic, black peppercorns (kali mirch), cloves (laung), and cinnamon (dalchini).
To save time, use already grated fresh coconut. You can find it in the freezer section of an Indian grocery store. If fresh coconut is unavailable, you can use grated dry coconut.
For The Curry
You will need oil, green chilies, onions, tomatoes, tamarind paste, salt and coconut milk.
I have used tamarind paste as a souring agent in this recipe, but you may replace it with kokum for a more traditional flavor.
Some people also use Kudam Puli to sour this curry.
How To Make Goan Shrimp Curry
Marinate The Prawns
Clean 1 lb (500 g) medium-sized prawns and add them to a bowl with the following ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Mix well. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
Make The Masala Paste
Add the following ingredients to a blender.
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 cup grated fresh coconut
- 8-10 Kashmiri dry red chilies
- 5-6 cloves
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
Add ½ cup water and blend to make a smooth paste.
Tip – Remove the seeds from the dry chilies if you want a milder curry.
Make The Curry
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Add the marinated prawns once the oil is hot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Remove the prawns on a plate and keep aside.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoon oil to the same pan and heat over medium-high heat.
Add ½ cup chopped onions and 2 teaspoon chopped green chilies to the pan and cook until onions turn translucent, stirring frequently.
Now add ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the ground masala paste, 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoon tamarind paste. Mix well.
Reduce the heat to low.
Cover the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes. Stir a few times in between.
Add 1 cup coconut milk and cooked prawns. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add more water if the curry is thick.
Check for salt and add more if needed. Serve hot.
Pro Tips By Neha
Do not overcook the prawns; otherwise, they will become rubbery. The ideal cooking time is 6-8 minutes.
If using kokum instead of tamarind, use 2-3 pieces in place of the below-mentioned quantity of tamarind.
Variations
Add a few slices of green raw mango to this curry instead of tamarind paste.
Add stir-fried okra or radishes to the curry, along with prawns.
To make this curry, you can replace shrimp with any other seafood or fish.
Another version of Goan Prawn Curry, Ambotik, uses grated fresh coconut instead of coconut milk. The recipe is here.
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Goan Shrimp Curry Recipe (Goan Prawn Curry)
Ingredients
For Marinating the Prawns
- 1 pound medium-sized shrimp (prawns) (500 g, cleaned and deveined)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoons lime juice
For The Masala Paste
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 cup grated fresh coconut
- 8-10 Kashmiri dry red chilies (stalks removed)
- 5-6 cloves garlic (peeled)
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns (kali mirch)
- 1 teaspoon cloves (laung)
- 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
For the Curry
- 3 tablespoons oil (divided)
- 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- ½ cup chopped onions
- ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons tamarind paste
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 cup coconut milk
Instructions
Marinate The Prawns
- Add the prawns to a bowl with salt, turmeric powder, and lime juice.
- Mix well. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
Make The Masala Paste
- Add all the ingredients mentioned in the ingredients to make masala paste in a blender.
- Add ½ cup water and blend to make a smooth paste.
Make The Curry
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the marinated prawns once the oil is hot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the prawns on a plate and keep aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoon oil to the same pan and heat over medium-high heat.
- Add onions and green chilies to the pan and cook until onions turn translucent, stirring frequently.
- Now, add tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the ground masala paste, 1 cup water, salt, and tamarind paste. Mix well.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes. Stir a few times in between.
- Add coconut milk and cooked prawns. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add more water if the curry is thick.
- Check for salt and add more if needed. Serve hot.
excellent recipe, delicious results!
First get-together with friends in nearly two years and this was the dish I decided to bring. Adjusted the recipe a little because I was cooking 3lbs Shrimp. The color of my dish was darker than the picture here. Everyone loved it. Thank you!
hey!!! I have been missing goa big time and the goan food(thanks to covid :(…)
I made this dish today and it was really tasty.
Thank you. Will be cooking this often.
cheers
Happy to hear 🙂
Very tasty curry.
Thanks 🙂
I tried this for my daughter who is 4. She did like it but I am eager to make it spicy. Good recipe
I am glad your daughter liked it 🙂
Hi Neha
Tried Goan fish curry today .Was impressed with the results .Thank you for the recipe.
Thnx for trying 🙂
Im from sweden and I googled Cup to CL and then I pored the water in. I now have a soup >D A tasty soup, but still a soup……
Hi Patrik, next time, may be you can reduce the amount of water. The ingredients behaves differently a lot of times.
Hi, very detailed and informative post. I love prawn curry and this is one dish we make often at home.Please check out my blog post on prawn curry at foodielogs.com
Sure. Thnx a lot
Hi, if I want to use this curry gravy in a vegetarian dish, can I use it with mushrooms?
Yes sure, you can.
Thank you very much for very nice recipe! Cooking in this week already 2 times, it’s so delicious! I like authentic Indian recipes!
Happy to hear 🙂