Kerala Shrimp Curry Recipe (Chemmeen Curry)
Kerala Shrimp Curry (Chemmeen Curry) is a delicious Kerala-style shrimp curry that can be made with or without coconut. Make it using my easy recipe.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
- 2 cups thinly sliced onions
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 2-3 green chilies slit into half
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 15-20 curry leaves
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste or 3-4 dried Kudampuli
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 cup coconut milk optional
- 300 grams medium prawns (shrimp) fresh or frozen, cleaned and deveined,
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
For Tempering (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ¼ cup sliced shallots or onions
- 10-12 curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
Instructions
Make The Shrimp Curry
- Heat coconut oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and fenugreek seeds, and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Add onions and cook until the onion turns slightly brown in color (8-10 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Add tomatoes, green chilies, ginger, garlic, and curry leaves, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes are mushy.
- Now add coriander powder, turmeric powder, chili powder, pepper powder, and garam masala powder, and cook for a minute.
- Add 1 cup of water, tamarind paste, and salt, and mix well.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times while cooking.
- Now add coconut milk (optional) and ½ cup of water and bring the curry to a simmer, stirring frequently.
- Add prawns and cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Check for salt and add more if required.
- Garnish the curry with chopped cilantro.
Temper The Curry
- Heat coconut oil in a small pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add shallots (or onions) and curry leaves, and fry until the shallots are browned, stirring frequently.
- Add Kashmiri red chili powder and saute for 3-4 seconds.
- Pour the tempering over the curry and mix well. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
If using frozen prawns, then make sure to thaw them before use.
You can use any size of prawns – small, medium, large, jumbo, all works great. Keep in mind that the time of cooking will differ slightly according to the size.
- Small shrimp – 4-5 minutes
- Medium shrimp – 5-6 minutes
- Large (Jumbo) shrimp – 7-8 minutes
Nutrition
Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 868mg | Potassium: 645mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 839IU | Vitamin C: 141mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 4mg
