Prawns Curry - How to make sri lankan style prawn curry

Experience the vibrant flavors of Sri Lanka with this authentic prawn curry recipe. Prepared using traditional methods, this dish combines fresh prawns with aromatic spices and creamy coconut milk, offering a delightful culinary journey with every bite. Perfectly paired with rice or roti, this curry showcases the rustic charm of Sri Lankan cuisine.

Ingredients

🍤 500g prawns shelled and deveined
🧂 1 teaspoon salt for marination
🌶️ 1 teaspoon black pepper powder for marination
✨ 1 teaspoon turmeric powder for marination and cooking
🧅 2-3 medium onions, sliced
🌶️ 2-3 green chilies, sliced
🍅 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
🧄 8-10 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
🫚 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
🍃 A few sprigs curry leaves
🥥 1 whole fresh coconut grated for coconut milk
🔸 1 tablespoon chili powder
🧈 2-3 tablespoons cooking oil
🍂 A few small pieces of cinnamon sticks for grinding
💚 A few pods cardamom for grinding
🌿 1 tablespoon cumin powder
🍃 A handful of fresh moringa leaves

Instructions

1- Prepare Prawns:

Remove the heads and shells from the prawns, leaving the tails if desired.
Devein them and rinse thoroughly.

2- Marinate Prawns:

In a clay pot, combine prawns with salt, black pepper, and half of the turmeric powder.
Mix well and set aside.

3- Prepare Aromatics:

Finely chop the ginger and garlic.
Slice the onions, green chilies, and tomatoes.

4- Extract Coconut Milk:

Break open the coconut and manually grate the white flesh into a bowl.
Add water and knead to extract milk, then strain to separate thick coconut milk.

5- Heat Pot:

Place a clay pot over an open wood fire.

6- Temper Spices:

Add oil to the hot pot.
Add curry leaves, mustard seeds, and fenugreek seeds. Stir until fragrant.

7- Sauté Vegetables:

Add chopped garlic, ginger, green chilies, and sliced onions.
Sauté until onions are translucent and golden.

8- Add Spices:

Stir in the chili powder and the rest of the turmeric powder.
Cook for a minute.

9- Add Tomatoes:

Add sliced tomatoes and cook until softened.

10- Grind Whole Spices:
- Use a mortar and pestle to crush cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods into a coarse powder.

11- Combine Ingredients:
- Add the ground spices and cumin powder to the pot.
- Mix well.

12- Cook Prawns:
- Add marinated prawns, stirring to coat with the spice mix.
- Cook until they turn vibrant orange/pink.

13- Add Coconut Milk:
- Pour the coconut milk into the curry.
- Stir evenly.

14- Simmer:
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the sauce thickens and prawns are fully cooked.

15- Garnish:
- Stir in moringa leaves before serving.

Prep Time: 45-60 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Total Time: 65-90 minutes
Servings: 4
Equipment: Clay pots, coconut scraper, mortar and pestle, wooden spoon, improvised wood fire