Quick and easy prawn/chingri curry. Here is a recipe for a spicy and flavorful Bengali style prawn curry. Call it a prawn curry or a chingri bhuna (the more common name in Bengali). If you are looking for a quick and tasty curry then prawns are perfect for a quick meal. They take only a few minutes to cook and the main process is really in making the curry base. A prawn curry makes the perfect lunch or dinner with a plate of steaming white rice. Both filling and satisfying at the same time. So for you seafood lovers here’s a simple but super yummy prawn curry.

Prawn or Shrimp??

Also remember you can use shrimp too. As far as I know prawns and shrimp taste the same but they differ because of their size. Prawns are more bigger in size than shrimp, also there is some differentiation in how the shells overlap. Well for this curry whether your using prawns or shrimp I’m quite certain the taste will be pretty much the same. Also for ease of cooking nowadays most supermarkets sell peeled and deveined shrimp so basically the shell and tail is taken off and veins removed too. Some people like to leave the shells and tail on and just remove the veins so it’s all up to taste and preference really.

Fresh or frozen prawns

If you can get hold of fresh prawns then superb. You will get the best of its flavor just like anything you can get fresh. But if you have to use frozen prawns then no need to worry because it will still work. Just remember to defrost them by soaking them in some cold water for just a few minutes and then whether frozen or fresh prawns I always like to marinate them with some turmeric powder and some salt. This helps to get rid of that unwanted fishy smell. Do this step after cleaning the prawns, taking the shell, tail off and deveining.

What makes this quick and easy prawn/chingri curry taste so good

Prawns itself have a unique flavor and you can taste that in almost any dish you make with prawns. Here I’m going for a traditional prawn curry. This is something I had growing up and now like to make for my family today. The ingredients are all simple and basic. I think that’s what makes a curry a real curry. Ingredients include onions, ginger, garlic, salt. The common spices like turmeric, chili, coriander and cumin powder. There’s one ingredient I like to add to give the curry a little flavor and that’s tomatoes. Tomatoes go really well with prawns especially in a curry.

Cooking time for easy prawn/chingri curry

The main process really involves making the curry base. Onions are cooked with the ginger, garlic and oil until soft. Sometimes a little water is added to help soften the onions and then I like to use a potato masher to help break the onions up so they are almost purée like. Then in go the spices. The spices are cooked for a minute or two until some of the oil comes to the surface. Cooking the spices well will always give you a good curry. A little water is also added to stop the spices from burning. Then the rinsed and drained prawns are added in.

Stir and cook the prawns until will combined, for 2-3 minutes. At this point the tomatoes can be added in. The prawns and tomatoes will of course release some water during the cooking process. All the excess water will give the curry a nice medium gravy consistency which will be perfect for this prawn curry. If you want you can even add 1/4 cup of hot water at this point if you prefer a thinner consistency. The prawns don’t require much cooking so another additional 7-8 minutes of cooking on a medium flame will bring the curry together beautifully. To finish off add in some fresh green chilies and fresh chopped cilantro just before taking the curry off the heat.

Delicious Prawn/Chingri Curry

Recipe by Shema Course: MainCuisine: BangladeshiDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Easy Prawn curry, Chingri bhuna

Ingredients

• 1 lb peeled and deveined prawns
  

• To marinate prawns

• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• Just enough cold water to soak the prawns

• Ingredients needed to make prawn curry

• 3 tablespoons of oil
  

• 1 large onion thinly sliced

• 2 cloves of garlic minced
  

• Half inch ginger minced
  

• 1 and a half teaspoons of salt (adjust to preference)

• 1 level teaspoon of turmeric powder
  

• 2 level teaspoons of chili powder
  

• 1 and a half teaspoons of coriander powder

• 1 level teaspoon of cumin powder

• 2 small tomatoes chopped

• Hot water

• 3-4 green chilies

• Handful of chopped fresh cilantro/coriander leaves

Directions

• In a bowl add in the cleaned prawns with the turmeric and salt
• Mix together and fill the bowl up with just enough cold water to cover the prawns. leave to marinate for 5-10 minutes
• Add the oil into a sauce pot or karai with the chopped onions, minced ginger/garlic and salt
• Stir and cook the onions on a medium high flame until the onions turn golden brown
• Add in a 1/4 cup of hot water to help soften the onions, cover the pot and cook for another 2-3 minutes
• Use a potato masher to help break up the onions (optional)
• Add in the spices one by one, turmeric, chili, coriander and cumin powder
• Stir and mix in the spices on a medium flame and cook for 1-2 minutes until some of the oil comes to the surface of the masala base
• If needed add in a tablespoon or two of hot water to avoid the spices from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pot. Turn the flame all the way down to low
• Drain the water from the prawns and rinse with clean water
• Add the prawns to the cooked spices, stir well to combine all the ingredients together
• Cover the pot with a lid and cook on a high flame for 2-3 minutes
• Stir again and then add in the tomatoes
• Cook partially covered on a medium flame for an additional 7-8 minutes, stirring once in between and add in the green chilies and chopped cilantro
• Take the pot off the heat and serve hot with steamed rice or choice of flatbread
• Enjoy!

Notes

• Prawns taste best on the day they are cooked although any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within a day or two.

Check out my recipe for easy prawn biryani!