Prawn curry is considered to be a dish of the Indian Subcontinent, that is cooked with de-veined prawns and spices in a thick gravy. The coastal areas of the region make use of these crustaceans while preparing curries which are usually hot and spicy. There are numerous recipes for preparing the curry with most of them utilizing coconut milk to produce a creamy consistency. The countries of far East including Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar and Indonesia have their own version of the curries as well. It has also been popularized in the western world, courtesy the Indian immigrants and is considered to be a popular seafood dish.
De-veining the prawns is considered to be an integral part of preparing the curry which can include both the shelled as well as the unshelled prawns. The crustaceans are extremely tender making it important to add them after the spices in the gravy has been cooked to perfection. The authentic Indian recipes coat the prawns with turmeric and salt before sautéing or adding them to the gravy while the South East Asian dishes add the raw seafood directly to the bubbling curry pot.
Tomatoes are often added along with the Kashmiri chilies to the dish which impart a rich red color. The aromatic spiced powder made with the traditional garam masala is yet another ingredient that is used for flavor.
Prawn Curry Recipes Overview
The traditional India curry requires the onions and spices to be fried properly along with the ginger-garlic paste. Chopped tomatoes are added to the pan and mixed well before adding a cup of water to the ingredients. The prawns are often kept apart after being sautéed with turmeric and salt and are added to the curry as it begins to boil. The cooking time does not exceed ten minutes normally and the curry is considered to be done once the prawns become pink and opaque.
The prawns curry dish is usually served with the long grained basmati rice or the Indian Pulao, a form of rice based dish.
Popular Variations Prawn Curry Recipes
The most popular variations of the prawn curry are:-
· Sambal Udang- A typical Malaysian dish prepared with king prawns cooked with curry paste and red chili sambal along with macadamia nuts. The dish is seasoned with brown sugar and tamarind paste which gives it a unique sweet and sour taste.
· Burmese Prawn Curry- This is a traditional food of Myanmar where the prawns are cooked with Madras curry powder and fish sauce along with sambal oelek.
· Malabar Chemmeen Curry- A traditional dish cooked in the Malabar region of India, it is prepared with curry leaves, chilies and grated coconuts along with mangoes and sambar onions.
Serving Suggestions for Prawn Curry
The curry is usually served with the long grained aromatic basmati rice in India and the jasmine rice in Thailand. The people of Myanmar prefer consuming the prawn curry with coconut rice and a vegetable side dish whereas the Chinese accompaniments include steamed rice and rice noodles.
Trivia
The rockstar cookbook, "LoveMusicLoveFood", lists prawn curry as one of the preferred foods of the Welsh musicians.