Easy Prawn Curry in 30 Minutes

Juicy prawns simmered in a warmly spiced tomato and coconut sauce that comes together in one pan. It's fast enough for a busy weeknight yet good enough for guests, with plenty of sauce for scooping up with rice or naan.

This is the prawn curry to reach for when you want something comforting without a long shopping list or a sink full of pans. Everything happens in one pan: a quick spiced onion base, a creamy tomato and coconut sauce, then the prawns dropped in at the end so they stay plump and tender. It’s ready in about half an hour.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion — finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic — crushed
• 20 g fresh ginger — grated
• 1 green chilli — finely chopped, optional
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 0.5 tsp chilli powder — to taste
• 400 g chopped tomatoes — 1 tin
• 150 ml coconut milk
• 500 g raw king prawns — peeled and deveined
• 1 tsp salt — or to taste
• 1 small handful fresh coriander — chopped, to finish

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 6-8 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and lightly golden.
2. Stir in the garlic, ginger and green chilli (if using) and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, taking care not to let the garlic catch.
3. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli powder. Stir for about 30 seconds to toast the spices, then splash in a little water if the pan looks dry.
4. Tip in the chopped tomatoes and season with the salt. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the tomatoes have broken down.
5. Pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and let it bubble for 2 minutes so the flavours come together.
6. Add the prawns and stir through the sauce. Simmer for 4-6 minutes, turning them once, until they are pink, opaque and cooked through with no grey or translucent flesh remaining.
7. Taste and adjust the salt and chilli. Scatter over the fresh coriander and serve piping hot.

Serve it with

• Fluffy basmati rice
• Warm naan or chapatis
• A cooling cucumber raita
• Lemon or lime wedges
• A crisp kachumber salad

Why this works

Cooking the spices in the hot onion base wakes up their flavour, while adding the quick-cooking prawns right at the end keeps them tender rather than rubbery.

Common swaps

• Use frozen raw prawns, fully thawed and patted dry, in place of fresh.
• Swap coconut milk for double cream or a splash of natural yoghurt for a richer, less coconutty sauce.
• No fresh chilli? A pinch more chilli powder does the job.
• Stir in a handful of spinach with the tomatoes for extra greens.
• Cooked prawns work too; add them at the very end just to heat through.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Overcooking the prawns, which turns them tough and rubbery; pull them off the heat as soon as they turn opaque.
• Burning the garlic and spices on too high a heat, which makes the sauce bitter.
• Not cooking the tomato sauce long enough, leaving it thin and raw-tasting.
• Adding wet, un-drained frozen prawns, which waters down the sauce.

Storage, freezing & reheating

Storage: Cool leftovers quickly and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Freezing: Freezes well for up to 1 month; freeze once cooled and thaw fully in the fridge before reheating. Best with prawns that haven't been previously frozen.

Reheating: Reheat gently in a pan over a low-medium heat until piping hot throughout, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.

Allergen notes: contains Crustaceans. Always check individual product labels.

Estimated nutrition

Per serving, estimated from typical ingredient values — not a substitute for precise dietary calculation.