Goan Prawn Curry

As I've mentioned on the blog before, we have some of (if not THE) best seafood in the world here in the UK and for various reasons most of it is now on our supermarket shelves and in our fishmongers so go out there and get it!

Don't be afraid to cook seafood at home - it's super quick to prepare and totally delicious. This curry known as Hirwa Kolambi Kalwan is a vibrant green coconut prawn curry with chilli, tamarind and curry leaves. As the great Asma Khan taught me, dried curry leave are utterly pointless. Make sure you buy fresh - they're widely available online - and store them in your freezer until needed.

Goan Prawn Curry

Serves 4

12 large shell-on raw prawns 

½ tsp ground turmeric 

1 green bird’s-eye chilli, slit lengthwise 

12 curry leaves 

400ml coconut milk 

1 tsp caster sugar 

3 tbsp tamarind paste 

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the curry paste:

1 small onion, roughly chopped 

1 large bunch coriander, leaves and stems chopped 

5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 

a thumb-sized piece ginger, roughly chopped 

1 green bird’s-eye chilli, chopped

Put the prawns, turmeric and a pinch of salt into a bowl and toss well. Put the paste ingredients and 70ml of water into a blender or food processor and whizz to a smooth paste. 

Heat the oil in a large, lidded, heavy-bottomed pan over a low heat. Add the green chilli and curry leaves, and, as they begin to sizzle, add the paste and fry for 3 minutes. 

Add the prawns, stir well and fry for 1 minute. Add 75ml of water, season and cook for 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk, sugar and tamarind paste. Stir well and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the curry has thickened slightly and the prawns are cooked through. 

Scatter over the coriander and serve with rice, if you like.