Authentic Sri Lankan Prawn Curry (Shrimp Curry)

Step 1

Clean the shrimp / prawns by removing the heads and setting them aside. Peel the shell, leaving the tails intact and devein the shrimp (remove the intestinal tract). For a detailed video on cleaning shrimp, please visit this post.

Step 2

Rinse the shrimp and shrimp heads separately.

Step 3

Sprinkle the salt and curry powder over the shrimp and mix well and set aside to marinate while you cook the curry base.

Step 4

Heat a saucepan or pan over medium high heat, and add the coconut oil. Once it's hot, add the shrimp heads to the pan (it will sizzle and splatter, so be careful). Cook the shrimp heads for about 5 -10 minutes until the heads become crispy and slightly caramelized in spots. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, a generous pinch of salt and reduce the heat to medium and cook the shrimp heads until they soften - a few minutes.

Step 5

Add the curry powder, fennel powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, curry leaves (rampe leaves) and saute, while mixing frequently for about 5 minutes, until the spices are fragrant and have formed a paste with the onion, garlic and ginger.

Step 6

Add the coconut milk,⅓ cup water, fresh red chili pepper, sugar and lemon or lime juice and stir to combine. Bring the mix to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes until the mixture is thick and dark red in color.

Step 7

Add the peeled shrimp into the gravy base and gently mix to combine and completely coat the shrimp with the gravy/sauce. Add the ¼ cup of water if the gravy is too thick, or you would like more gravy. While gently stirring, bring the mix to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes further, or just until the shrimp is cooked through and is nice and pink. Taste and season with salt if needed.

Step 8

Turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid and let the shrimp sit in the gravy for a few minutes.

Step 9

Sprinkle chopped cilantro (optional) on top, and serve with rice or roti. Enjoy!