Goan Prawn Curry with Coconut is a spicy, sour curry that comes from Goa and is also called Ambot Tik. Just serve this with steamed rice and you have a truly satisfying meal!
This is exactly what a satisfying meal starts with – some Goan prawn curry made with coconut which is going to comfort you and make you feel like you are home and warm and safe.
I’ve already told you how much I love all things coastal and this started with meeting my Mangalorean husband whose family makes the most delicious food. I’ll invite you guys over someday!
Watch how to make Goan Prawn Curry Video
So when I got this recipe from a Goan friend who got it from her grandmother, I was jumping guys! I knew I had to share and make sure you guys try it too. It’s what I make when Bangalore becomes chilly enough to wear a hoodie and you need a bowl of fiery hot curry and some netflix while you snuggle inside a blanket. Because at that point you absolutely need all those things and nothing else will do. And winter is close, remember? Sorry (not sorry) I couldn’t resist throwing in a GoT reference. Are you guys watching the show? Just waiting for Sunday to come every week is pure torture!
Let’s not go down the GoT spiral, though you and me have to have a chat about it one of these days. Now this Goan Prawn Curry is pretty authentic, but I have to tell you that like everything in India, every home has their own way of making things, so I’m sure if you are Goan, your grandma must have her own ways. I really love this version because it tasted like the curry I’ve always had in Goa, sitting by the beach with a beer in hand.
And you’ll be surprised at how simple it is. You just need a few whole spices because like in Mangalore, a Goan Curry or Ambot Tik also starts with whole spices that are freshly ground and then cooked with.
I’ve been using ITC Masterchef’s frozen Prawns everytime I cook with them these days, because I love the fact that I can rely on the quality and don’t have to worry about where they come from or how fresh they are. They are freshly frozen within 15 hours of harvesting, with temperature controls and quality checks throughout the chain to make sure each prawn is fresh, soft and juicy.
We’ve discussed the advantages of using frozen prawns vs. fresh prawns before, and I also have a really handy guide about the safest ways to defrost prawns.
Since prawns defrost pretty quickly (about 15-20 minutes), you can get everything else ready – grind the masala, cook the onion, tomato mixture etc. while the prawns defrost so that you have this prawn curry on the table in about 40 minutes!
While you can use any size of prawns with this recipe, we used deveined and cleaned Jumbo Prawns or Shrimp because we love digging into them. But you can easily use small or medium sized prawns, but I would recommend doubling the quantity for this recipe. You want to make sure that you get a piece of prawn in every bite of this Goan Prawn Curry!
Thank to our friends at ITC Master Chef for sponsoring this post, and making sure we always eat prawns that are super safe.
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Goan Prawn Curry with Coconut (Ambot Tik)
Prep Time: 10 minutes- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 people
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: Goan, Indian
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Goan Prawn Curry with Coconut is a spicy, sour curry that comes from Goa and is also called Ambot Tik. Just serve this with steamed rice and you have a truly satisfying meal!
Ingredients
For the Prawns
- 20 Jumbo Prawns or Shrimp, cleaned and deveined
- Enough water to soak the prawns completely
For the ground Masala
- 8-10 dried Kashmiri Red Chillies
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- 1 teaspoon whole Peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon whole Coriander Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 small knob of Tamarind (1 teaspoon Tamarind Paste)
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 cup grated Coconut
- 1 cup Coconut Milk
For the Curry
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil
- 1 tablespoon finely minced Ginger
- 1/2 cup finely chopped Onions
- 1/2 cup finely chopped Tomatoes
- Salt to taste
- 8-10 Curry Leaves
Instructions
- Start by defrosting prawns. Transfer prawns to a bowl and add enough cold water to soak them properly for 15 minutes. Before using, wash the prawns once or twice in running water and add them to the curry.
- Grind all the ingredients mentioned under ground masala to a smooth paste and set aside.
- In a pan, heat coconut oil and add ginger and onions. Saute the onions till they are a light golden brown and add tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes for 5-7 minutes till they break down easily with the back of a spoon.
- Add the ground masala and salt to the pan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame and simmer the masala for 10-15 minutes till the colour deepens slightly. Add the defrosted (drain the water) prawns to the gravy and cook them for 7-8 minutes. Sprinkle curry leaves on top, mix well and switch off the flame. Let the curry rest for 5 minutes before serving with steamed rice.
Also Read:
Why Frozen Prawns are Better than Fresh
How to Defrost Prawns Safely
More Prawn (Shrimp) Recipes:
Mexican Prawn Avocado Taco Salad
Honey Chilli Garlic Prawn Stir Fry
Absolutely amazing. This certainly woke up our tired western palates. Thanks ever so much for the recipe. One minor addition, I used a teaspoon of Thai fish sauce as a substitute for salt, worked a treat. Cheers.
Thanks Angus! This Goan Prawn Curry is one of our favourites too
This recipe was excellent!
Many thanks for the explicit explanation of the recipe!
Thanks Neena! So glad you liked it!
This is superb and I tried it..it is a super hit with my kids and friends.
Thanks for simplifying cooking for an averager like me😁
Thank you! So glad you liked it!
Hi Richa, the recipe sounds amazing and I’m already drooling. Tell me something, can I increase the quantity of coconut milk instead of using grated coconut? If yes, then how much extra coconut milk would I need?
Hey Gunmeher, you could do that but the flavours will be slightly different. The grated coconut adds a fresh, nutty flavour. If you only want to use coconut milk, increase it by half a cup.
Cooked this last night and served on gnocchi (a bit different but it worked really well as the delicious sauce coated and clung to the gnocchi).
Love your blog, stunning photos and will be trying more recipes.
AB
★★★★★
Thanks Andrew. This goan prawn curry is one of our favourites too!
Fabulous as easy as it is. Thank you for the recipe. You are such a help and you make it all easy for me :-).
★★★★
Thanks Maria 🙂
Hi Richa, I tried this recipe and must say my husband and I absolutely loved it even though our dish looked less like yours.Was wondering would this recipe work even for chicken?
So glad you liked it Purbasha! It should work with chicken, but you’ll have to cook it for longer because chicken takes longer than prawns to cook.
Hey Richa! Looks yumm!!!
Can i use kashmiri red chilli powder in place of whole red chillies? If yes how much can i add 😕
I’ve never tried it with kashmiri red chili powder, but should work. Start with a tablespoon and then add more if you like. It should be a spicy paste.
I am sure it must be absolutely delicious. Will be trying it soon. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thanks!
Hey!
I tried your recipe a couple of days back. It came out amazinnggg!! This was the first time me and my husband cooked prawns at our place, and we fed them to our parents and siblings too who loved it as well!
I love the Goan food flavour and am really happy to come across your blog. Plus I never thought I could make prawns myself and that the dish would be ready so quickly! The only change in my recipe was that I used IFB prawns instead of ITC. Thanks for this amazing recipe which am going to try again very soon!
Yay! So happy you and your family liked this curry. Prawns are seriously one of the easiest things to make and we make them regularly at home
Hey Richa,
Is this Indian or Asian recipe?
Anyway, looks delicious and yummy. As a Prawn lover, I’ll surely try this recipe soon. 🙂
Thanks! This is a coastal Indian recipe, which comes from Goa (a fun town on the western coast). I hope you like it!