Goan Prawn Curry with Coconut is a spicy, sour curry that comes from Goa and is also called Ambot Tik. Ready in under 30 minutes, 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!
So when I got this recipe from a Goan friend who got it from her grandmother, I was jumping guys!
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.
Ingredients for Prawn Curry
Here are the main ingredients you'll need for this ground masala
Spices: Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, turmeric are all the spices you need for the ground masala for flavour and fragrance
Souring Agent: I use tamarind which is most easily available. Sub with 1 teaspoon tamarind paste. Kokum is another great alternative that's most popular in Goan cuisine - use 2 pieces of kokum instead of tamarind
Coconut: Both freshly grated coconut as well as coconut milk. This is not traditional in some recipes of Ambot Tik but it's how the recipe was given to me, and I also love the body that it creates for the gravy
Garlic because every good gravy needs garlic and I truly believe that ๐
Chillies: Kashmiri Red Chillies for that distinct orange colour and a mild heat
All of this is ground to paste in a blender till its really smooth.
Once this ground paste is ready, you'll need a few more ingredients:
Coconut Oil because most coastal recipes are incomplete without it, and it adds a distinct flavour that elevates the curry. You can use any other neutral flavoured oil to replace it. Stay away from olive oil for this though! A good substitute is ghee.
Curry Leaves are essential as a herb. If you don't have access to fresh, try to source dried curry leaves and double the amount
Prawns: 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 if that's what you have. This recipe also works really well with Fish if you are in the mood for some Goan Fish Curry.
Frozen vs Fresh Prawns
When working with seafood, if you don't live on the coast, it's always better to use frozen prawns vs. fresh prawns because that's fresher than fresh. While using frozen prawns, check out my tips to defrost prawns safely - these work for any kind of seafood.
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 30 minutes!
Step by Step Recipe
1 Add all the ingredients for the ground masala into a blender. You can add a little water if required but the coconut milk takes care of the liquid component
2. Grind to a smooth paste. You'll see the paste changing colour and turning to a deep orange
1. To make the gravy, start by sauteing ginger and onions in coconut oil till the onions turn translucent
2. Add the tomatoes and salt and cook them till tomatoes become soft and pulpy
3. Pour the ground curry paste along with about a cup of water. You can add the water to the grinder and swirl it to get any remnants of the curry paste
4. Bring it to a quick boil and then cover and simmer for 10 minutes till you see oil floating to the top
5. Once the gravy has boiled well, add the deveined and cleaned prawns
6. Add curry leaves at this stage to keep their aroma fresh
7. Mix and bring the curry to a quick boil
8. Only 5-7 minutes of simmering and the prawn curry is ready to serve!
Top Tips to make this curry amazing!
- Make sure to grind the paste till its smooth. Use a high powered blender and add a little more water if you need. If it's gritty it won't taste great
- Use freshly grated coconut. If you don't have access to it, look 'freshly grated frozen coconut'. Fresh is different from dessicated coconut and they cant be substituted
- Make sure to simmer the curry base for at least 10 minutes or it'll taste raw
- Prawns cook really quickly. 7-8 minutes for jumbo prawns is enough, 4-5 minutes for medium prawns and just 2-3 minutes for small prawns
More Seafood Recipes
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Goan Prawn Curry with Coconut (Ambot Tik)
Ingredients
For the Prawns
- 20 Jumbo Prawns or Shrimp approx 250 grams, cleaned and deveined, refer to Note 1
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 sub with 1 teaspoon Tamarind Paste
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ยฝ cup freshly grated Coconut
- 1 cup Coconut Milk
For the Curry
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil
- 1 tablespoon finely minced Ginger
- ยฝ cup finely chopped Onions
- ยฝ cup finely chopped Tomatoes
- ยพ teaspoon Salt
- 8-10 Curry Leaves
Instructions
- Grind all the ingredients mentioned under ground masala with coconut milk 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 color deepens slightly.
- Add the defrosted (drain the water) prawns to the gravy and cook them for 7-8 minutes (cooking times will change based on the size of prawns used - refer to notes below). Sprinkle curry leaves on top, mix well and switch off the flame. Let the curry rest for 5 minutes before serving with steamed rice.
Video
Notes
- Wash, clean and devein the prawns before using. Do not skip this step as it is imperative to ensure food safety when consuming seafood.ย
- If available, use freshly grated coconut and fresh or homemade coconut milk. If you are buying frozen, look for 'freshly grated frozen coconut'. Its different from dessicated coconut which will change the flavour completely
- Be sure to cook the ground masala until all the raw smell goes, at least 10 minutes
- Make sure to only add defrosted prawns. Adding frozen prawns will leave out water in the pan making the curry diluted.ย
- Don't overcook the prawns. Cook jumbo prawns for 7-8 minutes, medium prawns for 4-5 minutes and small prawns for only 2-3 minutes.ย
Zay says
Hey,
I could not find any Kashmiri chillies and I was wondering what do you recommend instead?
Thanks
Deva Prasaad Neelakandan says
I made the paste and froze it in the deep freezer. I've used it with Aloo, Chicken and Prawns as well! The taste of coconut milk changes the curry completely! I added Kokum in place of tamarind.
Richa says
Wow!! Thats so creative. Thanks for sharing this with us Deva.
Carolyn says
Excited about trying this recipe tonight. I'm wondering if I double the recipe, should I also double the chilis?
Richa says
Hey Carolyn, it really depends on how hot you like your food. Doubling it will work, or you could just use 1.5 times the chillies.
Donella Coutinho says
Hi, this looks so good. Please try my version of goan prawn curry as well that is a staple at home.
Isha Prabhakar says
I cooked this and I want to tell you, it was super duper delicious.
I never liked prawns before. no one could do justice to the recepie .
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Richa says
Yaaaay so happy you loved it Isha!
Melissa says
Made this on a winter's night in France and it just hit the spot. Love the beautiful flavours. Absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing
Richa says
Ooooh this seriously warms you up. Glad you loved it Melissa
Rhiannon says
This is such delicious meal! Extremely straight-forward and easy recipe. Thank you!
Richa says
Thanks Rhiannon!
Vanita says
Excellent recipe, I reduced a little spice though so that my kids could eat. Came out very well. Where did you buy the iron kadai?
Richa says
Thanks Vanita. I bought the kadhai from a local store
Donella Coutinho says
Have tried this recipe out and it turned out amazing!
Richa says
Thanks Donella!
Karen says
I've been making Goan prawn curry since I came to Goa 18 years ago; following a recipe given to me by the Head Chef of a 5 star hotel here. I've always had positive feedback but fancied a change and came across your recipe. My teenage son polished off two helpings and said it was my best ever! He said he could taste the 'love'. :D. He also said it was better than his Goan grandmother's ..... (ssshhhhh...). I'm trying it out at my potluck Book Club tonight so let's see what true Goans think....... ๐
PS. I've never had curry leaves on any Goan prawn curries I've had here so was a little too scared to add them. It tasted good enough without but I'm intrigued. Maybe next time. Thanks for sharing the recipe x
Richa says
OMG! That's a huge compliment. So glad you guys liked my version Karen!
Snehal Agashe says
Hey Richa,
I have always been sceptical about cooking fish/prawn, as I either tend to overcook or undercook them.
And my husband and me absolutely love seafood, hence we always end up either ordering it or having it at a restaurant.
I read your recipe last night and I couldn't resist trying it out today for dinner. I followed your recipe to the T and what an amazing outcome - perfect tang, spice and authentic Goan flavour, not to mention the prawns were cooked perfectly (your cooking timings mentioned in the recipe were so helpful).
Richa says
Wohoooo! I'm glad this worked out perfectly for you, and I hope you'll cook seafood at home more often
Angus Small says
I made this for my wife a couple of months ago, and I am making it again today. Absolutely superb, can't recommend it highly enough. Thanks
Richa says
Thanks Angus! So glad you and your wife liked it. Its a regional prawn curry and I'm so happy to share these flavours with you!
Kylie A says
Added some extra chilli, mustard seeds, and fresh coriander to serve. Absolutely delicious, from a family of curry lovers!
Richa says
We are curry lovers here too! So glad you liked it Kylie
sarah adams says
Hello thank you for this lovely recipe I am interested in making however what can I substitute grated coconut for as I won't be able to get fresh grated coconut will desiccated coconut work well too, or store bought grated coconut?
Also will frozen grated coconut change the taste?
Richa says
Hey Sarah, dessicated coconut is usually dried coconut and I won't recommend it. But store grated coconut which has been frozen fresh works perfectly. I hope you try this recipe!
Luke says
Hi there,
Thanks for the recipe, but it was a complete disaster.
We were left we a paste, no gravy anywhere in sight.
What comes out of your blender is nowhere near what we got. Different colour, and zero fluid.
We followed your recipe precisely.
But are confused as to where he fluid for the gravy comes from?
Richa says
Hey Luke, the liquid comes from the coconut milk. Also, as the prawns cook they leave out a little liquid too. This is not a super thin gravy overall. But if yours was too thick for your liking, you can always add a splash of water to thin it out. Also, the colour could be different because of the chillies you are using. Were you able to get your hands on Kashmiri chillies? They basically have mostly colour and very little heat.
Kashmira Brid says
Hi Richa,
I tried this recipe when I invited my friends over for lunch. It was a hit and also such a delicate balance of flavours. Keeper recipe.
Richa says
Thanks for your feedback Kashmira! So glad you liked it