This Goan Shrimp Curry is creamy and flavorful. Filled with fragrant spices, this Indian shrimp curry is perfect atop rice and accented with cilantro and lime wedges.
Table of contents
This recipe is super simple to make, and only takes one pan! Just throw in the spices, shrimp, tamarind sauce, crushed tomatoes, and heavy cream.
Serve it up with warm basmati rice or some garlic naan, and you’ve got a restaurant-worthy Indian shrimp curry! It’s so tasty, you may even make you feel like you’re in Goa, India.
You can easily make this recipe dairy-free too, and make a coconut shrimp curry. All you do is switch out the heavy cream for coconut milk.
This Goan shrimp curry recipe is...
- gluten-free
- Indian-inspired
- ready in 20 minutes
- an quick weeknight meal
How to Make Goan Shrimp Curry
- Heat the olive oil in a pan on the stove.
- Add the shrimp and sprinkle it with the curry powder and chili powder.
- Sear the shrimp on one side and flip them over to sear on the other side.
- Once cooked, add the shrimp to a plate and set it aside.
- Add the rest of the oil to the same pan; then add the onion to the pan and cook until it’s softened.
- Add the garlic cloves and cook until it’s fragrant.
- Next, add the tamarind paste, brown sugar, and the rest of the spices (curry powder, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, salt, and pepper).
- Stir and cook.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine.
- Next, stir in the heavy cream and bring the sauce to a low simmer.
- Finally, add in the shrimp and coat them in the curry sauce.
- Remove the curry from the heat and top it with cilantro and lime wedges.
Scroll down for the full recipe with measurements and detailed instructions.
Tips & Tricks
Don’t Have Tamarind Paste?
You can go without the tamarind paste if you can’t find it. It’s often used in Indian cooking, but the curry still tastes great without it.
Top With Lime
Adding lime to the Indian shrimp curry will make it zesty and give it more depth. I like to leave the lime wedges on the side so people can adjust how much lime they want.
Variations
Add a Carb
You can add this shrimp curry atop rice, naan, or noodles.
Naan is an Indian flatbread that goes great with curry!
Use Chicken
If you’re not a fan of shrimp, or you just want to mix it up, you can use chicken instead of shrimp.
Coconut Shrimp Curry
If you want to forego the dairy, you can easily switch out the heavy cream for coconut milk. I suggest using canned coconut milk because it’s thicker in consistency and will be a better replacement for the heavy cream.
Goan Shrimp Curry FAQs
What does Goan curry taste like?
Goan curry is filled with caramelized onions, spices, and tomatoes. It’s a very versatile curry and goes great with shrimp or chicken.
Is Goan curry hot?
Goan cuisine is mild and often uses tamarind, a sweet sauce. You can add chili powder to add an extra kick.
Can I use cooked prawns in a curry?
Yep! You just add them to the curry and let them simmer in the curry sauce. You can use raw or frozen prawns—you just have to cook them.
Can you put frozen prawns straight into curry?
Yes, you can add frozen prawns to curry sauce. Just make sure they cook through. You should also be aware that using frozen prawns will also add more liquid to your curry, so make sure you account for that.
Goan Shrimp Curry—Indian Coconut Curry Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Pound shrimp peeled and cleaned
- 1 Tsp curry powder
- Pinch of chili powder
For the sauce:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp tamarind paste
- 1 Tsp curry powder
- 1 Tsp coriander
- ½ Tsp turmeric
- ¼ Tsp chili powder
- 1 Tsp brown sugar
- Pinch of cinnamon
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 ½ Cups crushed tomatoes
- ¾ Cup heavy cream or coconut cream
For serving
- rice cooked, optional
- lime wedges
- cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and sprinkle with the curry powder and chili powder. Sear the shrimp for about 1 minute per side. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.
- Add the rest of the oil to the same pan, and cook the onion until softened, around 5 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and cook for 1 more minute, or until fragrant.
- Add the tamarind paste and all of the spices, stir, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Cook the sauce over medium-high heat for about five minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
- Stir in the heavy cream and bring the sauce to a low simmer.
- Add the shrimp and toss to coat with the sauce.
- Remove from heat and serve topped with cilantro and lime wedges.
Notes
- Serve it with rice, noodles, or naan bread.
- You can use the same sauce with chicken instead of shrimp for an Indian-inspired chicken curry.
- You can omit the tamarind paste if you can’t find it. It’s a great ingredient that is used often in Indian cooking, but the curry is still very tasty without it.
- Serve it with lime wedges to make it zesty and give it more depth.
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