Quick prawn curry

Not all fast meals require speedy convenience products like curry powders or pastes, and this quick prawn curry demonstrates how to get the most out of your unused pantry spice collection for a rich curry sauce made in minutes. If you can find them, fresh pandan leaves add a unique, earthy undertone to complement the spices in the creamy sauce.

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Speedy & Spiced

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ tsp yellow mustard seeds
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• 2 cardamom pods
• 5 cloves
• ½ stalk pandan (optional)
• 10 curry leaves
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 cm x 3 cm piece ginger, peeled, thinly julienned
• 1 large green chilli, sliced
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 2 cups (500 ml) water
• 200 ml coconut cream
• 600 g raw prawns (tail-on)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Steamed rice, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the mustard and fennel seeds, cardamom and cloves and cook, stirring for 30 seconds, until the seeds begin to crackle. Use kitchen scissors to snip the pandan (if using) into 2 cm lengths directly into the pan, then add the curry leaves, onion, garlic, ginger and chilli. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
   
2. Stir through the ground spices, salt and sugar. Add 2 cups of water with the coconut cream, stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes, or until reduced, then stir through the prawns. Allow to simmer for 3 minutes, or until the prawns are just cooked. Stir through the lemon juice and serve the quick prawn curry with cooked rice.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Speedy & Spiced

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G