Yellow Chili's

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Foods
  • Drinks
  • Collections
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Foods
    • Drinks
    • Collections
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Shrimp » Prawn Masala

    Prawn Masala Gravy Recipe (Prawn Thokku)

    Published: September 16, 2020 by Sangeetha Vel | Updated: April 12, 2024 Leave a Comment

    26Facebook186PinterestRedditWhatsAppEmail
    212
    SHARES
    Jump to Recipe

    This is one of my favorite recipes from my South Indian home—Prawn Masala, also known as Prawn Thokku or Erak Thokku in Tamil. This version is a spicy semi-gravy dish, bursting with flavors that reflect the diverse culinary styles of the region.

    Final output of spicy prawn gravy or thokkuPin

    Each area adds its unique twist to the spice levels and ingredients, making it a versatile and mouthwatering dish. Prawn Masala is juicy, tasty, and absolutely scrumptious, perfect as a side with rice, roti, idly, and dosa. It’s a fantastic choice for both lunch and dinner.

    Explore More Delectable Indian Seafood Dishes:

    • Prawn Vindaloo
    • Prawns Fry
    • Fish fry
    • Fish curry
    • Chepala Pulusu
    • Shrimp Biryani
    • Meen Pollichathu
    • Fish Tandoori
    Pin

    Prawn Masala (Eral Thokku)

    Prawn Masala, or thokku, is a finger-licking South Indian seafood dish that's both simple and delicious. With just a few ingredients, this juicy and flavorful gravy can be enjoyed with rice, chapati, roti, idly, and dosa. It's a versatile dish perfect for any meal.
    5 from 2 votes
    Author: Sangeetha Vel
    Save This Recipe! print (text-only) pin
    Watch Video
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: South Indian
    Prep: 10 minutes mins
    Cook: 25 minutes mins
    Adjust 4 servings

    Ingredients
     
     

    Main Ingredients

    • 1.7 lb Prawns
    • 1 cup Pearl Onion, diced
    • 4 Tomato, medium size, chopped
    • 12 pods Garlic
    • ½ tsp Mustard seeds
    • ¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds
    • 1 tsp Urad dhal
    • ¾ tsp Chili powder
    • 1 tsp Coriander powder
    • ½ tsp Turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp Salt, adjust as needed
    • ¼ cup Oil
    • 1 sprig Curry leaves, to garnish

    For Marination

    • ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp Chili powder
    • 1 tsp Coriander powder
    • 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
    • ½ tsp Salt
    More on Unit Conversions »
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    Marinating Prawns

    • In a bowl, combine the cleaned and deveined prawns with the ingredients listed in the marination section above. Make sure each prawn is well coated with the marinade for maximum flavor.
      adding prawn and ingredients in a bowl
    • Allow the prawns to marinate for at least 15 minutes so they can soak up all the delicious spices.
      marinated prawn

    Preparing Prawn Masala

    • Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and urad dhal. Wait for them to start spluttering—this is key as it releases their flavors into the oil.
      adding oil and ingredients in a hot pan
    • Add the onions and garlic to the pan. Sauté them until they turn soft and translucent, which will bring out their sweetness.
      adding onion, garlic and sauteing
    • Stir in the chili powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder. Mixing these spices well helps to release their vibrant colors and aromatic flavors.
      adding masala and mixing
    • Toss in the sliced tomatoes. Cook them until they break down and the mixture becomes mushy, creating a rich base for your gravy.
      adding potato
    • Add the marinated prawns to the pan. Stir thoroughly to ensure the prawns are well incorporated with the spice-tomato base.
      adding prawn and combining
    • Cover the pan and let the prawns cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. The steam trapped inside will help cook the prawns evenly and infuse them with the gravy’s flavors.
      closing pan and cooking
    • Open the lid, reduce the heat to low, and continue to simmer the gravy. Let it cook for an additional 10 minutes or until you see oil beginning to separate from the sides of the gravy. This is a sign that your masala is perfectly cooked.
      curry leaves oil
    • Turn off the heat. Garnish the prawn masala with fresh curry leaves for a burst of flavor and a touch of color. Now your flavor-packed Prawn Masala is ready to enjoy!
      garnishing with curry leaves

    Serving

    • Enjoy the warm, spicy Prawn Masala as a delicious side dish alongside rice, dosa, idly, or chapati for a truly comforting meal.

    Save This Recipe!

    We'll email you the post link so you can come back later!

    Save This Recipe!

    We'll email you the post link so you can come back later!

    Recipe Video

    Nutrition Info

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 310mg | Sodium: 1126mg | Potassium: 943mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1305IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 2mg

    Disclaimer

    We're not nutrition experts, and the nutritional information provided is an estimate. Please use it as a guide. For precise details, it's best to consult a professional. To learn more, please view our Detailed Disclaimers.

    Tried this recipe?Please consider Leaving a Review!

    Looking for more Shrimp Recipes? Take a look:

    • Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
    • Szechuan Shrimp
    • Fried Shrimp

    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Review Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate the Recipe!




    Hey, Nice to see you!

    Sangeetha Vel Yellow Chili's

    Hi, I'm Sangeetha Vel! the author, recipe researcher, creator, and cooking hands behind Yellow Chili's. A realistic, friendly, empathetic, and enthusiastic foodie who loves to share authentic, easy, quick, healthy, instant, and kids-approved recipes.

    More about me →

    Stay Connected

    Facebook Instagram Pinterest YouTube X

    Featured Recipes

    • Homemade pumpkin soup served in a green patterned bowl on a gray table. A wooden spoon, and a blue towel are neatly arranged around the bowl.
      Pumpkin Soup Recipe
    • Three slices of pumpkin bread on an oval white plate on a white table.
      Pumpkin Bread Recipe
    • Homemade creamed corn in a white bowl on a white table with a blue towel nearby.
      Creamed Corn Recipe
    • Homemade gravy in a white and brown patterned bowl on a white table, with a towel and a golden spoon placed nearby.
      Homemade Gravy Recipe
    • A white dish filled with warm spinach artichoke dip sits on a white table, with a blue towel nearby.
      Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe
    • Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts in a baking tray.
      Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe
    • Roasted vegetables in a baking tray with rice in a plate alongside
      Oven Roasted Vegetables Recipe
    • Green salad in a white bowl on a white table, surrounded by a blue towel.
      Green Salad Recipe with Lemon Vinaigrette

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Stay Connected

    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe

    Copyright © 2025 Yellow Chili's By Yellow Bag LLC

    It looks like you have an ad blocker enabled. Creating this content requires significant effort and resources. Please disable your ad blocker to support our site so we can stay online and continue sharing content for free.

    Disable AdBlocker on Yellow Chili's

    Steps to Disable AdBlocker on Yellow Chili's

    AdBlocker Guide
    1. Find your Ad Blocker Extension Icon (e.g., Adblock Plus, uBlock Origin, AdGuard, Ghostery etc.) near the browser's address bar like above.
    2. If you don't see it, click the puzzle icon (🧩) to reveal hidden extension icons.
    3. Click the ad blocker icon and look for options such as "Pause on this Site" or "Whitelist this Site". Choose the appropriate option to allow ads on this site.
    4. If your ad blocker has a Toggle Switch or Power Button, disable it to allow ads on this site.
    5. Refresh the page to apply the changes.

    Rate This Recipe!

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.