Prawns fry or India shrimp fry is a simple yet flavorful Indian seafood side dish made with Indian spices and herbs. Here the prawns are marinated with Indian masala and spices and then dry roasted in oil. The recipe I have shared shows you the perfect prawns stir fry with detailed step-by-step instructions with a video. This prawn fry is a quick and easy dish and an absolute treat for seafood lovers and tastes great with rice dishes, or as a simple starter for most non-veg meals for lunch and dinner.
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What is Prawns Fry?
Prawns fry is a classical Indian seafood dish made with minimal ingredients like Indian spices, and herbs. In this dish, the prawns are marinated with basic spice powder and dry roasted in a generous amount of oil. This recipe is an ultimate simple dish that can be prepared in under 30 minutes and tastes great with white rice or as a starter for non-veg meals.
Prawns stir fry is not only easy to make but also has a lot of health benefits. They are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, less in calories, and tastes absolutely delicious when made right. And this recipe is one of our family favorites and typically vanishes immediately once it is served on the table.
Here in this post, I have used the terms prawns and shrimp since both of them deliver the same taste and flavor to this dish. And I have made this same dish with prawn and shrimp and I haven't noticed the difference in the taste and flavor. So feel free to use what you have in your hands.
Ingredients
The ingredients that you will need for this dish are really basic and minimal. They can be easily available in Indian stores around.
- Prawns - I have used medium size black tiger shrimp here for the fry and you could also use other varieties from small to jumbo size ones. The black tiger prawns also work great for this dish
- Chili Powder - I have used regular chili powder and you can also use Kashmiri chili powder for a bright red color
- Garam Masala Powder - It is a blend of Whole indian spices that gives a nice flavor, aroma, and heat to the dish
- Coriander Powder and Turmeric Powder - Helps in achieving great taste and flavor
- Ginger-Garlic Paste - Helps to remove the raw smell from the seafood and renders a great taste
- Curry Leaves - Garnishing with a lot of curry leaves at the end gives an exotic flavor to this dish. And you will find this herb only in Indian grocery stores
How to make Prawns Fry?
To make this fry, first, take cleaned and de-veined prawns or shrimp. As I said earlier I have used shrimp for this dish.
Now add salt, ginger-garlic paste, chili, turmeric, coriander, and garam masala powder to it. Now mix everything well until all the spices coat well on the shrimp.
Let the marinated shrimp rest for at least 15 minutes. This helps the shrimp to absorb all the flavors from the spices.
After 15 minutes, Pour oil into the pan and add finely chopped onions. Saute the onions until it turns soft.
Now add the marinated shrimp and give a good mix. We have to stir often to make sure the prawns or shrimp get roasted nicely.
After 3 to 5 minutes the shrimp starts to leave the water. And continue to stir them and you will notice they start to swirl, which means they are cooked nicely. Since we need a nice roasted fry, I recommend you stir them until all the masala coats on the shrimp.
Finally, garnish with a lot of curry leaves and give a quick mix. This helps the shrimp fry to achieve a great flavor and taste. Now switch off the stove and it is ready for you to taste and enjoy.
Tips
Cleaning
- Even though the prawns are great on flavor and taste, they may ruin your dish if they are not cleaned properly. It is always important to clean the black, green color vein to avoid a strong foul fragrance from them
- If the prawns or shrimp you bought has shells and heads on them, then remove them first to clean the vein
- You can also use precleaned prawn or shrimp to make your life easy
- I have used frozen shrimp which is already cleaned and you can also use fresh ones if they are easily available to you
- If you are using frozen shrimps or prawns like me, then I suggest thawing them or allow them to reach room temperature before adding them to your recipe
Other tips
- Marinating the prawns for at least 15 minutes helps to achieve great taste and flavor. You can also marinate them overnight if you are not on a time crunch
- Adding ginger garlic paste helps to remove the raw smell from the shrimps and I suggest not skipping them
- Roasting the marinated shrimp for long gives nice spice coated pieces that make you ask for more
- I have used canola oil for roasting the shrimp but youc an also use coconut oil for a unique flavor and taste
- You can also deep fry the prawns but I haven't coated the marinated prawns with flours in the recipe shared here. So if you want to deep fry, then try to add 2 tsp of corn flour, 1 tsp rice flour while marinating them
- Finally adding curry leaves gives a unique aroma and taste to your prawns' fry
Serving Suggestions
This prawns fry tastes great on its own as a starter or you can also serve it with white rice along with some veg curries. You could also make a combo platter with other non-veg sides as well.
Storage Suggestions
This dish tastes best when served warm and the leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for a day. Make sure to reheat them before enjoying them.
You could also find more prawns and Seafood Recipes below.
More Shrimp Recipes
If you are looking for more seafood recipes from fish to prawn and from side dishes to main dishes, you can take a look at this collection of Indian Seafood Recipes from this blog in one place. Take a peek!
Prawns Fry Recipe video
I have shared a detailed video of this prawns fry recipe below and I hope it will help you to make a delicious seafood dish at home. For a quick reference, you could also find this recipe in story format.
📖 Recipe
Prawns Fry (Indian Shrimp Fry)
Ingredients
- 2 lb Prawn, cleaned and deveined
- 2 Onions, chopped
- 2 sprig Curry Leaves
- 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 2 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- Salt, as needed
- ½ cup Oil
Instructions
To make Prawns Fry
- In a bowl, add the cleaned prawns or shrimp and add salt, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, chili, coriander, and garam masala powder
- Mix everything well and rest it for about 15 minutes
- Now in pan with medium heat, pour oil and add onions. Saute the onions until it turns soft
- Now add the marinated prawns and give a good mix
- Allow the prawns to cook until it leaves water and swirls up
- Now switch the heat to high and roast the prawns until all the masala coat thoroughly on them
- Finally, add a lot of curry leaves and give a quick stir. And now it is ready for you to taste and enjoy
To Serve
- Serve this delicious prawn fry as a starter or side dish for rice
Video
Notes
- Marinating the prawns for at least 15 minutes helps to achieve great taste and flavor. You can also marinate them overnight if you are not on a time crunch
- Adding ginger garlic paste helps to remove the raw smell from the shrimps and I suggest not skipping them to enjoy the unique taste and flavor
- Roasting the marinated shrimp for the last few minutes helps the masala to coat thoroughly on them
- I have used canola oil for roasting the shrimp but you can also use coconut oil for a unique flavor and taste
- Finally adding curry leaves gives a unique aroma and taste to your prawns' fry and I suggest not skipping it to achieve great flavor and taste
Nutrition
FAQ
Prawns fry is a simple and flavor-filled Indian seafood side dish. It is prepared with fresh prawns or shrimp along with basic Indian spices and herbs. It is typically served as a starter or side dish for rice for lunch or dinner.
To clean the prawns or shrimp, first, the head and shell should be removed, and then make a slit at the curved part of it to remove the black or green vein. You could also buy precleaned shrimps from the stores to ease your work.
Yes, you can deep fry the prawns but I haven't coated the marinated prawns with flours in the recipe shared here. So if you want to deep fry, then try to add 2 tsp of cornflour, 1 tsp rice flour while marinating them.
No, the recipe shared here needs a generous amount of oil to make the fry which is considered not good for health for regular intake. But, you can always feel free to reduce the oil quantity to enjoy the dish. On other hand, prawns are a good source of omega 3 fatty acid which is good for health.
I really hope you enjoyed the recipe that I have shared here and I would love to hear from you on how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Cooking!
Suji
Hi! Tried your prawn recipe and it was a hit!! Thank you.
Sangeetha Vel
Hi Suji,
I am happy to hear that it turned out great for you 🙂 . Thank you for your feedback!