Prawn Masala
Juicy prawns tossed in a thick, spicy onion-tomato masala with ginger, garlic and coastal spices. Quick enough for a weeknight, special enough for guests.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Season the prawns
In a bowl, toss the prawns with the turmeric, half of the chili powder and half of the salt until evenly coated. Set aside while you make the sauce.
- 500g prawns
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp salt
✅ Done when: prawns are evenly coated with the spice mix
Make the sauce
Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and wait about 30 seconds until they start popping, then add the and onions and cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes until golden. Stir in the for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, remaining chili powder, ground coriander and remaining salt, and cook over medium heat for 7–8 minutes, stirring now and then.
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 10
- 2 onions
- 1 tbsp
- 3 tomatoes
- 1½ tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp salt
✅ Done when: sauce is thick, soft, and the oil starts to separate at the edges
Cook the prawns
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Finish
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Season the prawns
In a bowl, toss the prawns with the turmeric, half of the chili powder and half of the salt until evenly coated. Set aside while you make the sauce.
- 500g prawns
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp salt
✅ Done when: prawns are evenly coated with the spice mix
Make the sauce
Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and wait about 30 seconds until they start popping, then add the and onions and cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes until golden. Stir in the for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, remaining chili powder, ground coriander and remaining salt, and cook over medium heat for 7–8 minutes, stirring now and then.
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 10
- 2 onions
- 1 tbsp
- 3 tomatoes
- 1½ tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp salt
✅ Done when: sauce is thick, soft, and the oil starts to separate at the edges
Cook the prawns
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Finish
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Prawns are abundant all along India's 7,500km coastline, and every coastal community cooks them its own way — with coconut in Kerala and Goa, with kokum in Konkan, with mustard in Bengal.
This dry-ish masala style, thick with onion and tomato, is popular in restaurants across India.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Ready in under 40 minutes and full of bold flavour, prawn masala is seafood made easy.
💡 Fun Fact
Prawns take just minutes to cook — Indian cooks add them at the very end so they stay tender in a long-cooked masala.
India's west and south coasts
18.97°N, 72.83°E
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