Coconut shrimp curry is packed with a perfect blend of warm aromatic spices, succulent shrimp in rich coconut curry sauce. The creaminess of the coconut milk perfectly balances the heat from the spices, making it a flavourful yet comforting dish. There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of rice with hearty, filling curry.
Jump to:
Why you’ll love this coconut curry shrimp
- Ready in under 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights.
- Rich, creamy, and packed with bold flavors.
- Easy and quick one-pot curry.
- Versatile and easy to customize.
Ingredients
- Shrimp – Use large shrimp. Fresh shrimp are best; if fresh shrimp aren’t available, you can use frozen shrimp. Thaw completely and use. Get peeled, deveined shrimp to reduce your prep time.
- Coconut Oil – it adds tropical coconut flavor to the curry. If coconut oil isn’t available, use canola oil.
- Onion, Garlic, Ginger – the aromatic trio that builds the foundation for a flavorful curry sauce base.
- Serrano Pepper (optional) – Though optional, I highly recommend you don’t skip peppers. If you can’t handle the heat from the serrano pepper, substitute with jalapenos, remove and discard seeds to reduce the heat.
- Spices – to marinade shrimp, use salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Spices for the curry are turmeric powder, ground coriander, curry powder, salt, and pepper.
- Diced or crushed tomatoes – use canned diced or crushed tomatoes. No canned tomatoes? Use ripe Roma tomatoes, diced.
- Coconut milk – Use full-fat coconut milk for rich, creamy, luscious curry.
- Lemon juice & Fresh Cilantro – Add a bright, tangy finish with a dash of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and garnish with cilantro for freshness that lifts the dish.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Marinade cleaned, deveined shrimp with salt, pepper, cayenne, and lemon juice.
Step 2: Mix well, let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
Step 3 & 4: In a large deep pan, heat the coconut oil.
Add marinated shrimp to the oil, and sear the shrimp for not more than 30 seconds on each side.
Step 5: Remove shrimp and set aside.
Step 6: Into the same pan, add the remaining coconut oil.
Sauté the onion (I used shallots) and cook until the onions turn soft and translucent.
Step 7: Sauté serrano peppers, minced garlic, and minced ginger for a minute until garlic and ginger are fragrant.
Step 8: Add all the spice powders, sauté.
Step 9: Cook for 20 seconds on low heat.
Step 10: Mix in diced canned tomatoes along with their juices.
Step 11: Cook for 1-2 minutes until the tomatoes blend with the curry.
Step 12: Cook tomatoes until you see oil separating from the sides of the pan.
Step 13: Pour full-fat coconut milk, add cooked shrimp, and mix well. Reduce the heat to low. Allow it to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Step 14: Turn off the heat, check for seasoning. Adjust salt and pepper as required.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice into the curry, and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Serve hot with jasmine rice.
Variations & Customization
Add vegetables – feel free to add vegetables to the curry. Bell peppers, cauliflower, peas, mushrooms, and baby spinach can be used.
Swap Protein – swap shrimp with chicken or tofu.
Secret Tips
- Don’t rush the steps. You’ll need little patience while cooking curry. Particularly, this recipe is not a dump-everything-at-once.
- A good curry begins with a good onion-tomato curry base. Sautéing onion-ginger-garlic in oil on a low flame until the raw smell disappears is crucial. When cooked correctly, the curry will be fragrant and taste better. Cooking well does not mean browning/burn onion-garlic-ginger!
- Same process while cooking canned or fresh tomatoes. Cook tomatoes until you see oil separating on the sides of the pan.
- Don’t overcook shrimp.
- Using the right curry powder is important. If you want to make spicy curry, choose HOT curry powder. Cook curry powder and other spices in the onion-tomato base sauce for 20-30 seconds.
- Do not add too much liquid. Curry should be saucy, creamy, and not runny and thin.
Servings Suggestions
Serve over fluffy jasmine rice, steamed rice, or instant naan recipe without yeast.
Leftovers and Storage
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. They will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. Remember, shrimp may get a bit tough while reheating.
Recipe FAQs
Yes definitely. Make sure to thaw frozen shrimp completely before using.
To avoid splitting of coconut milk, add it in the end. Make sure to reduce the heat to the lowest setting before adding in coconut milk.
Don’t forget to subscribe to CurryTrail Recipes below to get our newest recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
If you love this recipe, keep in touch, and don’t miss out on any of Currytrail’s recipes. Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
📋Coconut Shrimp Curry
Ingredients
To marinade
- 1- pound large shrimp cleaned and deveined
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
For curry
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ¼ cup shallots or yellow onion, diced
- 1 serrano pepper optional
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 14.5 ounces canned crushed or diced tomatoes
- 13.5 ounces canned full-fat coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Marinade cleaned, deveined shrimp with salt, pepper, cayenne, and lemon juice. Mix well, let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
- In a large deep pan, heat the coconut oil.
- Add marinated shrimp to the oil, sear shrimp for not more than 30 seconds on each side.
- Remove shrimp and set aside.
- Into the same pan, add the remaining coconut oil.
- Sauté the onion (I used shallots) and cook until the onions turn soft and translucent.
- Sauté serrano peppers, minced garlic, and minced ginger for a minute until garlic and ginger are fragrant.
- Add all the spice powders, sauté, and cook for 20 seconds on low heat.
- Mix in diced canned tomatoes along with their juices. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the tomatoes blend with the curry. Cook tomatoes until you see oil separating from the sides of the pan.
- Pour full-fat coconut milk, add cooked shrimp, and mix well. Reduce the heat to low. Allow it to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Turn off the heat, check for seasoning. Adjust salt and pepper as required.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice into the curry, and garnish with fresh cilantro.
- Serve hot with jasmine rice.
Video
Notes
- Don’t rush the steps. You’ll need little patience while cooking curry. Particularly, this recipe is not a dump-everything-at-once.
- A good curry begins with a good onion-tomato curry base. Sautéing onion-ginger-garlic in oil on a low flame until the raw smell disappears is crucial. When cooked correctly, the curry will be fragrant and taste better. Cooking well does not mean browning/burn onion-garlic-ginger.
- Same process while cooking canned or fresh tomatoes. Cook tomatoes until you see oil separating on the sides of the pan.
- Don’t overcook shrimp.
- Using the right curry powder is important. If you want to make spicy curry, choose HOT curry powder. Cook curry powder and other spices in the onion-tomato base sauce for 20-30 seconds.
- Do not add too much liquid. Curry should be saucy, creamy, and not runny and thin.
Nutrition
Created by Jyothi Rajesh
Thank you for stopping by.
I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and i’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2007 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.
Leave A Reply!