48 Prawn Recipes for Curries, Garlic Butter & Quick Dinners

The Indian coastline runs on prawns, and this is where the collection gets its backbone. From Kerala's coconut-thickened gravies to the vinegar-sharp heat of a Goan vindaloo, these curries lean on freshly ground masala, curry leaves, and tamarind or kokum for that signature tang. Serve them with steamed rice or a stack of soft pav, and don't rush the onion base—that slow, patient browning is exactly what gives the finished sauce its deep colour and rounded, savoury depth. Several of them taste even better the next day.

If you only ever master one way with prawns, make it garlic butter. These are the fast, glossy, restaurant-style plates that need little more than a hot pan, good butter and a squeeze of lemon. I've included soy and ginger variations, a chilli-spiked version for heat seekers, a soft-roll brunch treat, and a white-wine number elegant enough for guests. Watch them closely—prawns turn from translucent to opaque in under three minutes, and a few extra seconds is the difference between succulent and chewy.

This is the weeknight engine room: big bowls of carbs and prawns that come together in one wok or pan. Pad Thai, glass noodles slicked with garlic-shallot oil, peanut-chilli king prawn noodles and a proper one-pot fried rice all live here. The trick is to cook the prawns first, pull them out the moment they curl, then fold them back in right at the end so they warm through without overcooking and stay plump and tender. Day-old rice, cold and dry, is your secret weapon for that proper wok-charred texture.

Here the prawns share the plate with rice, risotto and slow-simmered sauces from coastlines around the world. There's a creamy Dalmatian risotto, two fragrant Konkani pulaos, a French tomato tatin and a Mozambican-style creamy prawn rice. These dishes ask for a little more patience than a stir-fry, but they reward you with layered, spoon-and-fork comfort. Use the prawn shells to build a quick stock if you have ten spare minutes—it deepens everything at no extra cost. Add the prawns near the end so they poach gently rather than seize up.

Party food, picnic boxes and things to nibble with a cold drink—this section is all about texture. Crunchy battered prawns, Goan recheado fried until the masala crackles, delicate rice-paper rolls, loaded tostadas and two zingy Southeast Asian salads. Several double as light lunches, and the cutlets and fishcakes freeze beautifully for later. If you're deep-frying, keep the oil steady at around 180°C so the coating crisps and colours before the prawn inside has any chance to overcook.

Some nights you just need protein on a plate in fifteen minutes. This short, punchy set covers a simple Kerala fry, a bare-bones sear, plus two clever pantry builds—an instant prawn pickle and a smoky dried-prawn chammanthi podi that keeps for weeks in the fridge. They're proof that prawns don't always need a long ingredient list or a big production to taste genuinely special on a busy weeknight. Keep a bag of prawns in the freezer and you're never more than a quarter of an hour from a real dinner.