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    Home » Recipes » Asian Recipes

    Easy Thai Prawn Curry

    Published: Mar 5, 2021 · Modified: Feb 2, 2022 by Andrea

    Jump to Recipe

    Looking for a quick healthy meal? This Thai prawn curry, served with basmati rice, is ready in 20 minutes - So much quicker than take away!

    Thai-style meals are a firm family favorite, and over the years, this Thai prawn curry recipe has quickly become a family-favorite.

    So when I don't feel like spending too much time cooking and my fridge is half empty,  this is one of my go-to dinner recipes. 

    It’s one of those quick meals you can whip up in no time, without planning ahead. It comes together all in one pot, and it's incredibly simple to prepare.

    I can't claim this 20-minute prawn curry is super traditional, but it's an easier and quicker version of traditional Thai curry.

    **This post is sponsored by HelloFresh. All opinions are my own.**

    Prawn curry topped with lime wedges and fresh coriander served in a large skillet, with brown rice on the side.

    It's also naturally gluten-free and nut-free. You can eat it straight away but it keeps well in the fridge too.

    It's totally freezer-friendly (but I prefer to freeze it without the prawns and cook them last-minute) and easy to customise.

    I've found the recipe and loosely adapted it from  HelloFresh Recipe Hub.  HelloFresh offers a huge range of weekly meal boxes.

    Your weekly box comes with easy-to-follow recipes with step-by-step pictures, plus all the ingredients you need.

    Each recipe box contains the exact ingredients and quantities you need to make up your meal.

    I absolutely love this, because there's no need to weigh up the ingredients, no waste involved and it's great for portion control.

    It really makes cooking totally fuss-free! If you're looking for more recipe inspiration, make sure to check out HelloFresh's most popular recipes.

    Prawn red curry served with rice, lime wedges and fresh coriander in a shallow plate, and extra brown rice on the side.

    The best part is that this super simple meal comes together easily in just about 20 minutes, making it perfect for a quick dinner during the week.

    As an added bonus, you can easily customize it by adding extra veggies or skipping the prawns for a vegetarian version, I’ll leave you some of my favourite options here below.

    Ingredient Tips

    recipe ingredients: sliced carrots and red bell pepper, coconut milk, raw king prawns, brown basmati rice, thai red curry paste, stock powder, bunch of fresh coriander, garlic and lime.

    RED CURRY PASTE

    We’d all love to be able to have a Thai red curry any night of the week made with homemade red curry paste. But sometimes, especially during a busy week, it’s simply not viable.

    Supermarket curry paste in a jar might not have the vibrant flavour of homemade curry paste, but most of the time works great too.

    My tip to make curry paste in a jar taste way better: sauté the curry paste in oil with grated garlic, ginger, and lemongrass paste.

    Adding these fresh aromatics works like a charm for improving the flavour!

    Alternatively, if you don't have those aromatics at hand, a great cooking hack is to simply substitute them with a generous pinch of vegetable stock powder. 

    The best Thai red curry paste I tried are from Mae Anong and Maesri (widely available in the US) and Mae Ploy and Cock (widely available in the UK and Europe).

    BASMATI RICE

    Basmati rice is a fragrant thin long-rice with a subtle nutty flavour, and it's commonly used in various cuisine from Central Asia, India and the Middle East.

    Both white basmati rice and wholegrain basmati rice work wonderfully for prawn coconut curry.

    I like to cook it on the stove, you need 1 cup of basmati + 1 ½ cups cold water.

    For regular basmati rice the cooking time is about 12 minutes. Cooking brown basmati rice takes about 20 minutes and you need to increase the water by ½ cup.

    If you want to cook it in a rice cooker, simply add rice and water to the cooking pot, select the corresponding program, and press the start button.

    KING PRAWNS

    Feel free to choose your favorite prawns for this king prawn curry recipe.

    Fresh or frozen raw peeled jumbo prawns are my go-to option, they're big and juicy and taste amazing.

    For a convenient alternative, go for regular raw prawns, they're smaller but much more cost-effective, and they still taste great.

    VEGETABLES

    When it comes to curry, you can go crazy with the veggies!

    I kept it simple with a simple mix of red bell pepper and carrot, but that doesn't mean you have to.

    Other veggies that work great in prawn coconut curry are pak choi, snow peas, zucchini, bamboo shoots.

    20-minute Thai red prawn curry recipe in 4 simple steps

    This delicious and quick dinner recipe is super simple to prepare in just 4 easy steps.

    thai prawn curry recipe step by step image collage: first image shows rice being cooked in a pot. Second image shows vegetables being cooked in a large skillet. Third image shows coconut milk and stock powder added into the skillet with the veggies. Fourth image shows kind prawns added into the skillet with the previous ingredients.

    Step 1 – Cook the rice

    Place 130 gr of brown basmati + 600 ml cold water in a large pot.

    Cover with a lid and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for a further 20 minutes.

    Turn the heat off, and let the rice sit undisturbed for 5 minutes before serving.

    Step 2 – Stir-fry the veggies

    Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, add in the bell pepper and carrot and stir-fry them for about 4 minutes.

    Step 3 – Add in the curry paste and coconut milk

    Add the curry paste, and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes.

    Pour in the coconut milk followed by the stock powder, then bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

    Step 4 – Add the prawns into the coconut curry

    Add the king prawns into the skillet with the other veggies, and cook all ingredients for about 2 minutes.

    Turn the heat off, drizzle with lime juice, sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve with basmati rice.

    thei prawn curry served with brown basmati rice in a shallow plate.

    Storage tips

    Thai curry freezes beautifully, however, I recommend skipping the prawns.

    Follow the recipe, then store portions into air-tight containers. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

    Defrost the curry and reheat it gently in a large skillet. Add in the prawns and cook them for 2 minutes, then serve. 

    More Thai Recipes To Try:

    • Thai Red Fish Curry
    • The Easiest Vegan Pad Thai
    • Vegan Thai Green Curry (Ready in Just 20 min!)

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment and/or a rating below, and share a picture and tag @thepetitecook on Instagram! Reading your feedback and looking at your pictures always makes me smile *and super hungry*! 

    thai shrimp curry recipe.
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    4.88 from 8 votes

    Easy Thai Prawn Curry

    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Looking for a quick healthy meal? This Thai prawn curry, served with basmati rice, is ready in 20 minutes - So much quicker than take away!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time20 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian
    Serving: 2
    Calories: 423kcal
    Author: Andrea Soranidis

    Ingredients

    • 130 g brown basmati rice, or brown jasmine rice
    • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil , or vegetable oil
    • 1 carrot, thinly sliced into half-moons
    • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
    • 2 garlic cloves, grated
    • 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
    • 200 ml full-fat coconut milk, (about ½ a can)
    • 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder
    • 150 g raw king prawns, heads and shell removed
    • ½ lime
    • 3 tablespoon fresh coriander, finely chopped

    Instructions

    • Place the brown basmati into a large pot, add in 600 ml of water, cover the pan with a lid and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a minimum and simmer for 20 minutes, until the rice is soft and slightly chewy.
      Turn the heat off, and let the rice sit undisturbed for 5 minutes before serving.
    • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add in sliced carrot and bell pepper and stir-fry them for about 4 minutes.
    • Add the red curry paste and garlic into the skillet, and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes.
    • Pour in the coconut milk followed by the stock powder, then bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
    • Add the king prawns into the skillet with the other veggies, and cook all the ingredients for a further 2 minutes, or until the prawns turn pink and are cooked through.
    • Turn the heat off, drizzle the curry with the juice of half lime, sprinkle the fresh coriander on top and serve with basmati rice.

    Notes

    Ingredients substitution

    Brown basmati rice: regular basmati or jasmine rice.
    Vegetable stock powder: for extra flavour, you can substitute with 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger and ¼ teaspoon of lemongrass paste.
    Carrot and bell pepper: broccoli, snow peas, green beans, sweet potato, zucchini.

    How to store leftovers

    Fridge: It keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 days without the prawns.
    Freezer: It will keep well int he freezer for up to 1 month without the prawns. Defrost the curry and reheat it gently in a large skillet. Add in the prawns and cook them for 2 minutes, then serve. 
    Nutritional information provided for curry only without rice.
    Did you try this recipe? Tag @thepetitecook or use the hashtag #thepetitecook - Looking at your pictures makes my day!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 462mg | Potassium: 560mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 8324IU | Vitamin C: 85mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 4mg

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    More Asian Recipes

    • Easy Pho Soup (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
    • Thai Fish Curry
    • The Easiest Vegan Pad Thai
    • Quick Chickpea and Spinach Curry (Chana Masala)
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    Comments

    1. May says

      April 01, 2022 at 9:51 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious. Really quick and easy to make. Definitely cooking this again.

      Reply
    2. Alexandra says

      January 25, 2022 at 10:19 pm

      I haveade it tonight and it was delicious and very quick to make. I have used bell peppers, red, yellow and green and in addition I have used some red onions cut in chunks. I have also substituted the coriander with spring onions as my partner doesn't like coriander. It was yummy. Will definitely make it again.

      Reply

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    About Andrea

    Andrea Soranidis, founder of The Petite Cook.


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