Prawn bhuna is a scrumptious and comforting prawn recipe Indian which is popular in the subcontinents of South Asia. It is a spicy, smooth, thick, flavoured and medium spicy prawns gravy masala which gets prepared within half an hour. In this preparation, fried prawns are cooked in onion-tomato-based gravy and some Indian spices. Prawn bhuna curry is relished with fluffy steamed rice, pulao, jeera rice etc. It could be a perfect option for sudden guests for a curry-rice dinner combo.
Prawn bhuna recipe is renowned for its bold flavours and amazing taste. This prawn recipe is overloaded with the flavours of Indian spices and herbs. Basically, bhuna means frying and for this recipe, we fry the onion, ginger garlic, tomato and all the spices and prepare a bhuna masala gravy where we cook the prawns into it. The fleshy and juicy prawns dunked in spicy gravy are a real treat to anybody who is fond of prawn recipe Indian.
Table of Contents
About the recipe
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Prawn bhuna (step wise photos)
Recipe Card
Prawn curries
Prawn curries are one of the prime dishes in the seafood section of Indian cuisine because prawns are the most eaten seafood in India and Indians are undoubtedly very fond of curries. So, it has established its inimitable popularity. Different varieties of prawns are available in India like king prawn, tiger prawn, white prawn etc.
Prawn recipes curry is prepared in myriad ways in the different parts of India according to their own regional taste and flavour. This prawn bhuna is very popular in northern and eastern India and this dish can be prepared with any variety of prawns.
I am a seafood lover and prawns are my favourite. I cook prawns almost every week and prawn bhuna is our family favourite. I have prepared this multiple times in get-togethers and always ended up with empty plates and lots of compliments.
According to me, prawns are very easy to handle but the only challenge is not to overcook them. Yes, prawns get cooked very quickly. On the stovetop, it takes hardly 6-7 minutes to get cooked perfectly but not more than that. So, it is crucial to resist cooking the prawns further.
Prawn bhuna recipe is a straightforward and easy recipe. It is prepared with very basic and regularly used ingredients in Indian cuisine. This spicy delight gets prepared very quickly without investing much time and effort. This curry is rich in texture and is overloaded with flavours which make it one of the perfect prawn curry for rice.
Ingredients for Prawn masala
Prawns: The primary ingredient of the recipe which provides flavour and base to it. I have used king prawns for the recipe. But you can also use tiger prawn, white prawn or pink shrimp for the recipe.
Onion and ginger-garlic: These are the most common ingredients used to give texture and flavour to the curry.
Tomatoes: I have used tomato paste for the recipe. It gives a nice flavour, taste, and texture to the dish.
Green chillies & coriander leaves: Green chillies add a heaty taste and coriander leaves add a refreshing aroma to the dish.
Ground spices: For the ground spices, I have used turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala powder. Each spice is equally important for the perfect flavour and taste of the prawn bhuna recipe.
Salt: The basic ingredient of any savoury recipe which adds a salty taste to the dish.
Sugar: It is used to enhance the colour and flavour of the gravy.
Water: It is used to adjust the consistency of the gravy.
Oil: Any cooking oil can be used to prepare the curry. I have used olive oil, but you can also use flavourless oil like vegetable oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil etc.
Prawn bhuna with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. I have included all the tips and tricks below to make the recipe easier for you. Before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share a few interesting facts about the recipe.
Reasons behind the popularity of Prawn bhuna
- It is one of the versatile prawn curries which can be relished with both flatbreads and rice items.
- The difficulty level of preparing this dish is low.
- It gets prepared very quickly which makes it a perfect dish for busy days.
- Its exceptional taste and unbeatable flavour.
- Though it looks very rich but no extra calorie items like cashew nut paste or cream are added to it. This makes it a healthy dish too.
Tips to prepare perfect Prawn masala
- First, cut and clean the prawns. Cut the head and devein them. Rinse them in water.
- Prawns get cooked very quickly. So don’t overcook them or else they will turn hard and rubbery.
- Marinate the prawn with salt and turmeric powder for at least 10 minutes so the prawns can absorb the salt. Or else they will be tasteless.
- Fry each side of the prawns only for 30-40 seconds and not more than that.
- Fry the onions and ginger-garlic paste properly before adding tomato paste or else it won’t taste good.
- You can adjust the amount of red chilli powder and green chillies, according to your own taste.
- The consistency of the prawn masala gravy is thick but you can adjust the consistency according to your choice.
How to make Prawn bhuna?
To prepare the prawn masala recipe, first clean the prawns. Cut the head and devein them. Rinse the prawns nicely. Then marinate them with salt and turmeric powder for at least 10 minutes and keep them aside.
Slice the onion, chop the coriander leaves and keep them aside.
On the other hand, add ginger cubes and garlic cloves together into a jar of a grinder. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
Add tomato chunks into the jar of a grinder and make a smooth paste of it. Keep it aside.
Now put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated prawns to the pan and fry them on low flame for 30-40 seconds on each side. Don’t over-fry the prawns or else they will become rubbery. Keep them aside on a separate plate.
Add the onions to the pan and cook it on a medium flame for 8-10 minutes until it becomes soft and translucent.
Add the ginger-garlic paste to the pan and cook it on low flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
Add the tomato paste to the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it in medium flame for another 2-3 minutes.
Then add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and give a nice mix. Cook it on low flame for another 3-4 minutes until the masala releases oil.
Then add the fried prawns into the pan and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for a minute.
Now, add hot water to the pan and stir it.
Add sugar and mix it well. Cover the pan and turn the flame high until the gravy starts boiling. Then turn the flame to low and cook it for 5 minutes.
Add green chillies, coriander leaves into the pan and mix it well. Turn off the flame and put the pan down.
Many prawn recipes have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check a few of them like
Methi prawn masala
Prawn masala
Chilli garlic prawn
Chingri macher malaikari
..And Many more…
Ingredients:
1 cup = 250 ml
To marinate the prawn
- 400 grams Prawn (Chingri)
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
Other ingredients for prawn bhuna
- 2 large Onions, thinly sliced
- 5 large cloves of Garlic, for paste
- 1 inch Ginger, for paste
- 2 Tomatoes, deseeded and diced for paste
- 3 tablespoons Coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 2-3 green Chillies
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala powder
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons Oil for cooking
- 1 cup hot Water for gravy
Instructions:
- First, clean the prawns. Cut the head and devein them. Rinse the prawns nicely.
- Marinate 400 grams of prawns with ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and keep them aside for at least 10 minutes.
- Slice the onion, chop the coriander leaves and keep them aside.
- On the other hand, add 1 inch of ginger cut into cubes and 5 garlic cloves together into a jar of a grinder. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
- Add 2 tomatoes cut into chunks into the jar of a grinder and make a smooth paste of it. Keep it aside.
- Now put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 3 tablespoons of oil into the pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add the marinated prawns (Step 2) to the pan and fry them on low flame for 30-40 seconds on each side. Don’t over-fry the prawns or else they will become rubbery. Keep them aside on a separate plate.
- In the same pan, add sliced onions and cook it on a medium flame for 8-10 minutes until they become soft and translucent.
- Add the ginger-garlic (Step 4) paste to the pan and cook it on low flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
- Add the tomato paste (Step 5) into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it in medium flame for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add salt, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder and give a nice mix. Cook it on low flame for another 3-4 minutes until the masala releases oil.
- Add the fried prawns (Step 7) into the pan and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for a minute.
- Add 1 cup hot water to the pan and give a stir.
- Add 1 teaspoon sugar and mix it well. Cover the pan and turn the flame high until the gravy starts boiling. Then turn the flame to low and cook it for 5 minutes.
- Add 2-3 green chillies, 3 tablespoons coriander leaves into the pan and mix it well.
- Turn off the flame and put the pan down.
Serving Instruction
Transfer the prawn bhuna curry into a serving bowl. Serve hot or warm to enjoy its best taste. Pair up the succulent dish with your favourite rice item or flatbread and enjoy the Indian delicacy.
Ingredients
1 cup = 250 ml
To marinate the prawn
- 400 grams Prawn (Chingri)
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
Other ingredients for prawn bhuna
- 2 large Onions, thinly sliced
- 5 large cloves of Garlic, for paste
- 1 inch Ginger, for paste
- 2 Tomatoes, deseeded and diced for paste
- 3 tablespoons Coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 2-3 green Chillies
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala powder
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons Oil for cooking
- 1 cup hot Water for gravy
Instructions
- First, clean the prawns. Cut the head and devein them. Rinse the prawns nicely.
- Marinate 400 grams of prawns with ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and keep them aside for at least 10 minutes.
- Slice the onion, chop the coriander leaves and keep them aside.
- On the other hand, add 1 inch of ginger cut into cubes and 5 garlic cloves together into a jar of a grinder. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
- Add 2 tomatoes cut into chunks into the jar of a grinder and make a smooth paste of it. Keep it aside.
- Now put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 3 tablespoons of oil into the pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add the marinated prawns (Step 2) to the pan and fry them on low flame for 30-40 seconds on each side. Don’t over-fry the prawns or else they will become rubbery. Keep them aside on a separate plate.
- In the same pan, add sliced onions and cook it on a medium flame for 8-10 minutes until they become soft and translucent.
- Add the ginger-garlic (Step 4) paste to the pan and cook it on low flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
- Add the tomato paste (Step 5) into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it in medium flame for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add salt, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder and give a nice mix. Cook it on low flame for another 3-4 minutes until the masala releases oil.
- Add the fried prawns (Step 7) into the pan and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for a minute.
- Add 1 cup hot water to the pan and give a stir.
- Add 1 teaspoon sugar and mix it well. Cover the pan and turn the flame high until the gravy starts boiling. Then turn the flame to low and cook it for 5 minutes.
- Add 2-3 green chillies, 3 tablespoons coriander leaves into the pan and mix it well.
- Turn off the flame and put the pan down.
