A Thai Red Prawn Curry is quick, easy, full of flavour, and ready in just 15 minutes. Prawns and vegetables are cooked in a spicy coconut milk curry sauce and served with rice or noodles.
Thai curries traditionally use herbs and aromatic leaves rather than relying heavily on spices which are used in Indian curries. A Prawn Thai Red Curry has a light fresh flavour with a hint of spiciness.
Fish curries are very versatile and quick to make. You might also like Thai Green Fish Curry or a vegan Vegetable Thai Green Curry My Fish Korma is low in calories or for something a bit creamier try my Keralan Fish Curry
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Ingredients
A Red Thai Prawn Curry is very quick to make so get all your ingredients ready before you start.
- Prawns -uncooked prawns are best to use as they stay nice and juicy. They should be peeled and deveined. Large prawns, king prawns, tiger prawns or shrimp are better than smaller ones. This is because prawns don't take much cooking and overcooking them can make the texture rubbery. You can also use cooked prawns. See below for how to quickly defrost prawns.
- Thai Red Curry Paste - a ready-made curry paste is easy to use and makes this recipe quick. I recommend using 2 - 3 tablespoons. Start with 2 if you are not sure. Different brands will vary in taste and strength.
- Coconut Milk - is a traditional ingredient in Thai curry recipes and adds a creaminess.
- Fish Sauce - acts a bit like salt and adds a deep savoury umami flavour. It won't make it taste fishy!
- Limes - the lime juice helps to balance the flavours and cuts through the creaminess of the coconut milk.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make it
If you are serving with rice, put the rice on to cook at the beginning so everything is ready at the same time.
Add the oil to a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onions and pepper for 2 - 3 minutes until softened.
Add the ginger and garlic and fry for a further minute.
Stir in the curry paste and fry for 1 minute. This helps release the flavour.
Pour in the coconut milk and stir into the red curry paste and add the fish sauce.
Add the prawns and sugar snap or snow peas or other vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes until the prawns are cooked through.
Stir in the juice of half the limes and serve with the coriander or basil leaves sprinkled on top.
Hint: The best way to defrost prawns is overnight in the fridge. Alternatively, defrost them in a bowl of cold water for about 30 minutes. Defrosting in cold water means they are not sitting at room temperature so is safe.
Substitutions
- Vegetables - In this recipe, I've used red bell pepper, red onion, and mange tout or snow peas. Other vegetables you could use are sugar snap peas, green beans, pak choi, baby corn, bamboo shoots, and carrot. I recommend having at least one green crunchy vegetable. Instead of red onion, you can use spring onion or green onion. Green peppers have a more bitter taste than red peppers but work well. If you don't like coriander /cilantro, try basil leaves instead.
- Coriander / Cilantro - you can also use basil leaves. Thai basil is best, but any basil leaves will be ok. Thai basil has a slightly different flavour but can be difficult to get hold of.
- Coconut Milk - I've used full-fat coconut milk as it gives a thicker sauce. If you want to reduce the calories, use a low-fat or lite version. The sauce will be thinner but will still taste good.
- Protein - instead of prawns, you can use white fish or chicken. It also works well with Tofu if you are looking for a vegan version.
Equipment
You need a large wok or pan and a separate pan to cook any rice or noodles.
Serving Suggestion
A Red Thai Prawn Curry goes nicely with steamed white rice such as basmati, jasmine, or coconut rice. You can also serve it with noodles and prawn crackers. Fresh coriander /cilantro or basil leaves add great flavour as does an extra wedge of lime. Some people also like to add some crushed peanuts or cashew nuts sprinkled over the top.
Sustainability
As with all fish, try to buy from sustainable sources. MSC-labeled prawns come from a wild-capture fishery that has been independently assessed to the MSC Fisheries Standard. Prawns are MSC certified when they display the blue logo. If you can't find sustainable prawns in your local shop, several small online specialist retailers sell traceable and sustainable prawns. This Thai red curry prawn recipe also uses several ingredients that can be bought from Fairtrade, such as red Thai curry paste, coconut milk, limes, and rice. Fairtrade helps ensure that farmers are paid a fair price for their produce. They also support and promote sustainable farming practices and help growers adapt to climate change.
Storage
A Thai Curry with prawns can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month. Coconut milk will still taste the same once it has been frozen, but the texture may be slightly grainy and not as smooth as before. It's still safe to eat.
If you are making the curry to go straight in the freezer, leave the prawns out and add them in when you are reheating it. This is to avoid overcooking the prawns.
Heat the curry gently and stir well. Serve piping hot. Leftover rice can also be frozen.
Top tip
Don't overcook the prawns or they will have a more rubbery texture. Prawns are cooked when they turn pink and the flesh goes from being translucent to white. It takes just 4 - 5 minutes to cook jumbo prawns.
Related
Other easy Thai or Fish curries you'll enjoy include :-
📖 Recipe
Thai Red Prawn Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 red onions peeled and diced
- 1 red pepper de-seeded and sliced
- 3 cm piece ginger peeled and grated
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 2-3 tablespoon thai red curry paste fairtrade
- 400 ml coconut milk fairtrade
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 400 g prawns sustainably sourced
- 150 g mange tout / snow peas
- 2 limes organic, fairtrade
- 4 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves / cilantro roughly chopped
Instructions
- Add the oil to a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onions and pepper for 2 - 3 minutes until softened1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 red onions, 1 red pepper
- Add the ginger and garlic and fry for a further minute3 cm piece ginger, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the curry paste and fry for 1 minute. This helps release the flavour2-3 tablespoon thai red curry paste
- Pour in the coconut milk and stir into the paste and add the fish sauce400 ml coconut milk, 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- Add the prawns and mange tout or snow peas and simmer for 5 minutes until the prawns are cooked through400 g prawns, 150 g mange tout / snow peas
- Stir in the juice of half the limes and serve with the coriander leaves sprinkled on the top.2 limes, 4 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves / cilantro
Notes
Ingredients
- Prawns -use any prawns or shrimp as long as they are peeled and deveined. Large prawns, king prawns, or tiger prawns are better than smaller ones as they have a juicier texture. You can also use cooked prawns or raw prawns. See below for how to defrost prawns.
- Thai Red Curry Paste - a ready-made curry paste that is easy to use and makes this recipe quick. I recommend using 2 - 3 tablespoons. Start with 2 if you are not sure.
- Coconut Milk - is a traditional ingredient in Thai curry recipes and adds a creaminess.
- Fish Sauce - acts a bit like salt and adds a deep savoury umami flavour. It doesn't add a more fishy taste!
- Limes - the lime juice helps to balance the flavours and cuts through the creaminess of the coconut milk.
Substitutions
- Vegetables - In this recipe, I've used red bell pepper, red onion, and mange tout or snow peas. Other vegetables you could use are sugar snap peas, green beans, pak choi, baby corn, bamboo shoots, and carrot. I recommend having at least one green crunchy vegetable. Instead of red onion, you can use spring onion or green onion. Green peppers have a more bitter taste than red peppers but work well. If you don't like coriander /cilantro, try basil leaves instead.
- Coriander / Cilantro - you can also use basil leaves. Thai basil is best, but any basil leaves will be ok.
- Coconut Milk - I've used full-fat coconut milk as it gives a thicker sauce. If you want to reduce the calories, use a low-fat or lite version. The sauce will be thinner but will still taste good.
Storage
Store in the fridge for up to 2 days. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month. Coconut milk will still taste the same once it has been frozen, but the texture may be slightly grainy and not as smooth as before. It's still safe to eat. Heat the curry gently and stir well. Serve piping hot. Leftover rice can also be frozen.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
Renée
You had me at Prawn Curry. This looks so tasty, and it comes together so easily. Thanks for the recipe!
Anjali
Love all of the flavors in this recipe!! I know the seafood lovers in my family are going to devour this dish!
Kim
Wow! This was amazing. Made the curry for a family gathering and it was a huge hit with the curry lovers. So easy and so elegant!
Charles
Definitely 5 stars! Your Thai Red Prawn Curry is to die for! I cannot wait to try it! Thanks
Kelley
This was so good! The perfect amount of spice and full of flavor!