Sri Lankan King Prawn Curry

A curry born from warm evenings in Sri Lanka, where food is never rushed and love is folded into every gesture. Cooked for me by local hands, with laughter in the air, bare feet on cool floors and the scent of curry leaves drifting through open doors. This king prawn curry carries their generosity, their patience, and the quiet romance of being welcomed, nourished, and cared for — a reminder that the most beautiful recipes are passed heart to heart, not written down

You cannot beat the aroma of fresh curry leaves, most asian grocery stores sell them and they freeze so well!

Sri Lankan Red Rice, nutty, wholesome and considered a superfood. It contains less arsenic than regular rice and is great for the microbiome

Cinnamon, too often hailed as only a ‘sweet spice’ it adds such depth to savoury food..

Just be sure to use ‘true cinnamon’ like this Ceylon Cinnamon, often Cassia is substituted which is known to be carcinogenic..

Roasted curry powder: Toasting the spices opens out the flavour profile giving depth and warmth to your dish.

This is the food of love, made for messy fingers and chins..

Make it for friends or make it for yourself, make it for a cosy dinner a deux, but please please just make this….

Curry, sri lankan food, coconut, king prawn, yellow curry, coconut curry, healthy food , asian food, midweek meals

Yield: 4

Author: Suze Morrison

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Sri Lankan King Prawn Curry

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 18 MinTotal time: 48 Min

A curry born from warm evenings in Sri Lanka, where food is never rushed and love is folded into every gesture. Cooked for me by local hands, with laughter in the air, bare feet on cool floors and the scent of curry leaves drifting through open doors. This king prawn curry carries their generosity, their patience, and the quiet romance of being welcomed, nourished, and cared for — a reminder that the most beautiful recipes are passed heart to heart, not written down

Ingredients

• 500–600g raw giant king prawns, peeled and deveined (tails on optional)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 10–12 fresh curry leaves
• 2–3 green bird’s eye chillies, slit lengthways (adjust to taste)
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 x 400ml tin coconut cream
• Sea salt, to taste
• Fresh coriander leaves, to finish
• To serve
• Steamed Sri Lankan red rice
• Extra fresh coriander leaves and lime wedges

Instructions

1. Heat the coconut oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
2. Add the garlic and ginger; cook for 1 minute. Stir in the curry leaves, green bird’s eye chillies, turmeric, cardamom pods, and cloves. Fry gently for another minute until deeply fragrant.
3. Pour in the coconut cream, stirring well. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5–7 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy. Taste and season with salt.
4. Add the king prawns and simmer gently for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until just cooked through and tender.
5. Remove from the heat and scatter with fresh coriander leaves. Squeeze over the lime wedges.
6. Serve with steamed red rice, letting the creamy coconut sauce soak into the grains, with flashes of heat from the chillies and perfume from the curry leaves—simple, vibrant, and deeply satisfying.

https://gourmetglow.co.uk/recipes/sri-lankan-king-prawn-curry

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