Easy and Flavorful Coconut Shrimp Curry made in the Pressure Cooker in just 20 minutes. This is the simple Indian shrimp curry made with ginger, garlic, onions, tomatoes along with flavorful spices, and finished with coconut milk. Pair this curry with rice for a perfect experience. Gluten-free, Paleo, and Low carb!
This is one of the easiest Indian shrimp recipes to make when you want to impress someone and have less time to cook. The second reason also makes it a perfect dish for a weekday in just 20 minutes.
While the curry was cooking, I cooked white rice on the stovetop (can be done in a second instant pot or rice cooker), and dinner was served in no time.
If you like Indian coconut-based curries, check out my Coconut Chicken Curry and Coconut Chickpea Curry recipes!
Are you ready for this delicious Shrimp Curry? Let’s get started!
How to make Coconut Shrimp Curry in the Pressure Cooker?
The main thing to note in this recipe is that Shrimp cooks very quickly, so we will use the low-pressure setting in the electric pressure cooker (instant pot in my case).
We will cook the shrimp for 3 minutes on low pressure and then quick release the pressure manually to get perfectly cooked shrimp.
I used tail-on deveined large raw frozen shrimp that I got from Costco. If you use a smaller size shrimp, decrease the cooking time.
The base of this curry is the same as many other Indian curries, with ginger, garlic, onions, and tomatoes. I also add very basic spices, which you will have in your pantry if you have done Indian cooking before.
I have also provided links to Amazon for the spices if you are new to them. However, I highly recommend finding the nearest Indian grocery store for a much cheaper price.
I add coconut milk to the curry to give it a creamier texture. Use full-fat coconut milk for the best results.
That said, even with the very simple preparation, this curry is such a flavor bomb with shrimp, similar to my shrimp masala recipe. This is a must-try!
Garnish with some lime juice and cilantro, and enjoy over rice!
Doesn’t the curry look gorgeous? I am ready to eat this again, it is so easy to make!
Looking for more seafood instant pot recipes, check out this delicious Salmon Tikka Masala.
Blast from the past:
- Posted 3 months ago – Seviyan / Vermicelli Kheer
- Posted 6 months ago – Mom’s Chicken Curry
- Posted one year ago – Palak Tofu
Want to find easy Instant Pot Indian Recipes? Here are 23 Best Instant Pot Indian Recipes for you to try!
Coconut Shrimp Curry – Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 lb Shrimp , deveined tail-on, frozen (about 25-30)
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds (Rai)
- 1 Green chili pepper , slit in 2 pieces
- 1 cup Onion, chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon Ginger, minced
- 1/2 tablespoon Garlic, minced
- 1 cup Tomato , chopped
- 1/4 can Coconut Milk , (~3.5 oz) full-fat
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
- 1/4 cup Cilantro , to garnish
Spices
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne or Red Chili powder , adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt, adjust to taste
Instructions
- Start the instant pot in Sauté mode and let it heat. Add oil, mustard seeds and let them sizzle.
- Add green chili, onions, ginger and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions turn golden brown.
- Add tomato and spices. Mix and let it sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add coconut milk and shrimp to the pot. Stir and press cancel. Close lid with vent in sealing position.
- Start the instant pot in Manual or Pressure cook mode at low pressure for 3 minutes.
- When the instant pot beeps, quick release the pressure manually.
- Stir in the lime juice and garnish with cilantro. Coconut Shrimp Curry is ready to be served. Enjoy with rice.
- Tip: Take the steel insert out of the instant pot, so the curry is not cooking more from residual heat.
Video
Notes
- I used large raw deveined tail-on shrimp that were frozen for this recipe. If using smaller or already thawed shrimp, reduce pressure cooking time.
- We add less liquid in this curry as instant pot retains the liquid and less is needed to cook. If you like, you can add 1/4 cup coconut milk after the curry is cooked. The curry does get thicker as you refrigerate it.
- Which Green chili to use? I typically use Thai, Birdeye or Serrano Chili Pepper in my recipes. Don’t forget to adjust to your taste.
- This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Programmable Pressure Cooker.
If you only have cooked/thawed shrimp does your cooking time change?
Hey KS – Is it just thawed raw shrimp or pre-cooked? For pre-cooked shrimp, I would suggest to not pressure cook. You can make the gravy as in the recipe and add the shrimp after pressure cooking. Then give a quick boil, so that the shrimp does not overcook. Hope you enjoy the curry!
Um, there’s no curry in this curry?
Hey Lisa – I cannot understand your question. Do you mean there is no sauce or no curry powder or something else?
No curry powder. But I tried it and it’s lovely.
Yeah, most authentic Indian recipes do not use curry powder. We use the basic spices such as turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, etc. Glad you enjoyed the shrimp curry 🙂
Hi – I’m new to Instant Pot but excited to make this tonight – my IP only has a high pressure setting for manual – should I adjust the time given that your recipe calls for low pressure? Thanks!
Hello Kelly – Yes, please do 0 minutes on high pressure for shrimp curry. I hope you enjoy the recipe and your new instant pot!
Hi! Tried this tonight. It was tasty and spicy , but came out a little thinner than I expected. Any way to thicken up the curry a bit? I used large frozen shrimp and followed the recipe.
Thanks!
Rick
Hey Rick – Good to know that you found the curry tasty. To thicken it an option is to add cashew paste after pressure cooking. I usually soak the cashews in water for 10-15 mins, then grind to a smooth paste. I do this for my chicken korma recipe. Hope you enjoy it again!
Hi! Planning to make this for dinner tonight. Can I substitute tomato sauce for the tomato? How many ounces?
Thanks!
Hey Naomi – One 14oz can of tomatoes is about 4-5 tomatoes. I used about 2 tomatoes in this recipe. If you are using canned, then adjust accordingly. Hope you enjoy it!
Thank you. Ended up using 4oz and it was amazing! So delicious!! Already made it 3 times in the past few weeks. A total hit with the hubby and the kids. 5 stars!!!!
Hey Naomi – So glad to hear you enjoyed the shrimp curry and have made it multiple times already. Thank you so much for sharing back your review!
Hi. If I double the recipe, would I double the pressure cooking time?
Hey Renata – The pressure cooking time will remain the same even if you double the recipe. Hope you enjoy it!
Wow, we made this for dinner tonight, the flavors are outstanding!
If I want to use this recipe with chicken instead of shrimp, how long would you recommend I pressure cook it for? I would brown the chicken first before starting the recipe as written.
Hey Eva – Glad to hear you enjoyed the flavors of the Coconut Shrimp Curry. If you will be cutting the chicken to pieces and browning them a bit, then I think just 3 minutes of pressure cooking would be enough. You can also use the Mom’s Chicken Curry as a reference. I cook for 5 mins for that curry and sauté for couple of minutes before pressure cooking.
Thank you for sharing your review!
Is it line or lemon juice? Ingredients say lime. Instructions say lemon
Lime*
Hey Nadia – Sorry for the confusion. I used lime juice in this recipe. I have updated the instructions. Hope you enjoy the shrimp curry!
Any idea how much I should increase the cooking time if using (frozen) jumbo instead of large shrimp?
Hey Samantha – I would suggest the same cooking time, as the one I used were pretty big in size as well. I would love to hear how it turns out 🙂
Made this last night with stop and shop frozen jumbo shrimp. Followed the recipe as written except I reduced the chili powder to 1/4 tsp. Really easy to make and cooked quick; it’s a good weeknight meal. I served it with rice that I cooked on the stove while prepping the ingredients and garlic naan.
Hey Samantha – So happy to hear you enjoyed the Shrimp curry. I love it for a quick meal 🙂 Thank you for sharing back your review!
I’m so glad you posted this instant pot shrimp curry! Can’t wait to try it out 🙂
Hey Kiara – Looking forward to hear how it turns out 🙂
I love Indian food but I don’t know how to make it or what spices to use. Shrimp Curry is on the menu for tonight’s dinner. THANK YOU,
Hey Diana – I try to use the very basic spices in my cooking. After a few recipes, I am sure you will know what spices you want to use in any curries or lentils you try. I hope you enjoyed the shrimp curry.