Shrimp Masala

Tasty and tender shrimp masala curry cooked in a rustic Indian sauce made with onions and tomatoes, along with aromatics such as ginger, garlic, and spices.

Make this authentic Indian curry with shrimp or prawns in 30 minutes, and enjoy it with naan or rice!

Indian Shrimp Masala, like many Indian dishes, is a quick yet delicious dish bursting with spicy flavor. The recipe is authentic, and the majority of the ingredients are traditionally used in Indian and Pakistani cooking. The good news is that this recipe calls for only a few spices.

This curry has gravy made with onion, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes. I also use basic spices that you probably already have in your pantry. This spicy twist on seafood will blow your senses away.

Jump to:

• Easy Shrimp Masala Recipe
• Shrimp vs. Prawns
• Ingredients
• How To Make?
• Tips
• Storage
• Variations
• How To Serve?
• More Indian Seafood Recipes

Easy Shrimp Masala Recipe

This shrimp masala is my favorite Indian Shrimp recipe. That said, shrimp can be slightly tricky to cook at home, but with this easy recipe and the step-by-step method, it’ll be a breeze for you.

Unlike most Indian curries, this is a thickish curry with the masala nicely coating the shrimp.

Shrimp vs. Prawns

You might have heard that shrimp and prawn are the same and are often used interchangeably. But that’s NOT true. They do taste and look similar but are very different structurally.

The word “prawn” is more frequently used on menus in the UK and India, whereas, in North America, people widely use the word ”shrimp”.

Let me tell you some of the key differences between the two:

• They have different sizes. I am sure you already know this. Typically shrimp is smaller than a prawn, but some varieties of shrimp are large too.
• Shrimp is found in saltwater, and prawns in freshwater
• They both have external skeletons and ten legs, but while shrimp are classified under the suborder Pleocyemata, prawns belong to the suborder Dendrobranchiata. So they are distinctly different species.
• Shrimp has plate-like gills, whereas prawn has branching gills.
• Shrimp have two pairs of claw-like legs, unlike prawns which have three pairs.
• Shrimp bodies have a distinct bend, and their second and third segments overlap. Prawns, on the other hand, lack this distinct bend in their bodies, and each of their body segments gradually overlaps the one behind it.

(Source: Read more here)

Because shrimp or prawn is a delicate protein, it can be marinated with just some simple ingredients – salt, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and lime juice. We do not need to use any tenderizers such as yogurt or ginger here, unlike in my tandoori chicken wings recipe.

Remember that if marinated shrimp are kept for too long, the acid in the lime or lemon juice will cause the shrimp to disintegrate. Prior to cooking, keep the shrimp in the marinade for no longer than 30 minutes.

Ingredients

This recipe uses easily available everyday ingredients.

Shrimp: Try to use jumbo (11-15/ pound) or extra-large (16-20/ pound) shrimp, frozen or fresh; either is fine. Make sure the shrimp are shelled and cleaned well before you use them.

Spices: You need only a few spices for this recipe. Mustard seeds, Turmeric powder, Kashmiri Red chili powder, Garam Masala, and Black pepper powder. You can use my recipe to make your own garam masala. Mustard seeds are used for tempering and provide the earthy flavor.

Aromatics: Onion, ginger, and garlic. You can use red or yellow onion. Use freshly minced ginger and garlic (this is definitely preferred) or a readymade ginger-garlic paste.

Tomatoes: Use fresh red plump tomatoes but you can use canned ones too.

Herbs: Cilantro, curry leaves, and green chili. These add immense aroma and flavor to this recipe.

Lime/ Lemon Juice: This is used for marination. Also, a little drizzle of lime juice on the final dish will help to round out the flavors.

Oil: Use an oil with a high smoking point, like – sunflower, avocado, or corn oil.

Salt: No dish can be complete without salt!

How To Make?

This restaurant-style dish is super easy to put together and consists of 3 main steps:

1. Marinate the shrimp

Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and mix well. Add shrimp. Stir and coat with the marinade on all sides. Let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

2. Prepare the sauce/ Masala

• To a large pan, add the oil. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves. Then add sliced onions, ginger, and garlic, and sauté for about 3 minutes until the onions are translucent.
• Add tomato, spices and mix well. 
• Cover with a lid and cook for 6-8 minutes until the tomatoes soften.

3. Combine

• Add marinated shrimp. Stir well and let the curry cook for 5-7 minutes until the shrimp is just cooked. Do not overcook.

• Garnish with cilantro. You can add a tempering of curry leaves and mustard seeds on top.

The shrimp masala is ready. Enjoy with basmati rice and naan.

Tips

• If you prefer, you can leave the tails of the shrimp attached. However, it is not common for Indian-style dishes.
• Do not marinate the shrimp for longer than 30 minutes. Being delicate in nature, the lime juice can destroy the texture if left for longer.
• Cook the masala/ gravy slowly till the oil oozes out on the sides of the pan.
• If you don’t like heat, use paprika instead of chili powder and skip the green chili.
• Remember not to overcook the shrimp. Overcooking can cause the shrimp to dry out, resulting in a chewy, rubbery texture.
• A final tempering/ tadka of curry leaves and mustard seeds on the finished dish will take your dish to another level.
• A little lemon juice, when squeezed on top, will enhance the flavors.

Storage

You can refrigerate leftover shrimp masala for 2-3 days. Simply microwave or heat in a pan with a splash of water on a stovetop or microwave before eating.

Variations

• For the gravy, you can also use heavy cream or coconut milk (vegan) in the end for an extra rich – creamy curry.
• You can easily substitute shrimp for Indian Prawns in this recipe to make a prawn masala curry.
• Allergic to shrimps/ prawns or not a fan of seafood? no worries. Swap the shrimp/ prawns with boneless chicken pieces. Although it will take the chicken a little longer to cook than the shrimp, it will be just as tasty, similar to my mom’s chicken curry!
• If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you can make this same curry with either paneer (Indian cottage cheese) or tofu.

How To Serve?

This dish goes well with rice, especially Basmati rice, jeera rice or vegetable biryani but steamed plain rice also tastes equally good.

If you love Indian breads, then roti/ chapati, paratha, or naan on the side will make it a perfect meal.

You can also serve a simple kachumber salad or onion salad for the extra kick on the side to balance out the meal.

This drool-worthy dish can be served at your next holiday dinner or at a potluck.

More Indian Seafood Recipes

• Coconut Shrimp Curry
• Salmon Tikka Masala