Authentic Sri Lankan Prawn Curry (Shrimp Curry) where the shrimp heads are cooked first in a rich and aromatic curry base to coax out the full depth of flavor, and the shrimp body is cooked just long enough so that it’s tender and juicy and coated with that thick, luscious sauce/gravy.
An easy recipe that can be adapted for any type of prawn or shrimp you have at hand. If you love shrimp curry, then I guarantee that this will be the best you’ve ever had! 🙂
Having grown up in an island with ready access to seafood, I’ve eaten shrimp often and in many different ways, but NEVER in a more deeply flavorful and aromatic way than this authentic Sri Lankan Prawn Curry (Shrimp Curry)! The flavors in this dish are unreal! I’ve actually made this recipe several times to be shared on the blog, but was never quite satisfied with the end result because the prawn curry wasn’t as authentic as I wanted it to be. The reason was that, while I could find shrimp that were peeled or unpeeled, I could never find shrimp that were whole. And therein lies the secret. 🙂
The full depth of flavor of this prawn curry (shrimp curry) comes from the whole shrimp! And that includes the head of the shrimp, especially the head. But the good news is that even if you can’t find head-on shrimp, it’s OK! I’ve spent a lifetime eating shrimp curry, made with peeled, unpeeled, head-on, headless etc., and it still tastes rich and flavorful. And you can adapt this recipe to make a curry out of any kind of prawn or shrimp that you have access to.

Another thing you’ll notice is that I use the terms prawn and shrimp interchangeably. They are both essentially the same, save for some minor anatomical differences (in terms of the number of legs and claws). Prawns are typically widely available in Sri Lanka (and in Australia and New Zealand as well). But in the US, you mostly find shrimp. But sometimes, it’s simply an issue with semantics as well. What’s called shrimp in the US, can often be referred to as prawns elsewhere. So regardless of what you have at hand – prawns or shrimp, this Sri Lankan prawn curry will work equally well. This particular recipe though is for authentic creamy, spicy, Sri Lankan prawn curry (shrimp curry) made with coconut milk!

Another important thing is the curry powder that you use. For this recipe, it’s best to use a Sri Lankan curry powder (that is heavy on coriander). You’re welcome to use a store-bought curry powder, but remember that the curry powder is what makes a good curry. Thankfully, making your own curry powder isn’t difficult at all! I’ve shared my favorite Sri Lankan curry powder recipe right here on the blog. For this prawn curry, I used the unroasted version, but you can use either roasted or unroasted. I add some fennel spice to this shrimp curry too, because fennel pairs very well with seafood curries (but not with meat curries – I’m not sure why).

To clean the prawns/shrimp – I made a separate post with a video, which you can check out right here. For this Sri Lankan prawn curry recipe, I’m removing (but NOT discarding) the heads, and peeling them as well. I’m also keeping the tail.
Here are some more tips to make the BEST Sri Lankan prawn curry (Sri Lankan shrimp curry)
- The trick to making perfect Sri Lankan prawn curry (or any other shrimp curry) is to add the prawns/shrimp in at the very last minute, and give them just long enough to cook perfectly. This way they’ll be tender and juicy, and perfectly flavorful while being coated with that luscious thick sauce/gravy.
- Cook the shrimp heads first with the spices, onion, garlic and ginger so that you have an insanely flavorful curry base that has layers of flavor. Because I pan fry the shrimp heads first, they become crispy and caramelize slightly, adding another layer of flavor to the curry base. Some households actually blend the shrimp/prawn heads and strain it as the curry base. If you don’t use Shrimp heads, you can skip this step.
- This Sri Lankan shrimp curry (prawn curry) has a deliciously thick gravy/sauce that coats the shrimp generously. You can choose to keep it thick or add extra water to thin it out. I personally prefer a thick gravy. Just be sure to taste and season accordingly.
- Another variation is the spice level. Surprise, surprise, we LOVE it spicy! So we add a generous 2 tsp of cayenne pepper to this curry. But that’s ONLY if you like it spicy! Otherwise, adjust the level to your preference (I would recommend at least 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper). While paprika isn’t authentic to this Sri Lankan shrimp curry, it adds that classic red color of a good Sri Lankan prawn curry (never add smoked paprika, however).
- Curry leaves (karapincha in Sinhalese) and pandan leaves (rampe in Sinhalese) are strongly recommended, but again, if you can’t find a local Asian restaurant where those can be found, don’t worry about it. They do add a very distinct, herby flavor to the curry though.
If you can’t buy shrimp or prawns with the head, then you can get unpeeled ones, and add the shell first in place of the heads to make the curry base and coax out all that flavor (but you will have to remove the shells once they become nice and toasty). The shrimp heads really do take this curry to a whole new level. And since the shrimp cooks so quickly, there’s only a small time difference between this authentic version and the easy version (without cooking the heads first), so it is absolutely worth that extra little bit of time to make that heavenly shrimp curry (prawn curry) base. And I swear once you add the coconut milk and water and cook it down to a thick sauce/gravy, the aromas will set your salivary glands on fire!
I hope you guys love this authentic Sri Lankan shrimp curry as much as I have all my life! It’s so easy, and there’s really no way you can mess it up. And once you learn the technique and take that little bit of extra time, your curries will go straight from wow this is so good to HOLY CRAP, where has this been all my life level! You can cook some steamed plain white rice or roti to accompany this dish, although I do like serving this with some veggies (like beans or cabbage) and coconut sambol too.
Looking for more recipes?Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.
Authentic Sri Lankan Prawn Curry (Shrimp Curry)
Ingredients:
Shrimp / Prawns
- 455 g large shrimp or prawns preferably head-on, about 20 shrimp (see recipe notes)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp Sri Lankan Curry Powder
Shrimp Curry
- 3 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 4 - 5 garlic cloves finely chopped (about 1 tbsp)
- 1 inch piece of ginger finely chopped
- 1 medium onion red onion or sweet onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp unroasted Sri Lankan Curry Powder
- ½ tsp ground fennel
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper adjust to your spice level
- 1 tsp regular paprika
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 10 - 12 curry leaves karapincha
- 3 pandan leaves rampe
- ⅓ cup coconut milk
- ⅔ cup water + ¼ cup at the end
- 2 - 3 fresh red chili peppers or 1 tbsp sambal oelek
- 2 tbsp lemon / lime juice
- ½ tsp sugar optional
- salt to taste
Instructions:
Preparing the Shrimp / Prawns
- Clean the shrimp / prawns by removing the heads, and set aside (do not throw out). Peel the shell, leaving the tails intact and de-vein the shrimp (remove the intestinal tract).455 g large shrimp or prawns
- Rinse the shrimp and shrimp heads separately.
- Sprinkle the salt and curry powder over the shrimp and mix well and set aside to marinate while you cook the curry base.¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp Sri Lankan Curry Powder
Shrimp Curry
- Heat a saucepan or pan over medium high heat, and add the coconut oil. When hot, add the shrimp heads to the pan (it will sizzle and splatter, so be careful). Cook the shrimp heads for about 5 - 10 minutes until the heads become crispy and slightly caramelized in spots.3 tbsp coconut oil
- Add the onion, ginger, garlic, a generous pinch of salt, and reduce the heat to medium and cook the shrimp heads until the onions soften - a few minutes.4 - 5 garlic cloves, 1 inch piece of ginger, 1 medium onion, salt to taste
- Add the curry powder, fennel powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, curry leaves and rampe (pandan) leaves and saute, while mixing frequently for about 5 minutes, until the spices are fragrant and have formed a paste with the onion, garlic and ginger.¼ tsp Sri Lankan Curry Powder, 1 tbsp unroasted Sri Lankan Curry Powder, ½ tsp ground fennel, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp regular paprika, ½ tsp ground black pepper, 3 pandan leaves, 10 - 12 curry leaves
- Add the coconut milk,⅓ cup water, fresh red chili pepper, sugar and lemon or lime juice and stir to combine. Bring the mix to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes until the mixture is thick and dark red in color.⅓ cup coconut milk, ⅔ cup water, 2 - 3 fresh red chili peppers, ½ tsp sugar, 2 tbsp lemon / lime juice
- Add the peeled shrimp into the gravy base and gently mix to combine and completely coat the shrimp with the gravy/sauce. Add the extra ¼ cup of water if the gravy is too thick, or if you prefer more gravy.455 g large shrimp or prawns, ⅔ cup water
- While gently stirring, bring the mix to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium / medium low heat. Cook for a further10 minutes, or just until the shrimp is cooked through and is nice and pink. Taste and season with salt if needed.¼ tsp salt
- Turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid and let the shrimp sit in the gravy for a few minutes.
- Sprinkle chopped cilantro (optional) on top, and serve with rice or roti canai or coconut roti. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
Notes about the curry powder
You can choose to use store-bought curry powder. But please note that the flavor will be very different depending on the curry powder you use. Generic walmart brand curry powder doesn't have enough spices and I do NOT recommend it. I recommend purchasing curry powder from a South Asian grocery store instead. Look for a Sri Lankan curry powder or a Madras curry powder.Notes about the shrimp
I do not remove the tails, because we traditionally eat the tail too. It's nice and crunchy. But feel free to remove the tails if you prefer. The shrimp heads add a great deal of flavor to the curry. But if you don't or can't buy shrimp with heads, you can buy shrimp/prawns that come with the shell only. De-shell the shrimp and replace the heads in the recipe with the shells. Once the shells are nice and toasty, remove them BEFORE adding the onions. This will add more flavor to the curry. You can also choose to use shelled shrimp without the tail and skip the head-toasting step altogether.Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
If you liked this authentic Sri Lankan prawn curry (Sri Lankan shrimp curry) recipe, don’t forget to subscribe for new (and free) recipes by entering your email address on the side bar (and get all these recipes delivered straight to your inbox), so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find me on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, YOU TUBE and GOOGLE-PLUS too.
Duleep says
Nice recipe made it number of time great taste,Thanks for sharing it
Sofia says
Hi Dini!
Just finished making the curry. The smell is insanely good! Love, love the curry; so good that I wanted to cry! I cannot believe that I made Sri Lankan curry from scratch!
I went all out with this curry; I even bought the pandan leaves. It doesn’t end yet because I am making the coconut roti to go with this curry. Do they go well together?
Dini says
Hi Sofia!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad that you liked this curry 🙂 It makes me so happy!
And the coconut roti goes SO well with this too!
Let me know how everything goes. Now you’ve made me crave this too and I might have to make some for dinner! Hahaha!
Nadhi Lakmali says
Bestest prawn curry recipe. Closest thing to what my mum used to make
Katherine says
Forgot to give a rate
Katherine says
Hi Dini, I’d really love to try this recipe. However, I don’t have pandan leaves on hand. Is this ingredient a must or can I leave it out? Thank you.
Dini says
Hi Katherine!
You can absolutely leave it out if you don’t have access to it 🙂
If you have bay leaves, you can add a couple of them instead, but if you don’t, you don’t have to add that either!
Katherine says
Thanks so much Dini for the reply. I’ll use the bay leaves as you suggested.
Katherine says
Hi Dini, I made this prawn curry over the weekend. It was delish, loved it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Tracey Mortimore says
Love this recipe. Have made several times.
Wije says
I like these recipes.Wije
Rasheeda says
The best prawn curry I ever had! Made it for an occasion and it was a hit! Shall make it again and again. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
PS: Cooked Atlantic Salmon the same way (no heads though!), it was lovely too. Love the gravy.
Patrick says
Can i use frozen prawns. Thanks
Dini says
Hi Patrick
I prefer not to. I always thaw my frozen prawn in cold tap water and pat it dry before using it for dishes.
It is possibe for frozen prawns to be used, but it will add more water to the curry, and they will need to be cooked longer to evaporate that water (if you like a thicker gravy) that can lead to over cooking. Frozen prawns can also end up being rubbery due to the uneven cooking as well.
I hope that helps
Patrick says
Thanks will do it like that. Thanks
Alex Ross says
Hi Dini,
I have two questions:
1. Can this curry be frozen, or is that a bad idea? Would it lose texture/fragrance? I’m trying to get ahead for a curry feast I’m making in two weeks for husband’s 70th birthday.
2. My pandan leaves are about two feet long (!)…do you cut them into shorter lengths, slice them, or leave as they are?
Thanks in advance, this looks such a fab recipe !
Th
Dini says
Hi Alex
You can make this in advance! There is definitely no loss in flavor. However if you over heat the curry there is a chance that the shrimp might over cook and have a “rubbery” texture.
To avoid this, heat the curry just until the shrimp is heated through. Cooking it too long will result in the shrimp overcooking.
Pandan leaves are usually very long! It is absolutely ok to cut it down to the size you need!
I hope that helps!
David says
I have a question: would it be ok to fish the heads out of the pot after they get soft from cooking with the onion, ginger, garlic and salt? Some of the people I cook for would not find shrimp heads on their plate appetizing.
Dini says
Hi David
Yes! You can remove the heads after toasting them in the pan with the aromatics 🙂
Hope that helps!
Sharon says
Yum, sounds delicious. Can this be made ahead of time like with a chicken or beef or because it’s prawn is it better in the day of?
Kim says
I’d love to try this recipe!
If I want to add passata, should I then reduce the amount of water added?
Or is it not common to add passata (never made curry before)?
Thank you in advance!
Dini says
Hi Kim
We don’t really use passata in curries unfortunately. Though we might add fresh tomatoes to the curry though (like in this Chicken curry).
Adding passata (equivalent of 1 – 2 tomatoes), or even fresh tomatoes will change the flavor of this particular recipe. It’s not a bad addition, just will result in something different.
I hope that helps!
Alex Ross says
Thank you Dini. Sorry to be so late replying, but yes that was very helpful.
Joyce says
Thank you Dini, loved your recipe.
I love the sauce thicker too.
Amy sat says
The best prawn curry recipe ever!
Jens Toni says
Really good!
Allan says
I’ll try this out very soon. My mums has her version of preparing prawns but let me try your version with the prawn head. Keep writing. All the best from Negombo
Sahani Gamage says
Made this today and it was a hit! It was very flavorful and loved your instructions. Thank you!
Oren says
Didn’t have easy access to head-on shrimp but otherwise followed instructions and wow, this did not disappoint. The curry is out of this world.
Angela says
Thank you for this recipe. Made it for the New Year. The curry turned out very good. My family enjoyed it.
I will definitely make it again.
Gayathiri Pathmanathan says
Doubtlessly the best and most authentic Sri Lankan prawn curry recipe to be found anywhere (trust me, I’m a fellow Sri Lankan)!
Krish says
Fantastic recipe. All loved it.
Pauly says
Awesome like my mother used to make and very little can go wrong
Arlan VR says
Hi Dini,
Do I need to grind the unroasted spices, or keep it whole in form when adding to the roasted curry powder in the cooking process?.
Thanks in Advance
Arlan
Dini says
Hi Arlan
To make unroasted curry powder, you just need to grind the unroasted spices listed in the curry powder recipe (skip the pan roasting). But I have also used the roasted version in this recipe and get good results too.
I hope that helps!
Marcus says
Hi Dini,
Thank you so much for sharing the recipes I will try them they certainly are mouthwatering
Stella says
I made it. Everyone loved it.
Natasha Perera says
Fantastic flavours. Love the recipe. Using the heads to cook was a great flavour booster.
Chamodi says
I loved this recipe so much. This is by far the best authentic prawn curry I made so far. I am a beginner at making srilankan traditional dishes so this recipe along with your thorough explanations helped me make the perfect curry.
Khatija Sindhi says
Looks delicious i will try it
Imogen says
This is my new favourite recipe! I wasn’t sure how it would turn out as I can’t get shell-on prawns, curry leaves, or pandan leaves at the moment but thought I’d give it a go anyway. It was SO DELICIOUS, have made it twice now. I don’t have any prawns this week but might try a version with aubergine and chopped tomatoes – the gravy is so delicious I could have it on its own! Thank you so much for posting, any anyone reading don’t be afraid to give it a go even if you don’t have every single ingredient, a good curry powder and whatever else you have might not quite be the same but still tasty.
Angie Ruby says
Hi Dini, Love your site. Hi from Malaysia. For the unroasted curry powder, are the measurements the same as the roasted but we just need to omit toasting the spices before blending?
Dini says
Hi Angie!
Sorry for the late reply!
Yes, it’s the same measurements and you omit toasting the spices 🙂
I sometimes increase the fennel a little more because I like more of the fennel flavor in my seafood dishes. But that is optional.
Doyne Gunasekera says
Hi DINI Your cooking on Master cheif was beautiful. Congratulations. I only watched that show because you were there. Your prawn curry looks delicious, I nornally add a bit of tamerine paste at the end. I come from Negombo Sri Lanka, world renowned for prawns.It brings back beautiful memories.Please help us with your receipies I love them.thank you Dini
Valerey Fernandes-Gupte says
A delicious recipe . Thank you
PL says
Hey, thanks for sharing your recipes. I have not tried them out yet to be honest, but I intend to do so. I’m a amateur passionate cook and do lots research before cooking. I cook as a hobby and love to entertain.
I have one question, do you substitute with cayenne pepper for chili powder? And why?
Dini says
Hi PL
You can use chili powder or cayenne pepper. If you are using chili powder make sure it’s a south asian chili powder. Sometimes mexican chili powder is sold as chili powder, and this will have a very different taste than south asian chili powders.
Cayenne pepper is a good substitute for this, and is more widely available in supermarkets North America (where I live), which is why I use it.
Hope that helps!
Cecilia Francis says
I like this recipe but without coconut milk.
Gayathiri Pathmanathan says
This was my first time ever making Sri Lankan prawn curry and I’m so pleased to have stumbled upon this recipe. As advised, I made the curry powder from scratch. I has no cayenne or paprika on hand but adding in a teaspoon of ground red chillies and another teaspoon of extra-fiery Punjabi chilli powder gave the curry a whopping dose of heat and a brilliant red colour. All in all, the result was a beautifully mellow yet spicy curry that no doubt brought back sweet memories of his childhood growing up by the Kuantan coast. I served this to Dad with plain white rice and a rustic stir-fried sayur manis dish garnished with toasted coconut flesh. Scored a perfect 10/10!
Dini says
Thank you so much for letting me know Gayathiri! I’m so happy your first time making this prawn curry was a success and you enjoyed it! 🙂
Christopher Cowell says
This is an absolute five-star recipe! I additionally made a little stock with the prawn shells to add instead of the 1/3d cup water. Also I had to use dried curry leaves and rampe, rather than fresh, which wasn’t as ‘herby’. But the result was spectacularly good with some basmati rice with cumin and turmeric. A really authentic taste of Sri Lanka! Thank you so much for sharing this.
R says
Its amazing! I didn’t have fennel powder so i substituted with cumin powder.
Zoya Writes says
I made this a few nights ago for my Indian boyfriend. He requested it again tonight! It is so delicious!
Stephanie says
I made this dish by following your recipe best I could. We just finished it. It tasted like it was from a restaurant! i left out some ingredients like the leaves and fennel sth because I don’t have them but we are happy anyway. Your post showed up as first google result when I searched ‘prawn curry with shells’. So lucky! Thank you so so much and thank you for including extra detailed information. It was very helpful.
Dini says
Thank you so much for letting me know Stephanie! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Prosper Bemunuge says
Hello! Wow. I really liked your shrimp curry recipe. It was the best I have tasted. Thank you for sharing the secret of making the the best Sri Lankan Shrimp Recipe.
Dini says
Thank you so much Prosper! So happy you liked the curry! 🙂
Peter Keith Fernando says
Hi,
I’m a Singhalese born and bred in Singapore. My late paternal grandfather was born and raised in Negombo and came to Singapore in his 20″s to live.
Ever since my siblings and I were young ( I’m 61 years now), we always loved Singhalese dishes and my deal mum was the best cook. Sini sambal was often on the table.
I cooked your fantastic chicken curry last week and will cook the prawn curry this weekend. And i make the curry powder following your recipe.
Thank you for your delicious dishes. Please upload your recipe for duck curry. Best wishes, Peter Fernando
Beth says
Hi there. Nice to find a kiwi Sri Lankan with some recipes to share! I am in New Zealand and would love to give this recipe a go. Do you think it will be okay to use frozen prawn that have been defrosted? Looks amazing, thanks!
Dini says
Kia Ora Beth!
Frozen prawns should work absolutely fine! 🙂 Make sure to pat them dry before adding to the curry too. The cook time will vary according to the size of the prawns too, so just keep an eye on them as they cook, as overcooking could make them taste “rubbery”. I usually prefer to use 31/35 sized prawns (or larger), and avoid using smallish prawns as they cook too quickly.
Hope that helps!
Scotty says
Dini, Wow this is stunning, we loved Sri Lanka and the amazing food there and have tried a few different recipes since and this is the best by a country mile. Thank You!
Dini says
I’m so glad to hear that, thanks so much for letting me know Scotty! 🙂 I’ve got several other Sri Lankan curry recipes on the blog, and I’m hoping to share a few more in the near future too. Glad you enjoyed your time and the food in SL!
KN says
Amazing recipe, simply stunning. It was initially a little out of my comfort zone, however I took a deep breath and leap of faith and blitzed the prawn heads in a blender then passed the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. To say the result was amazing is an understatement. It made such a difference in the depth of flavour for this amazing curry. Will make again without hesitation. I served it with pan fried cauliflower rice. So amazing good! Thank you so much!
Rathi says
Hi, I made this last night for Deepavali dinner and it was so delicious and the best prawn curry I’ve had. My husband and I finished it all! I made it exactly as per the recipe and using the shrimp heads gives an amazing flavour. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Dini says
Thank you so much for letting me know Rathi! I’m really glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
Alyssa says
Just delicious! Thank you for all the tips to make this special dish.
Rebecca Hubbell says
I love a good curry recipe and this one is packed with so much flavor!
Karla says
Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe! Made it the third time today with my girlfriend and we both agree it’s the best prawn curry we’ve ever made AND eaten! 🙂
Dini says
Thank you so much for letting me know Karla! 🙂 This is one of our favorite curries too. I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
Navreet Sidhu says
Thank you for this recipe, it’s hard to find authentic Tamil recipes unless I learn it from a friend’s mom. I reduced the cayenne to only 1/2 tsp, otherwise a fantastic dish. We served it with rice, soy curry, and yogurt.
Anthony D-W says
Thanks Dini. This is a fantastic recipe! Truly grateful. Cheers!