Sri Lankan Prawn Curry

Instructions:
Preparing the Shrimp / Prawns
Clean the shrimp / prawns by removing the heads and setting them aside. Peel the shell, leaving the tails intact and devein the shrimp (remove the intestinal tract). For a detailed

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.

                                            Total Time                                               1 hour

Serves4servings

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Shrimp / Prawns

• 1 lb large shrimp or prawns head-on, about 20 shrimp
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp Sri Lankan Curry Powder

Shrimp Curry

• 3 tbsp coconut oil or neutral 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
• 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

Shrimp Curry

• Heat a saucepan or pan over medium high heat, and add the coconut oil. Once it's 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. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, a generous pinch of salt and reduce the heat to medium and cook the shrimp heads until they soften - a few minutes.
• Add the curry powder, fennel powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, curry leaves (rampe 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.
• 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.
• Add the peeled shrimp into the gravy base and gently mix to combine and completely coat the shrimp with the gravy/sauce. Add the ¼ cup of water if the gravy is too thick, or you would like more gravy. While gently stirring, bring the mix to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes further, or just until the shrimp is cooked through and is nice and pink. Taste and season with salt if needed.
• 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. Enjoy!