A quick and easy prawn curry recipe that uses very few, very basic ingredients to make delicious Mangalorean style prawns masala (known as sungata phanna upkari in Konkani cuisine).
This prawn curry recipe is one I got from my mom. Because this one was a childhood favorite of mine, and she made it pretty frequently.
It’s a dry-ish curry, more masala than curry, that uses very few, very basic ingredients.
We call it sungata phanna upkari at home. Because in konkani.. prawns = sungata, and in konkani cusine.. upkari is a stir fry of sorts, like this batata upkari (potato stir fry), and phanna means tadka, but in this curry, it refers to adding of roasted onions. Hence the name – sungata phanna upkari.
But don’t be fooled by the simple and basic ingredients, because this authentic konkani style (or mangalorean style) prawns masala curry still tastes divine.
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This Prawn Curry Recipe
- is for a Konkani style / Mangalorean style prawn curry
- makes for a dry-er curry like prawns masala
- uses few simple and basic ingredients
- is pretty simple and easy to make
Ingredients You Need
Ingredient notes
Prawns / shrimp – It’s best to always use raw prawns /shrimp. I always go with the ones that are deveined with tail off. And for this particular recipe, small to medium sized prawns are ideal.
Tamarind – To recreate the authentic flavor of this recipe, it’s best to use tamarind. And not substitute it with tomato for the sourness.
Chillies – I like to use a blend of red chilli and kashmiri chilli powder. You can alter the proportion of the two based on your preference.
How to Make Mangalorean Prawns Masala
- Clean the shrimp well, pat dry the excess water, and then marinate it with salt & turmeric powder for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
- In a wide bottomed pan, heat up the oil, and add the finely chopped onions & salt. Saute till the onions turn golden brown. This step takes time and patience, but it is crucial, so don’t skip or rush it.
- Once the onions have turned golden brown, add in the kashmiri chilli powder & red chilli powder, and saute for 2-3 minutes till the masalas get lightly cooked. Here you can add a splash of water if required to avoid the masalas getting burnt.
- Then add in the tamarind extract, and mix in it.
- Finally add the marinated shrimp, along with fresh water, and give everything a quick mix.
- Cook covered for about 10 minutes on medium flame, and then about 10 minutes without the lid on, so that the water in the curry reduces a bit.
- When the prawns are cooked, and the water in the curry has reduced, prawns masala is ready.
Notes
- It’s best to use a wide bottomed pan for this one, as mentioned in the recipe, as it will help to roast the onions & cook the prawns faster, and also achieve the dry-ish consistency of this curry.
- If you prefer a more liquid-y curry, adjust the quantity of water to suit your preferences. Just remember to adjust salt and spice level accordingly.
- The kashmiri chilli powder adds to the color of the dish more than the spice, and the regular chilli powder adds to the spice level of the dish. Adjust the quantity of the two chilli powders to suit your spice preferences. Just also remember to adjust the quantity of the tamarind extract relative to the spice level.
Serving Suggestion
Serve hot with roti, naan or rice. This dish also makes for a great candidate for make ahead lunch/dinner, as it tastes even better the next day.
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⭐️ Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
As always, I hope you found this recipe useful. If you did, please let me know your rating ⭐️ and feedback 📲 in the comments below, or simply rate the recipe right on the recipe card. I’d really appreciate it. ❤️
📖 RECIPE
Prawn Curry Recipe (Mangalorean Prawns Masala / Sungata Phanna Upkari)
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds prawns / shrimp raw, de-veined, tail off
For Marination
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
For Curry
- ¼ cup oil
- 4 cup finely chopped onion
- ½-¾ teaspoon salt
- 1½ tablespoon kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon tamarind extract
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Clean the shrimp well, pat dry the excess water, and then marinate it with salt & turmeric powder for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
- In a wide bottomed pan, heat up the oil, and add the finely chopped onions & salt. Saute till the onions turn golden brown. This step takes time and patience, but it is crucial, so don’t skip or rush it.
- Once the onions have turned golden brown, add in the kashmiri chilli powder & red chilli powder, and saute for 2-3 minutes till the masalas get lightly cooked. Here you can add a splash of water if required to avoid the masalas getting burnt.
- Then add in the tamarind extract, and mix in it.
- Finally add the marinated shrimp, along with fresh water, and give everything a quick mix.
- Cook covered for about 10 minutes on medium flame, and then about 10 minutes without the lid on, so that the water in the curry reduces a bit.
- When the prawns are cooked, and the water in the curry has reduced, prawns masala is ready.
- Serve with rotis, chapatis, or rice.
Notes
- It’s best to use a wide bottomed pan for this one, as mentioned in the recipe, as it will help to roast the onions & cook the prawns faster, and also achieve the dry-ish consistency of this curry.
- If you prefer a more liquid-y curry, adjust the quantity of water to suit your preferences. Just remember to adjust salt and spice level accordingly.
- The kashmiri chilli powder adds to the color of the dish more than the spice, and the regular chilli powder adds to the spice level of the dish. Adjust the quantity of the two chilli powders to suit your spice preferences. Just also remember to adjust the quantity of the tamarind extract relative to the spice level.
Nutrition
Video Recipe
This recipe was first published in Mar 2019, and has been republished with updated instructions, notes & tips, step images as well as video in Feb 2021.
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Deepti Menon
This looks absolutely fabulous, Shantala! A must try recipe! The photographs are brilliant too. Kudos!
The Love of Spice
Thank you so much, Deepti. So glad you liked it.