Chinese prawn curry recipe

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This Chinese prawn curry uses nine ingredients and takes under 15 minutes to cook.

Chinese prawn curry
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Serves4
SkillEasy
Preparation Time5 mins plus marinating
Cooking Time10 mins
Total Time15 mins
Cost RangeCheap
Nutrition Per PortionRDA
Calories173 Kcal9%
Sugars6.3 g7%
Saturated Fat0.7 g4%
Protein16.8 g34%
Fat7.9 g11%
Carbohydrates8 g3%

Our Chinese prawn curry is easy to cook and each portion is under 200 calories.

If you’re looking for a speedy dinner that promises lots of flavour and minimal calories, this is the recipe for you. You only need nine ingredients and 5 minutes of prep. The recipe serves four but you can easily scale it up or down depending on how many people you’re cooking for.

Ingredients

  • 500g headless unpeeled raw prawns
  • 2tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
  • 2tbsp Madras curry paste
  • 1tbsp light brown sugar
  • 2tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2cm piece root ginger, grated
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • A small bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped

WEIGHT CONVERTER

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Method 

  1. Wash and pat dry the prawns and place in a shallow dish. Mix the soy sauce, wine or sherry, curry paste and brown sugar together and mix into the prawns. Set aside to marinate for 5 minutes.
  2. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan and stir fry the ginger and onion for 5 mins to soften but not brown. Add the prawns and marinade along with the coriander and stir fry for 5-6 mins until the prawns are pink all over and cooked through.
  3. Serve immediately in small bowls on top of freshly cooked rice. Scrape over any sauce from the pan and garnish with more coriander, if you like.

Top tips for making a Chinese prawn curry

If you have time, allow the prawns to marinate for a couple of hours or overnight. 

Should I put garlic in my curry?

For extra flavour you could certainly add a couple of grated or crushed garlic cloves to the curry. Stir in when you add the prawns to avoid it burning. 

What can I use instead of prawns?

This marinade would work really well with white fish, chicken or tofu. It is also delicious with a mixture of vegetables. Cauliflower or broccoli are nice hearty choices. 

How can I make my curry more saucy?

This recipe is more of a dry curry. You could add 100ml of water or stock to the pan with the prawns and simmer for a brothy sauce. 

Profile picture of Jessica Ransom
Jessica Ransom

“If you find preparing ginger a little tricky you can use 1tbsp ginger paste which lots of supermarkets sell. The easiest and safest way to peel root ginger is using a teaspoon - trust me it works!” 

The high sides on this Meyer frying pan will be perfect for tossing the ingredients of this curry together. 

Meyer Accent Deep Frying Pan Non Stick 26cm - View at Amazon

Meyer Accent Deep Frying Pan Non Stick 26cm - <a href="https://amazon.co.uk/Meyer-81217-Anodized-Nonstick-Aluminum/dp/B09JVQTDHX?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&th=1&tag=hawk-future-21&ascsubtag=hawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="amazon.co.uk"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View at Amazon

“I have this pan at home and love it”, says food writer Jessica Ransom. She adds: “It’s lightweight, compatible with an induction hob and incredibly durable.” 

Why not serve this curry with a starter of crispy duck pancakes, prawn toast and vegetable spring rolls. Alternatively, try something completely different with Wagamama's katsu curry recipe

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