Description
Prawn Bhuna brings together juicy king prawns and a thick, aromatic tomato-based sauce created through the traditional ‘bhuna’ cooking technique. This classic Indian curry delivers bold flavors from carefully cooked spices that coat bites of perfectly cooked prawns.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the prawns
- 1/2 lb / 225 g prawns, shelled and deveined
- 1/4 tsp hot chili powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
For the bhuna sauce
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 medium tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 20 g (half of a thumb-sized piece) ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 green chili peppers, julienned
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1/3 cup (75 ml) water
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
Making the bhuna sauce
- Heat oil in a wok or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and cook 3-5 minutes until golden and soft.
- Add grated garlic, ginger, and green chilli peppers. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in mustard powder, Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, and a pinch of salt. Stir to coat the onions evenly.
- Add tomato wedges, sugar, tomato puree, and water. Stir well, cover, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
Preparing the prawns
- While sauce simmers, season prawns in a bowl with chili powder, cumin, turmeric, and salt.
- In the last 2-3 minutes of sauce simmering, heat remaining oil in a separate pan over high heat.
- Sauté seasoned prawns 1-2 minutes until they just start to turn pink.
- Uncover sauce and mash softened tomatoes with a spoon. Stir in sautéed prawns.
- Cook 3-4 more minutes until prawns are fully cooked and coated in the thick sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
- Can substitute king prawns with tiger prawns or shrimp
- For a vegetarian version, replace prawns with paneer or mixed vegetables
- Use ghee instead of neutral oil for added richness
Cooking Tips
- Kashmiri chili powder provides color without excessive heat
- You can reduce or omit the green chilli peppers if you’re very sensitive to spice levels
- Toast whole spices before grinding for maximum flavor
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan or wok for even heat distribution
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
