If you are looking for the tastiest way to make shrimp, this recipe is it. Kerala Prawn Roast will impress you. It has incredible flavor, lots of spices, and is coated in a thick sauce made with caramelized onions and roasted ripe tomatoes.
What is Kerala Prawn Roast?
If you know someone who is a Keralite, I bet this prawn roast is their favorite seafood dish. And if you know anything about Kerala food And with the role seafood plays, you know what a big deal it is. This shrimp roast is exceptionally delicious.
Now, if you have never had Kerala Prawn Roast, get ready because your taste buds are in for a ride. The Prawn Roast is unique – so different from any prawn curry. different from me 1-Minute Shrimp Curry or mine Sweet and Spicy Pineapple Shrimp, this shrimp roast is a “dry curry”. It is not soupy but rather a thick sauce that envelops the shrimp.
This thick sauce is the key to Kerala roasts. I grew up in the US, and here, when you hear the word roast, you probably think of roast chicken – or some meat you cook on the stove. Well, a Kerala roast calls for roasting the meat first on the stove and then serving it in a thick gravy. I already have two more Kerala roasts on the blog – both amazing recipes: Dry roast chicken And Egg roast.
Like the other two roast recipes, this shrimp roast can also be served as a main dish. Or, you can serve it as an appetizer. It is common to serve a plate of these prawns in bars – the spicy prawns are served with beer or some other type of drink.
Shrimp Roast Ingredients
- Prawns: Medium to large, peeled, devine, tailed off
- Spices: Paprika, Turmeric, Salt
- coconut oil
- red onion
- garlic
- ginger
- Green Chili: Serrano or Indian green chilies work
- curry leaves
- Dry red chillies
- tomato
- Spices: Coriander powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, red pepper
- meat seasoning: This is a spice mix that you will need before making this shrimp. I use it in almost every Keralite recipe on this website. It adds a lot of unique flavor to this dish, so please take the time to make it.
- Vinegar: You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
How to make Kerala Prawn Roast
Add shrimp, paprika, turmeric and salt to a bowl and mix well. Fry prawns in coconut oil.
Cook the onions until golden brown, along with garlic, ginger, green chillies, curry leaves and dry red chillies. Then add chopped tomatoes and cook until soft. Add spices. Then cook the sauce, add the shrimp and vinegar and enjoy!
What to serve with shrimp roast:
These shrimp are sometimes served as bar food – on a plate alongside a cold glass of beer. So if you are having a party, you can enjoy it that way. Or turn it into a meal, serving it with rice, vegetable thoran and moru, a yogurt curry like raita.
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Add prawns, paprika, turmeric, salt to a bowl and mix well.
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Heat the coconut oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat, then add half the shrimp (or you can fit them in a single layer). Let it cook for 2-3 minutes to form a brown crust, then flip and cook until done. Remove the shrimp and set aside for now. Repeat with remaining shrimp.
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Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onion is golden brown. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any burnt bits as you stir.
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Add the garlic, ginger, green chillies, curry leaves and dry red chillies and fry for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and fry for 5 minutes or until soft (this is a good time to scrape the bottom if necessary. )
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Add spices and mix well. Then add water, cover the pot with a lid, and cook for 2 minutes.
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Remove the lid, and fry for 2 minutes to dry out any moisture in the pot, then add the vinegar and prawns and mix well.
