I sure love my curry, and when I want an extra special dinner, I make it with shrimp. To keep things easy to find, I am sharing four of my very favorite shrimp curry recipes right here in one place. I’ve included two Indian specialties, my spicy Jamaican curry shrimp, and an absolutely drool-worthy Thai recipe.

Coming from India, I’ve been eating a variety of curries all my life. But during my last decade plus in the States, I’ve really explored the different types of curry they cook all over the world.

Now I’ve been cooking a variety of different shrimp curries over the years, and although every one has its own nuances, there are some tips I’ve picked up that can apply to any of them. So before we get cooking, let’s go over a few quick pointers to make sure your curry comes out extra delicious!

Tips for Cooking Shrimp Curries

Use raw shrimp, not pre-cooked: Starting with raw shrimp helps them absorb the flavors of the curry as they simmer. Pre-cooked shrimp just won’t soak up the sauce the same way.
Clean and devein properly: Make sure the shrimp are peeled and deveined for a cleaner flavor and better texture. Tails on or off is totally up to you. I like leaving them on for presentation sometimes.
Don’t overcook the shrimp: Shrimp cook fast, like really fast. Once they turn pink and opaque, they’re done. Overcooked shrimp turn rubbery and lose their sweetness, so keep a close eye.

My Favorite Shrimp Curry Recipes

Keralan Shrimp Moilee

This one is extra special to me. Jason and I first came across Shrimp Moilee on our honeymoon in Kerala, India. We loved it so much that we asked the chef for his recipe… and he gave it to us! So here it is, a very authentic shrimp curry all the way from the south of India.

Ingredients

1.5 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons oil or ghee, divided
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
12-14 curry leaves
1 jalapeño or Serrano chili, slit
1 medium onion, sliced
6oz cherry tomatoes or 1 large juicy ripe Roma tomato, sliced
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 13.5oz can coconut milk
cilantro, chopped for garnish

Instructions

Marinate the prawns with salt, turmeric and chopped ginger for 30 minutes, or while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pot and sauté the prawns for a few minutes until they start to curl up. Remove them to a plate.
In the same pot, heat 2 Tbsp oil and once the oil is hot, add in mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop. Add in curry leaves and sauté until they start crackling. Once they start to turn a little brown, add in sliced onion and sauté for 7-8 minutes, or until they start turning light golden brown.
Add in sliced tomatoes along with salt and coriander powder and cook the tomatoes till they are soft.
Add prawns back in and cook for a minute.
Lower the heat and stir in coconut milk and mix well. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until prawns are fully cooked. The cook time will depend upon the size of the prawns.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately with warm basmati rice.

Jamaican Curry Shrimp

Now this curry shrimp recipe not only has a tropical flair, but it’s also the one I like to make the spiciest. You can customize the heat by adjusting the amount of scotch bonnet (or habanero) peppers you use, or even omitting them. But if you’re a chili head like me, go all out! 😈

Ingredients

For shrimp marinade:

1.5 pounds jumbo shrimp, deveined with tails on
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon all purpose seasoning
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoon ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4-5 thyme sprigs, broken into pieces
2 tablespoons shallots, diced
1 scallion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil

Curry Shrimp

2 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 bell peppers (you can use multicolored), diced
1 shallot, diced or sliced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3-4 pimento seeds
5-6 thyme sprigs, broken into large pieces
2 teaspoons all purpose seasoning
salt to taste
1-3 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers
14oz can coconut milk
scallions, for garnish
cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

Season the shrimp with all marinade ingredients and marinate for 30-60 minutes, or while you prep the other ingredients.
Heat oil in a skillet or pan over medium high heat and sauté chopped bell peppers and shallots for 3-4 minutes.
Slide the pepper and shallot mixture to the side of the pan, add a dash of oil in the middle and add curry powder. Cook it, stirring continuously, for a minute or two. Mix it with the bell pepper mixture and continue cooing for 4-5 minutes, till the curry powder is cooked well and starts sticking to the bottom, turning toasty brown in color. (Stir constantly so as not to burn the curry powder)
Add ginger and garlic and cook for a minute. Add shrimp along with all marinade and mix well.
Add scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, all purpose seasoning, salt and mix well. Cook for a few minutes till the shrimp start getting a little sear, or just starting to curl up.
Add coconut milk along with 1/4 cup water (you can add more water if you want thinner curry, we like it thick). Cook for 5-8 minutes, or till the shrimp is cooked. Taste and adjust for salt. Let it sit for a few minutes to meld all the flavors.
Garnish with scallions and cilantro, and serve with warm rice or roti.

Thai Red Shrimp Curry

I just can’t get enough of Thai curries. Red, green, yellow… give me any variety and I’m ready to chow down. This red shrimp curry is a perfect balance of sweet, salty, sour, bitter and spicy flavors, that all work in harmony. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this one!

Ingredients

1.5 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
2 tablespoons oil
2 shallots, chopped
2-6 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (2 for mild, 6 for hot, or anywhere in between!)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced into chunks
1 green bell pepper, cored and diced into chunks
1 15oz can coconut milk
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup basil leaves
½ lime, juiced

Instructions

Heat oil over medium high heat in a pan and sauté shallots for 3-4 minutes. Add Thai red curry paste and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring continuously. Add in ginger and garlic and cook for a couple more minutes.
Add in bell peppers and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in coconut milk along with ½ cup water, soy sauce, fish sauce and brown sugar. Simmer for 5-8 minutes.
Stir in basil. Taste and adjust the flavor to your liking. At this point you can add more curry paste, soy sauce or sugar and simmer for few more minutes.
Add shrimp and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until cooked through. Stir in lime juice. Garnish it with desired garnishes (cilantro, fresh basil and scallions) and serve immediately with warm jasmine or basmati rice.

Shrimp Korma

And back to India we come, the land of curry! Korma is a dish I grew up on, with it’s velvety, yogurt based sauce enhanced with ground nuts, cream and butter. I cook my authentic korma in different ways, sometimes adding chicken or a variety of vegetables, but my very favorite is shrimp korma. It’s just too delicious, especially with some naan or roti.

Ingredients

1.5 pounds shrimp
2.5 large onions, sliced
1/4 cup oil (for frying onions)
2 tablespoons ghee
2 tablespoons garlic paste
2 tablespoons ginger paste
1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
3/4 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
1/2 -1 cup coconut milk (depending on how thick you want the sauce)
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 green or red chili pepper for garnish
salt, to taste

Instructions

Heat oil over medium heat and sauté sliced onions till they are dark brown in color. This would take at least 15 minutes, as you need to caramelize them without burning. For that you need to always keep an close eye on your onions.
Once onions are brown, make an onion paste along with cashews and a dash of water. Keep it aside.
Heat ghee in a pan. Add in ginger and garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Add in red chili powder, turmeric and coriander powder. Sauté for few seconds. Add in tomatoes along with salt and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add brown onion + cashew paste to the pot. Mix well.
Mix in the shrimp and cilantro, and simmer for a minute. Stir in the yogurt, incorporate well, and cook for 5 minutes. Add in garam masala powder along with coconut milk and cook for another 5-8 minutes, or until shrimp is cooked well.
Add in a little pinch of chili flakes and green chili pepper for a final garnish and cook for a minute. Serve immediately, garnishing further with cilantro.

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Wrapping Up

So there you go, friends, four delectable shrimp curry recipes, all of which I have cooked many times in my kitchen. Whether you’re looking to impress guests, or just want something super delicious to add to your rotation, any of these dishes will surely hit the spot!

If you try them, please let me know your favorite in the comment section down below!