Prawn Malai Curry

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prawn malaikari with rice topped with cilantro and green chilies served over rice

Recipe by

Saima Rahman

Servings

2-3

Prep time

15 mins

Cooking time

25 mins

Prawn Malai Curry, also known as Chingri Malai Curry, is a classic Bengali dish that’s rich, creamy, and full of flavor. Prawns are cooked in a spiced coconut milk gravy with aromatic whole and ground spices, onion, ginger, and a touch of ghee and yogurt for extra depth. This curry is a crowd-pleaser and perfect for serving with steamed rice or pulao. The combination of succulent prawns and luxurious coconut gravy makes it a true Bengali favorite that never disappoints, especially when entertaining guests

Ingredients

1 lb Prawns (about 18 pcs), cleaned and deveined (shells optional)
1 cup Onion paste
2.5 tbsp Ghee
2 tbsp Yogurt
1/4 cup Mustard/neutral oil + 1 tbsp ghee
Salt, to taste
1/2 tsp Sugar
3–4 Green chilies
1.5 tsp Ginger paste
1 tin Coconut milk
Cilantro, for garnish

Ground Spices:

2 tsp Red chili powder (1 tsp for marination)
1 tsp Sweet paprika (optional, for color)
3 tsp Turmeric powder (1 tsp for marination)
1/2 tsp Dry roasted ground cumin

Whole Spices:

1 Cinnamon stick
3–4 Cardamom pods
3–4 Cloves
2 Bay leaves

Directions

Step 1 – Marinate & Fry Prawns:

Clean and devein prawns (keeping shells on is optional).
Marinate prawns with 1 tsp red chili powder and 1 tsp turmeric powder.
Fry in mustard oil for about 3 minutes or until the shells turn red. Remove and set aside.

Step 2 – Make Curry

In the same pan, if oil is not burnt, add ghee.
Temper the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves).
Add onion paste and ginger paste, cover, and cook for 5–6 minutes on low heat.
Add ground spices and yogurt. Cover and cook until oil separates.
Add coconut milk, cover, and cook until oil rises to the top.
Return fried prawns to the curry. Adjust salt and add sugar. Cover with a lid and cook for another 10 minutes on low heat.
Garnish with chopped green chilies and cilantro. Serve warm with rice.

Recipe Video

@thehungrycoder
@The Feedfeed Prawn Malai Curry/ Chingri Malai Curry⬇️ . Ingredients: – 1lb Prawns 18pcs – 1 cup Onion paste – 2.5 tbsp Ghee for the curry – 2 tbs Yogurt – 1/4 cup Mustard/Neutral oil for frying – Salt to taste – 1/2 tsp sugar – 3-4 Green chilies – 1.5 tsp Ginger paste – 1 tin Coconut Milk – Cilantro for garnish Ground Spices: – 2 tsp Red chili powder (1 tsp for marination) – 1tsp Sweet Paprika (optional for that bright color) – 3tsp Turmeric Powder (1 tsp for marination) – 1/2 tsp dry roasted ground cumin Whole Spices – 1 Cinnamon sticks – 3-4 Cardamom – 3-4 Cloves – 2- Bay leaf Step: 1 ✨ Clean and devein the prawns. You can optionally keep the shells on ✨ Marinate prawns with 1tsp of red chili powder and turmeric powder ✨ Fry for 3 minutes in Mustard oil or until the shells are red ✨ Now remove the fried prawns and put it aside. Step:2 – In the same pan, if the oil is not burnt, add ghee. – Temper the whole spices. – Add onion paste and ginger paste. Cover and cook for 5–6 minutes over low heat. – Add the ground spices along with yogurt. Cover and cook until the oil separates. – Add coconut milk, cover again, and cook until the oil rises to the top. – Add the fried prawns. Adjust the salt and add sugar at this point. Cover with a lid. – Cook for another 10 minutes on low heat. – Top with green chilies and cilantro. – Serve warm with rice and enjoy! Tips: – It’s very important to cook the spices thoroughly over low heat until the oil separates before adding the prawns back in. This step builds depth and brings out the full flavor of the dish. Don’t rush it! – Flavor lives in the prawn heads…trust. Try not to toss them. . #thefeedfeed . #prawnmalaicurry #prawnmalaikari #prawncurry #shrimpcurry #shrimp #prawns #chingrimalaicurry #chingri #chingrimalaikari #bangladeshi #deshi #bangladeshifood #bengalifood #bengali Prawn Malai Curry | Chingri | Shrimp Curry | TheFeedFeed
♬ original sound – thehungrycoderr

Notes

Cook spices thoroughly over low heat until oil separates before adding prawns—this builds depth of flavor.

The prawn heads hold a lot of flavor—don’t discard them if you can use them.

Thehungrycodercooks