Goan Prawn & Aubergine Curry

Inspired by the Indian cookery lesson I did the other month through Sense Adventures, my take on the Goan prawn curry recipe I learned includes extra vegetables. Goa is on the southwest coast of India. The cuisine of the region makes good use of the abundance of seafood, tropical fruit and spices. Coconut milk and tamarind, a tropical fruit with both sweet and sour taste, similar to lime, feature heavily as well as chilli, tomatoes and rice. The extra vegetables I have chosen to add are aubergine and spinach, as I feel they compliment the dish very well. Just make sure you cook down the aubergine until soft as otherwise it will have an unpleasant spongy texture. This recipe does require you to make your own curry paste. I use the small bowl of my Vitamix blender, but if you don’t have one, you could grind them by hand using a pestle and mortar. This would take longer and require more effort. Another alternative would be to use ground spices and just grate the garlic and ginger. It might lack the fresh spicy flavour but would still work.

Print Recipe

Goan Prawn & Aubergine Curry

Keyword

Aubergine, Coconut, Prawn, Rice, Spinach, Tomatoes

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

For the curry paste:

• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 thumb sized piece fresh ginger
• 1 heaped tsp coriander seeds
• 1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
• 1 heaped tsp fennel seeds
• 4 dried red chillies

For the curry:

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp dried curry leaves
• 1 onion
• 1 aubergine
• 1 fresh chilli optional
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tin tomatoes
• 200 ml light coconut milk
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 300 g frozen cooked prawns
• 100 g spinach
• 1 small handful fresh coriander
• 125 g basmati rice

Keyword Aubergine, Coconut, Prawn, Rice, Spinach, Tomatoes Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Servings people Ingredients For the curry paste: 3 cloves garlic 1 thumb sized piece fresh ginger 1 heaped tsp coriander seeds 1 heaped tsp cumin seeds 1 heaped tsp fennel seeds 4 dried red chillies For the curry: 1 tsp coconut oil 1 tsp dried curry leaves 1 onion 1 aubergine 1 fresh chilli optional 1 tsp turmeric 1 tin tomatoes 200 ml light coconut milk 1 tbsp tamarind paste 1 tsp salt 300 g frozen cooked prawns 100 g spinach 1 small handful fresh coriander 125 g basmati rice

Instructions

To prepare:

1. Place the coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a small dry frying pan and toast over a high heat for a couple of minutes until the smell is pungent.
2. Tip the seeds in to a small bowl with all the other curry paste ingredients and blend until smooth.
3. Peel and dice the onion.
4. Have all the other ingredients to hand.

To cook:

1. Place the coconut oil and curry leaves in a large, deep, lidded frying pan or wok and heat over a medium heat until curry leaves start to smell and sizzle. Should take around 3 minutes.
2. Add the onion to the pan and continue to fry, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, cut the aubergine in to bite sized pieces and thinly slice the chilli if using.
4. Add both the aubergine and the chilli to the pan and stir well. Continue frying for around 10 minutes until you feel the aubergine starting to soften.
5. Tip in the prepared curry paste and fry for a further minute, stirring all the time.
6. Lower the heat right down and pour in the tomatoes, coconut milk and tamarind paste. Stir and taste, add salt if you wish.
7. Adjust the heat to bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
8. Leave simmering with the lid off for 10 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, cook the rice by adding it to a saucepan of boiling water and simmer for around 12 minutes.
10. Once the 10 minutes are up on the curry, add the frozen prawns straight to the pan and stir. Cover and continue to simmer for 3 minutes.
11. Remove the lid and check that the prawns have defrosted and are hot through.
12. Stir through the spinach and return the lid. Leave to sit for a couple more minutes until the spinach has wilted.
13. Shred the coriander and sprinkle over the finished curry.
14. To serve, divide the rice between 2 bowls and spoon over the curry. Enjoy.

Recipe Notes

If you make this, let me know how it goes and share your photos.  I’d also love to hear how you adapt it to suit yourself.