Dinner

Goan Prawn & Coconut Curry with Cumin Rice Recipe

ByCleo Brixton November 12, 2025November 12, 2025

Introduction

This Goan prawn and coconut curry is a fragrant, warming dish full of vibrant spices and fresh ingredients. Paired with cumin-scented basmati rice, it offers a perfect balance of creamy, spicy, and savory flavors that’s easy to prepare on a weeknight.

The image shows two white bowls filled with a creamy yellow curry containing shrimp, spinach leaves, cherry tomato halves, and flat pasta strips. The shrimp are pink and curved, sitting on top of the yellow sauce along with bright green spinach and red tomato slices, creating a colorful mix. Beside the bowls, there is a pot of brown rice set on an orange cloth, with a wooden spoon resting on the white marbled surface. Also visible are three silver forks stacked together near the bowls and two clear glasses, one filled with light amber liquid and the other with water, all placed on a white marbled background. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground coriander
10 curry leaves
1 large potato, diced
400ml can half-fat coconut milk
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
Handful baby spinach
200g pack raw peeled prawns
1 tsp cumin seed
175g basmati rice
Salt, to taste
400ml water (for rice)

Instructions

Step 1: Heat the sunflower oil in a pan and fry the onion, grated ginger, crushed garlic, and sliced red chilli for about 5 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
Step 2: Add turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander, curry leaves, and diced potato, then cook for another minute to release the spices’ aromas.
Step 3: Stir in the half-fat coconut milk and halved cherry tomatoes. Cover the pan and let the mixture simmer gently for 10 minutes, or until the potato is tender.
Step 4: Add the baby spinach and raw peeled prawns to the curry. Cook for 1 minute more until the spinach wilts and the prawns turn pink and are cooked through.
Step 5: While the curry simmers, prepare the cumin rice. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Step 6: Add the basmati rice to the cumin seeds along with a pinch of salt and 400ml water. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes until the rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed.
Step 7: Serve the prawn and coconut curry hot, accompanied by the cumin rice.

Tips & Variations

For extra heat, keep the seeds in the red chilli or add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
You can substitute prawns with firm white fish or chicken for a different protein option.
Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice just before serving to enhance the curry’s brightness.
If you prefer a richer curry, use full-fat coconut milk instead of half-fat.

Storage

Store any leftover curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot. The rice is best eaten fresh but can be stored in the fridge for 1 day and reheated with a splash of water to restore moisture.