Coconut Shrimp Curry
Extremely simple to prepare, and quick, too, this coconut shrimp curry with creamy coconut milk and tender shrimp is so delicious.
We love curry around here. And we love shrimp. I have a recipe for Shrimp Stir-Fry with Coconut Curry Sauce that is divine and marries the two flavors but is more of a, well, stir-fry, as the name implies, versus this new curry recipe that channels a stew-like flavor and style.

Extremely simple to prepare, and quick, too, the combination of sultry, deep spices with the creamy coconut milk and tender shrimp is beyond what words can describe.
This, to me, is pure comfort food.
We ate it over basmati rice and although we sopped up the saucy curry with delicate pieces of naan, you could easily serve this in a bowl, just like the Coconut Curry Soup.
Methinks I should really seek help for my love of all things coconut and curry.
And finally, if you are averse to shrimp, I actually believe chicken would make a great substitution here OR leave it out completely for a vegetarian dish. Make this! Love this!
Don’t be scared of the flavors if you haven’t cooked Indian food a lot – I just know you’ll adore the subtle, delicious flavors! And please invite me over when you serve it up.
What to Serve With This
- Sliced cucumbers and other fresh veggies with Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Sliced cheese
- Cut up apples with Toffee Apple Dip (for a sweet and semi healthy dessert!)
One Year Ago: Pineapple Salsa Chicken {Slow Cooker}
Two Years Ago: Tortellini Spinach Salad with Balsamic-Tomato Vinaigrette
Three Years Ago: Quick and Delicious Clam Chowder
Coconut Shrimp Curry
Ingredients
For the shrimp marinade:
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from about 1 lemon
- 1-2 pounds large or extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 medium red or yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, from about a 1-inch peeled piece of ginger
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic , peeled and finely minced
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can coconut milk, light or regular
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Hot cooked rice for serving, if desired
Instructions
- For the simple shrimp marinade, toss the shrimp with the salt, pepper, cayenne and lemon juice in a resealable large bag or in a bowl. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium-sized pot, heat the canola oil over medium heat until rippling and hot. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the pepper, ginger, salt, garlic, coriander, turmeric and curry powder. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture is very fragrant and the onion is soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the undrained tomatoes to the pot and cook, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, for about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. Add the coconut milk, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the shrimp and any accumulated juices from the marinade.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the shrimp are curled, lightly pink and cooked through, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Serve over hot, cooked rice, if desired.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from American Masala by Suvir Saran – a great find I checked out at my local library
Oh Mel, where do I even begin with this dish…Amazing, mouth-watering, simply delicious. I made this last night for dinner. It’s super easy and super tasty. As I was eating it I thought, “I need to comment about this right now!” But then I realized that stopping to write a comment would interrupt my putting more of this scrumptious meal into my mouth! I couldn’t stand the thought of temporarily stopping, so I decided comments would have to wait. When I was done, I promptly licked the bowl and then got a couple more spoonfuls. You don’t need the rice, but it adds nice texture. I took leftovers in my lunch today, too! Sadly, my plastic container is too deep for me to lick the bowl. Please note that I found out it was too deep AFTER I tried licking it. But since I’m sitting at a desk, in an office, that may be for the best.
Next to the rustic crusty bread, I’ve decided this the best thing I’ve ever made from your blog. While I was making it, I took a little taste of the mixture before I added the coconut milk. It was even really good at that point. If I’m ever looking to lighten things up, I may skip the coconut milk sometime and add chicken stock instead. Also, for anyone who doesn’t like coconut milk, I bet using some half and half would work too. You made a note about the salt, and as I measured out a tablespoon I looked at it and got really scared. So I decided to only use half and add more later if needed. But I was happy with the results and didn’t add more. I can’t say enough about this dish. The spice comb is awesome and there’s a lovely amount of heat, too. I loved it and can’t wait to make it again.
I was needing some inspiration tonight, and I noticed we had some shrimp in the freezer. I remembered a photo on Facebook of a friend scarfing shrimp curry in Mexico. A quick search brought me here (I’ve never been) and LO AND BEHOLD, for ONCE I had every ingredient (including coconut milk I’d bought last year on sale and regretted).
This combo is superb–the addition of the marinating juices brought the bite up to just the right pitch. Some saffron rice, this creamy addition on top, and voila! A nice surprising change for my husband and me. I personally only had a cup of home-canned tomatoes, and we found that just right.
We made this recipe (with several alterations) and it was AMAZING! We sautéed the spices in coconut oil and put in some veggies, carrot, sweet potatoe, peas, and handful of Swiss chard minutes befor serving. If I had zucchini or cauliflower I would have added those also. We used shrimp and Nantucket bay scallops. Like I said, AMAZING. We were so pleased with ourselves!
So I have been put off of Indian curry since I was in Sri Lanka and found out I was pregnant. They eat curry for every meal and I decided I never wanted it again….but I tried this tonight since my hubs loves curry and IT WAS AWESOME. I really enjoyed it! Thanks for this great recipe. I did use less salt and it was perfect.
Made this tonight and ZERO leftovers remained from me my husband and our 4 & 7 year old boys. Great job! Did not make any alterations to the recipe except to add Siracha to my bowl to kick up the heat a little bit.
I made this for dinner tonight. It was the best, most delicious thing I’ve made in a long time!
I couldn’t dare invite you over – that would mean I would have to share. 😉
I made this with chicken- you’re right- it’s delicious. About to make it for the second time.
This is a really tasty curry sauce. I didn’t have prawns but made it with fresh, west-coast red snapper. It would also be good with halibut or scallops. Thank you for all your great recipes Mel! I’m so glad I found you! 🙂
I just finished making this for dinner and it is amazing! I did only put about 1 teaspoon of salt and it is a little more salty than I am used to but it tastes great!!!
My boyfriend made it for dinner this evening, and it was amazing!!!! Best homemade curry recipe yet! Thank you so much for sharing!
I made this last night and it was great- thanks for sharing! There was just the right amount of spice. I hate it when my food hurts my mouth, but I love a little heat. This was just right!
We’re lowering our carb intake so I served it over a bed of heated cannelini beans, it was a decent sub for rice. I’ll admit I missed the naan though!
I found this recipe on your 30-minute meal collage, and I wondered,”Why haven’t I made this before?” I’ve made your other curry dishes with great success, but this one has a twist! I love the tanginess! Thanks so much, Mel.
Jenna – I would cook the chicken with the sauce mixture but you’ll probably want to add in a bit of additional time since the chicken will take longer to cook than the shrimp.
Thanks for this recipe. It looks fabulous! If am I going to substitute chicken, do you think I should pre-cook it first or just throw it in raw at the part of the recipe where you throw in the raw shrimp?
i ran across this recipe on pinterest a couple months ago. i had never made curry before but my Husband always orders it when we go out. i measured out every seasoning ingredient before i started, since i hadn’t made a curry before, and dove into it head first. it was such a success. we LOVE this recipe. i have made it probably 5 times since i found it and it never dissapoints. it is even wonderful leftover. Thanks for expanding my “go to” recipe list!
I just made this tonight. SOO GOOD!!! Thanks! Even my two year old was digg’n it! Thanks for a wonderful delicious meal that was quick and easy. And the colors while cooking it were beautiful! Had fun making and eatting it :). Thanks!
I got this recipe from pinterest, and finally got around to making it! It was DELISH!!!! My family loved it! I’ve tried a few of your recipes, and have not been disappointed. I can’t wait to try more. Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes with all of us!
I just have to say – I made this recipe the other day for my boyfriend and I with fresh-caught prawns… One of the most delicious recipe I’ve ever tried – it will be a staple now, and I will most definitely be trying your other recipes! Many thanks!
Made this tonight. Amazing! Will definitely make again… maybe with chicken? YUM.
I made this pretty much exactly as writtenbut did use less salt per the note. I used only 1 teaspn of salt. I also used only quarter of an onion. It was delicious! Amazing! I was looking for something with the coconut milk taste but not the heat of the Thai red curry recipes out there since my husband and son don’t care for that much heat. When I saw the ingredients: ginger, coriander, turmeric, curry, and garlic I was excited to make the dish because I know what those combos can do. This recipe delivered. It will be added to my rotation. I am a new user of this site. One comment: it’s a bit odd to find so many comments from people who say the recipe looks and sounds good but haven’t actually made it yet. That’s not really helpful to those of us looking for info on how the recipe actually works. Just saying…
DELISH!! I like shrimp but my hubs doesn’t. So I split the sauce into 2 pots and made shrimp for me and then some chunks of chicken breast for him. He wanted to lick the pot. THANKS! can’t wait to try it with zucchini and cauliflower!
Good morning, I featured this recipe on my blog today for my weekly seafood round-up. It looks great, thanks for allowing me to share! Here is the link: http://carriesexperimentalkitchen.blogspot.com/2012/06/week-20-seafood-frenzy-friday.html
I made this last night and it was a hit. Thanks for sharing it! I’m excited to try more of your recipes! 😀
This shrimp curry was absolutely amazing! I will definitely make this again, but next time I will allow myself enough time to try your naan recipe. 🙂
I’m noticing a pattern of husbands who don’t really like curry, but liked this. Add mine to the list! And I loved it, but I knew I would. I just realized I forgot the cilantro (dang!), I’ll put some on my leftovers tomorrow (that I might have to eat for breakfast because I can’t wait for lunch!) I was using coarse salt and went with 1 1/2 teaspoons and it was great. I topped mine with coconut, which was delicious! Thank you for another keeper, Mel! And congrats on the babe! So happy for you that you got a girl!
Supper for tonight
Kathleen – yep, it really does call for 1 tablespoon kosher salt and that’s how I make it, but there are other commenters who think it is too salty so I’ve recommended that if people are worried about it, they can cut the amount down to start with.
hi!! this is a really delicious recipe. i like that it is rich in flavours and still quite easy to make. i made a very similar dish. have a look at my video on my blog http://dinnerteaser.tumblr.com/post/21676556428/shrimp-curry
bon appetit!!
Made this tonight, followed exactly. WAY too salty. You sure you meant 1 TB salt?
“I love curry” my husbands words as he was eating this dish! Yum!
I too have tried this recipe and I TOO have to say it IS amazing!! SO GOOD!!!! AND EASY!!! That always makes things taste better for us mom’s. But even if it took longer to make I would make this again!!! Thank you so much!!
Oh my gosh! Mel! This was A-MAZ-ING! I LOVED it! Actually my whole family did! I have tried a lot of your recipes and have loved them all, but I think this is by far my favorite! I made your Naan recipe as well and it was so delicious scooping up the rice and curry and eating it like that! My son who won’t eat hardly anything ate so much! I was so glad! Thank you thank you!!
Good morning, I featured this recipe on my blog today, it looks great! Thanks for allowing me to share. Here is the link http://carriesexperimentalkitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/week-15-seafood-frenzy-friday-and-guest.html
Just made this tonight, it was so delicious! (I actually used 1 T of table salt b/c I didn’t have kosher salt, but it didn’t seem overly salty to me. Maybe I have a high sodium tolerance!)
I loved this! The sauce is awesome and I really enjoyed shrimp instead of the usual chicken. I added broccoli and carrots with the onions just to up the veggie factor. Can’t wait for lunch tomorrow so I can have the leftovers 🙂
Mary – the recipe reads as it should. Basically just chop up cilantro until you have 1 cup chopped. Some people use the leaf and stem, I prefer to use just the leaf, but either way, you will want to use 1 cup chopped cilantro in the recipe. Hope that helps!
I’m assuming this should read 1 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped. Am I supposed to use the whole leaf? I’m really proficient in the kitchen and this has me baffled!!!
WOW! This was BEYOND delicious! Both my husband and I LOVED it, as most coconut curries are too thick/over indulgent, but this had the perfect amount of creamy, acidic, spicy punch! Next time, I think we’ll add cauliflower, what a hit!
He always asks me now where I get X recipe from for our menu plan for the week and as soon as I say, “It was from Mel’s website”, he replies with, “AND MEL STRIKES AGAIN! This needs to be added to the spreadsheet”!
This meal was absolutely deeeelicious!! Thanks for sharing!
THIS TASTED ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I RARELY ADD COMMENTS ON A RECIPE SITE, BUT THIS WAS SO GOOD, I HAD TO SAY SO!
Mel, I found your blog from Pinterest and have been infatuated with it for months! EVERYthing I’ve cooked, my family has loved and I probably use at least 1-2 recipes a week from here. I don’t know how you find such amazing recipes when you have no MKK to go to yourself. I’m getting ready to make the pudding, and then I saw this recipe and have to put this on my list of things to make too. Not enough days in the year. Thank you and my family thanks you!
Mel! I love all your recipes and I too have a love for ALL things coconut 🙂
I made this shortly after you posted it but have only just now gotten around to blogging about it myself. Life’s been in turmoil, and I’m looking forward to it getting back on an even keel. This was definitely comfort food! http://www.fransfavs.com/2012/03/coconut-shrimp-curry/#more-3075
Just wanted to update and say that I made this tonight and added cauliflower after the onions had browned but before the liquids, sautéed them a bit, then followed everything else. It was fantastic! It added a bit more substance to go with the shrimp and a veggie punch to boot. I also felt like mine was missing a bit of something, so I dashed some cumin in there as well. So delicious! Thank you for all of the work you do to basically plan my weekly dinners for me!
Sandra – what kind of curry powder did you use? The other flavors/spices are mild in the recipe – they don’t add heat so it seems to me that perhaps the curry powder you are using is on the spicy side of things (like a Hot Madras curry powder). That’s probably the main way to change up the spiciness, either add less curry or use a mild curry powder with less kick. Hope it works out better if you make it again!
Awesome recipe but wayyy to hot for my delicate mouth. How can I tone down the spiciness yet keep the flavor? TIA!
I know you already have a million comments but wanted to say thanks for a great recipe! I love coconut and curry together but usually my husband doesn’t. Tonight he thought this one was fabulous. There were enough other spices so the coconut was not overpowering. I added some sweet bell peppers when cooking the onions and added some red pepper flakes to make it more spicy. Thanks for always being my go to site for great food!
I did make this with table salt and 1 T. was way too much. I will say that although it was salty the first go around, my husband requested it again with less salt. We made it last week again and it turned out great!
This looks so good! I wanted to let you know that I featured this in my “What I Bookmarked This Week” post today. Stop by and see!
Mel…you have out done yourself!! I made this last night using chicken. I absolutely love curry, but my husband isn’t a fan, let’s just say that after eating this, he was fighting me for the leftovers! I think next time I will be making a double batch!!
Thanks for all the great recipes. 🙂