Looking for a spicy and flavourful Indian curry? Try this King Prawn Balti! Made with prawns, vegetables, and aromatic spices, this dish is easy to make and packed with delicious flavours. Great served with rice or naan bread.
I'm going to show you how to make this deliciously spicy homemade king prawn balti that tastes just like your restaurant takeaway in only 35 minutes!
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This curry is packed full of store cupboard spices, fresh, plump & juicy king prawns all cooked with peppers in a rich tomato gravy. It is also gluten, dairy and egg free!
I love re-creating fakeaway curry dishes like this prawn balti and this chicken & aubergine curry & chicken curry with peppers at home, as it's so much cheaper than buying from a takeaway restaurant, and you also know exactly what ingredients have gone into the dishes, making it a lot easier if you have a food allergy.
This one is a little bit spicy, so if you fancy something a little milder check out these curried vegetable pies.
My other favourite fakeaway restaurant dishes are this slow cooker beef massaman curry & this Five Guys Copycat Burger & Peanut Free Cajun Fries.
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🤔 What Is Balti?
Balti is a medium spiced curry that originated in Pakistan and is now popular in many parts of the world, especially in the UK.
The dish is named after the wok-like pan that it is traditionally cooked and served in.
Balti dishes are usually made with a combination of meat or vegetables, aromatic spices, and tomatoes. They are known for their rich and flavourful taste and are often served with naan bread or rice.
🥘 Ingredients Needed
✋ Double check all packaging for allergens ✋
Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients. Most of it you will already have in the cupboard and its so easy to put together!
- King Prawns - I have used fresh, cooked king prawns. If you want to use raw king prawns ( like I have in this recipe for gambas pil pil) you will need to make sure they are de-veined & then cook them for a bit longer until they have turned pink and are fully cooked through. You can also use frozen prawns, just make sure they are fully defrosted before using. Use any leftover prawns in this no egg fried rice.
- Yellow Pepper - Although not strictly authentic, to add some colour and veg to the curry I have added some chopped yellow pepper. Green pepper also works amazingly well in a curry.
- Onion / Garlic / Ginger - These aromatics form the base of the curry. You can use fresh garlic & ginger, or alternatively garlic paste or ginger in a jar are good substitutes as they keep for ages in the fridge.
- Green Chilli - Traditionally finger chillies are used in a lot of Indian cooking, so this is what I have used for this recipe.
- Tomato Puree - This adds a rich and tangy flavour to the curry, which complements the other aromatic spices used in the recipe. It also adds depth and thickness to the sauce, giving the curry a more hearty texture.
- Spices - For this balti recipe you will need turmeric, garam masala, ground coriander, cumin, chilli powder & fenugreek.
- Tinned tomatoes - Tinned, chopped tomatoes are such a great, versatile ingredient and can be used in so many dishes. If you prefer to use fresh tomatoes simply swap for 180g of salad tomatoes.
- Sugar - This balances out the sour flavour of the tomatoes.
- Oil - I have used vegetable oil but you can also use ghee for that authentic Indian flavour. Just note that ghee is not dairy free.
✏️ How To Make King Prawn Balti
⬇️ Here you will find an overview of how to make the recipe. For full information on ingredients and quantities please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page ⬇️
To start, chop up the onion, pepper, garlic, ginger, and green chilli.
Once you've got all your ingredients prepped, heat up some oil in a large wok or pan. Add in the onions and let them sweat it out on a low to medium heat until they start to soften and turn translucent in colour.
Now it's time to add in the ginger, garlic, and chilli. Cook them for a further couple of minutes, stirring constantly to make sure everything is evenly cooked.
You will start to smell the delicious aromas from the pan now! Next, it's time to add in the spices and tomato puree. Cook for another 3 minutes until everything is fragrant and the flavours have really started to come together.
Now for the tomatoes - add in half a can of tinned tomatoes and some water, then bring everything to a boil. Once it's bubbling away, turn the heat down and let everything simmer for around 10 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, fry off some yellow pepper in a separate pan. I do the peppers in a separate pan so they don't soften too much in the sauce as I like crunchy peppers in a curry. If that doesn't bother you, feel free to add them in with the ingredients when you add the ginger and garlic.
When the sauce is looking good and ready, it's time to add in the prawns, light brown sugar and yellow peppers. Cook for a couple of minutes until the prawns are heated through. (if you're using raw prawns, heat until fully cooked and they have turned pink in colour, this should take around 3-4 minutes).
Finally, add a handful of fresh coriander and give everything a good stir. Serve your delicious prawn balti hot, with some rice or naan bread on the side.
⚡ Variations
- Adjust the spice level - I have made this balti to be medium spiced. If you prefer a milder curry, just leave out the chilli powder and add one green chilli instead of two. If you really don't like spice or are cooking for young mouths you may prefer this Mango Chicken Curry which is much milder in flavour.
- Swap the protein - You can easily swap the prawns for chicken, lamb or even tofu. You will need to adjust the cooking time to ensure the protein to be fully cooked through.
💡 Tips & Tricks
- Use fresh prawns for the best flavour and texture.
- Adjust the spiciness of the curry to your liking by adding more or less chilli powder.
- You can also add other vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, or potatoes to the curry for more flavour and texture.
- Balti dishes are traditionally served with naan bread or rice, but you can also serve it with other types of bread or even over pasta.
- I cook the peppers in a separate pan so they stay crunchy, however if you don't mind the peppers softer in texture, feel free to add them to the pan with the garlic and ginger.
🔪 Equipment
- Balti is traditionally cooked in a Balti Dish, which is like a big cast iron frying pan with two handles. If you have a Wok or Large Frying Pan, this is the next best thing.
- You can get these great Balti Bowls / Serving Dishes from Amazon, for a really reasonable price which will help create the fakeaway vibe!
🥡 Storage
If you are using pre-cooked prawns, I would recommend not re-heating the prawns & eating the curry straight away.
To make the curry ahead of time, just make up the sauce, which can be safely stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. When you are ready to serve, simply heat the sauce in a pan and add the cooked prawns then.
Again, you can safely freeze the sauce without the prawns. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before re-heating, then add the prawns.
🍴 How To Serve
I love to serve this Indian curry alongside some pilau or keema rice, gluten-free naan bread and popadoms with mango chutney.
💬 FAQ
Yes, it is possible to overcook prawns in a curry, just like any other type of seafood. Prawns are a delicate protein that cook very quickly, and they can become tough and rubbery if they are cooked for too long.
The cooking time for prawns in a curry will depend on whether you are using raw or pre-cooked prawns. If you are using raw prawns, they will need to be cooked until they are pink and opaque, which should take around 3-4 minutes. If you are using pre-cooked prawns, they just need to be heated through for a couple of minutes.
Prawn balti is typically a spicy dish, but the level of heat can be adjusted to suit individual tastes. You can use fewer green chillies or reduce the amount of spice blend to make it milder.
King prawns are usually larger and have a softer, more delicate texture and flavour, while tiger prawns are smaller, slightly firmer, and have a sweet, succulent flavour with dark stripes on their shells.
More Curry Dishes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you loved this recipe, please leave me a 5🌟 rating or comment below. I really do appreciate it. 😊
📖 Recipe
King Prawn Balti
Equipment
- Balti dish To serve - optional
Ingredients
- 150 g king prawns
- 1 medium onion finely diced or sliced
- 2 cm fresh ginger finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 medium yellow pepper chopped into small chunks
- 2 green finger chillies finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- 200 g chopped tomatoes ½ a tin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon light brown sugar
- 1 handful fresh coriander
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee If using ghee dish will NOT be dairy free
- 150 ml water
Instructions
- Chop the onion, pepper garlic, ginger and green chilli.
- Heat most of the oil in a large wok or pan and sweat the onion on a low to medium heat for 5 minutes or until they soften and turn translucent in colour.
- Add the ginger, garlic & chilli and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Next, add the spices and tomato puree and cook for 3 minutes until fragrant, stirring regularly.
- Add the tinned tomatoes and water, bring to the boil then simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.
- Whilst the curry sauce is simmering, fry off the yellow pepper in the reamining oil in a separate pan for 5 minutes.
- Add the prawns, light brown sugar & cooked yellow peppers to the curry sauce and cook for a couple of minutes to warm the prawns. If you are using raw prawns, heat until they are pink and cooked through (this should take around 3-4 minutes).
- Stir through a handful of chopped, fresh coriander.
- Serve hot, with rice or naan bread.
Notes
- Adjust the spice level - I have made this balti to be medium spiced. If you prefer a milder curry, just leave out the chilli powder and add one green chilli instead of two. If you really don't like spice or are cooking for young mouths you may prefer this Mango Chicken Curry which is much milder in flavour.
- Swap the protein - You can easily swap the prawns for chicken, lamb or even tofu. Just adjust the cooking time to allow the protein to be fully cooked through.
- Use fresh prawns for the best flavour and texture.
- Adjust the spiciness of the curry to your liking by adding more or less chilli powder.
- You can also add other vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, or potatoes to the curry for more flavour and texture.
- Balti dishes are traditionally served with naan bread or rice, but you can also serve it with other types of bread or even over pasta.
- I cook the peppers in a separate pan so they stay crunchy, however if you don't mind the peppers softer in texture, feel free to add them to the pan with the garlic and ginger.
Katia says
Love this! Sounds spectacular!! Will definitely be trying this soon. Mouth watering...
Lauren Woodger says
Thanks for your lovely comment, we love this one too!
Moiz S. says
Great recipe although I thought the other ingredients were a bit more than required for the prawns. Overall, super and this is coming from an Indian.
Lauren Woodger says
This is such a great compliment, thank you! Will take on board the number of ingredients. 🙂