Name: Curried prawns recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1kg green prawns deveined shelled; 60g butter; 1 tbs curry powder; 2 celery sticks chopped; 1 onion diced; 1/2 green capsicum diced; 1 tomato chopped peeled; 80.00 ml Essentials Plain Flour; 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste; 1 1/2 cups water; 1 cup milk; 2 chicken stock cubes; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tbs lemon juice

by buddingcook Last updated on 10/31/2025

This dish is a hark back to the ’70s, but it’s always welcome at my dining table! Warm, flavourful and slightly spicy, I just love the blend of aromatic spices and the hint of sweetness from the prawns. Serve it over rice to soak up every bit of sauce!

How to make curried prawns: key tips

Start by softening the celery, onion and capsicum in a frying pan with the curry powder so that the vegies mingle with that delicious curry flavour. Add the tomato and then cook out the flour, so that you don’t end up with a floury-tasting sauce.

Be sure to keep stirring as you add the liquids, so they combine really well and you mix in all the flavours that have stuck to the base of your pan. Keep stirring occasionally as the curry cooks, so that everything cooks evenly and the base of the curry doesn’t burn.

After stirring in the prawns, continue to cook, while stirring occasionally, until the prawns have just changed colour. At this point, they will still be lovely and tender. Serve your curry over steamed rice.

Key ingredients in this curried prawns recipe

This dish is traditionally made using small prawns, but these can be painful to peel. So, I would either buy small green prawns that are already peeled, or buy medium green prawns. You could also add chicken to bulk out this meal (see the notes, below).

Yellow curry powder is the true hero of this recipe. Choose a good-quality and fresh curry powder for the best flavour.

The vegies used are also typical for this dish, but I also like to add diced carrot at the start.

Turn back the clock and check out more of our best retro recipes. I also adore a good apricot chicken.

This recipe was originally submitted by buddingcook, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community. Introduction and additional recipe notes by Natasha Shaw.

- Australia's Best Recipes Team

Ingredients

1kg green prawns deveined shelled
60g butter
1 tbs curry powder
2 celery sticks chopped
1 onion diced
1/2 green capsicum diced
1 tomato chopped peeled
4 tbs Woolworths Essentials Plain Flour
1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup milk
2 chicken stock cubes
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs lemon juice

Method

Step 1

In a skillet, melt butter and add curry powder, celery, onion and capsicum.
Step 2

Saute gently for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Step 3

Stir in flour, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
Step 4

While stirring, gradually add water and milk, then add crumbled stock cube.
Step 5

Continue stirring until sauce boils and thickens.
Step 6

Reduce heat, add sugar and lemon juice and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 7

Add prawns and heat through, being careful not to overcook.

Recipe Notes

from Australia’s Best Recipes team

You can add chicken to these curried prawns!

If making with chicken, chop 1 large chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and brown in a separate frying pan in a little oil. Add the chicken to the main dish a few minutes before you add the prawns, so that they will cook through.

Is there a quicker way to make these curried prawns?

For a handy shortcut, omit the flour, water, milk, stock cubes, sugar and lemon juice. After step 2, combine 2 cups (500ml) of water with a packet of Maggi Cheese & Garlic Potato Bake recipe base. Stir until the sauce simmers and thickens. Add the prawns and heat through, being careful not to overcook.