Name: Easy Prawn Bhuna Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp Olive Oil; 1 Onion (, peeled and finely chopped); 3 Cloves Garlic (, peeled and finely chopped); 1 Chili (, deseeded and chopped); 3 cm Fresh Ginger (, peeled and grated); 2 tbsp Coriander (, finely chopped); 2 tsp Hot Curry Powder; 1/2 tsp Turmeric; 1 tsp Cumin; 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander; 1 tsp Garam Masala; 400 g Passata; 2 tbsp Mango Chutney; 375 g Cooked King Prawns; 1/2 cup Mango Chunks; 1 tbsp Parsley Leaves (, chopped); 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper

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The Prawn Bhuna is an Indian curry-based dish made with a blending of king prawns and a flavorful bhuna sauce. So delicious and perfect for curry lovers!

Prawn Bhuna Recipe

'bhuna' in Indian means to fry, and it is named that because, in the recipe, we fry first garlic, onion, ginger and chili, then add spices and keep frying.

The recipe has a rich blend of vegetable ingredients, including onion, fresh garlic & ginger, coriander, etc. These vegetables and spices are fried for a delicious blended taste.

The flavor of this recipe is amplified with other amazing ingredients like cumin, turmeric, and curry. The recipe will not be complete without the pureed tomato, also popularly known as passata.

I also added sweet, spicy tanginess of the mango chutney that brings the whole taste together.

The texture of this recipe is thick and it has a sour-sweet spiciness that makes this meal sort after.

Its curry-base sauce is perfect for curry lovers. If you like spices in your meal, then this dish is for you. It has a perfect mix of ginger, garlic, curry, turmeric, cumin, pepper, chili, ground coriander, etc.

What is in the Recipe?

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Passata: I like to use this type of tomato puree, however, you can use any kind you have.

King prawns: I used pre cooked king prawns. Other types of prawns can be used including jumbo prawns, regular prawns, tiger prawns, or shrimps.

To make the bhuna sauce: I used onion, fresh garlic, ginger, mango chutney, cilantro and chili.

Olive oil: Used to saute all the ingredients.

Spices: I used curry powder, turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, parsley, garam masala, salt, and pepper. These are spices and herbs that add the required taste and flavor to the recipe.

Mango Chunks (optional): It is optional. However, it will add texture and flavour to the recipe.

How to make the Prawn Bhuna Recipe

Sauté the onion for some minutes and then add the chili, garlic, ginger, and coriander

One: Heat a pan on medium heat, and then drizzle olive oil into the pan

Two: Sauté the onion for some minutes and then add the chili, garlic, ginger, and cilantro and fry for 3 minutes

Three: Add all the spices (Curry Powder, Turmeric, Cumin, Ground Coriander, Garam Masala, Salt, and Pepper) and cook for another 2 minutes

Stir in the passata and then add the mango chutney and mango chunks

Four: Stir in the passata or tomato sauce and then add the mango chutney and mango chunks; simmer on medium heat for 8 - 10 minutes

Five: Add the cooked king prawns and stir, allow the sauce to cook for another 1 - 2 minutes

Six: Do a taste test, add more spices for taste if required. Lastly, add the finely chopped cilantro stalks and stir. Serve immediately!

Helpful Tips!

Some people prefer if their prawn bhuna sauce is extra-extra smooth and this can be achieved by blending the ingredients after sauteing the onions and frying the tomato paste, in a heat-resistant blender. This action should be taken before adding the king prawns.
Use fresh tomatoes in place of passata.
The mango chunks is not a required ingredient for this recipe, but its addition makes for a very interesting and delicious difference in taste and flavor.

Serving Suggestions

This recipe goes best with either turmeric rice, tomato pasta or just a piece of bread. It can also be served with samosas.

Can I Reduce The Spice In Bhuna Recipe?

Hmm, this one is quite dicey because cooking is an art form that should have no boundaries on experimentation. However, this dish is also a standard Indian meal with an age-old recipe, and the recipe says it is a spicy meal.

I would recommend respecting the recipe; however, if you like this particular curry sauce but do not want yours to be overly spicy, you can go ahead and reduce some of the spices on the ingredients list.