Skip the takeaway and make this flavour-packed king prawn bhuna at home in under half an hour! Succulent king prawns are coated in a rich, aromatic bhuna sauce made with garlic, ginger, warming spices, and tomatoes for a delicious medium-hot curry that tastes like it came straight from your favourite Indian restaurant. You might also like my prawn korma recipe.
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Quick Summary - King Prawn Bhuna
I love this king prawn bhuna because it delivers all the rich, spicy flavour of an Indian takeaway curry in just 25 minutes using simple ingredients I already have at home.
- Beth (Effortless Foodie)
🕒 Ready In: 25 minutes
👪 Serves: 4
🍽 Calories: 189 calories
🥣 Main Ingredients: King prawns, onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, Indian spices, passata, and fresh coriander.
📖 Dietary Info: Dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, and gluten-free (if served with gluten-free sides).
👌 Difficulty: Easy
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In Indian cooking, the word "bhuna" means "to fry" or "to cook down spices," which is the secret to this curry's rich, intense flavour.
The onion, garlic, ginger, and chilli are gently fried until soft and fragrant, before the spices are added and cooked out to release their warm, aromatic oils - most of which you probably already have in your spice cupboard.
Passata is then stirred in to create a thick, richly spiced bhuna sauce that clings beautifully to the sweet, juicy king prawns, giving you that classic takeaway-style curry flavour at home.
Love prawn curries? Try my king prawn masala next!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Ready in just 25 minutes - perfect for busy weeknight dinners.
- Better than takeaway - rich, bold curry flavour made easily at home.
- One-pan recipe - less washing up and minimal fuss.
- Uses simple pantry spices - no hard-to-find ingredients needed.
- Packed with flavour - a rich tomato-based bhuna sauce with warming Indian spices.
🥘 Ingredients
A full ingredients list along with Metric and US Customary measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Cooked King Prawns - if using frozen king prawns make sure they have been defrosted.
Onion - 1 small onion, chopped finely.
Garlic - 3 cloves finely chopped.
Ginger - 3cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated.
Chili - an authentic bhuna uses a green chili, but I only had red to hand, so that's what I used.
Coriander - finely chop the stalks to fry with the onion, and use the leaves to garnish the finished dish.
Spices - a medium-hot curry powder, cumin, garam masala, turmeric and ground coriander.
Passata - or use a tin of chopped tomatoes for a chunkier texture.
Mango Chutney - the sweetness of the mango chutney helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
Olive Oil - for frying.
Salt and Pepper - to season.
Need to substitute an ingredient?
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📖 Variations
- Swap the prawns for chicken - use diced chicken breast or chicken thighs for an easy chicken bhuna variation.
- Make it milder - reduce the chilli powder or leave out the fresh chilli for a family-friendly curry.
- Add vegetables - spinach, peppers, peas, or mushrooms all work well in the rich tomato sauce.
- Make it creamy - stir in a splash of coconut milk or double cream for a richer, milder curry.
🔪 How to make king prawn bhuna
One: Heat the oil in a frying pan or shallow casserole and fry the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, chili, and coriander stalks for 3 minutes.
Two: Add the spices and fry for a further 2 minutes.
Three: Pour in the passata and spoon in the mango chutney. Give everything a good mix and simmer on a medium low heat for 10 minutes.
Four: Add the cooked king prawns and warm through for 3-4 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and season with salt and pepper.
Top Tips
- Cook the spices properly - frying the spices for a minute releases their flavour and gives the curry its rich, authentic taste.
- Make ahead - the bhuna sauce can be made in advance and reheated before adding the prawns for an even quicker dinner.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the prawn bhuna with homemade pilau rice or turmeric rice, naan bread, and popadoms are tasty side dishes!
Storage
Store - Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the hob or in the microwave until piping hot.
Freeze - The curry can also be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating until piping hot in the microwave.
❓ King Prawn Bhuna FAQS
A bhuna is a medium-hot tomato based curry with no cream or coconut milk added.
The English translation of Balti is 'bucket' and Bhuna is 'fried'. Generally, balti's are drier and slightly less spicy than bhuna's.
King prawns are more authentic but you can swap for ordinary prawns, which are usually cheaper.
Defrost the frozen cooked king prawns overnight in your refrigerator.
More curry recipes
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Recipe
Easy King Prawn Bhuna Recipe
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Equipment
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 3 cm Fresh Ginger peeled and grated
- 1 Chili deseeded and chopped
- 2 tablespoon Coriander Stalks finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon Medium-Hot Curry Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 400 g Passata
- 2 tablespoon Mango Chutney
- 375 g Cooked King Prawns if frozen defrost before use
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Leaves chopped
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a frying pan or shallow casserole and fry the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, chili, and coriander stalks for 3 minutes.1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Onion, 3 Garlic Cloves, 3 cm Fresh Ginger, 1 Chili, 2 tablespoon Coriander Stalks
- Add the spices and fry for a further 2 minutes.2 tablespoon Medium-Hot Curry Powder, 1 teaspoon Cumin, 1 teaspoon Garam Masala, ½ teaspoon Turmeric, ½ teaspoon Ground Coriander
- Pour in the passata and spoon in the mango chutney. Give everything a good mix and simmer on a medium low heat for 10 minutes.400 g Passata, 2 tablespoon Mango Chutney
- Add the cooked king prawns and warm through for 3-4 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and season with salt and pepper.375 g Cooked King Prawns, 1 tablespoon Coriander Leaves, Salt and Pepper
Notes
- Don't skip frying the spices - this step helps release their flavour and gives the curry its rich bhuna taste.
- Adjust the chilli to suit your taste by adding more or less fresh chilli or chilli powder.
- If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of water to loosen it before adding the prawns.
- Serve with basmati rice, naan bread, and mango chutney for an easy fakeaway curry night.
David Miller says
Beth, is your easy prawn curry two tablespoons of medium curry powder, plus the other powdered spices.
Beth Sachs says
Hi David, yes that's correct. Enjoy!
Brian Chapman says
Made this tonight.... 'twas lush. 🙂
Beth Sachs says
Glad you enjoyed it Brian!
chris baker says
Made this one the 10th August and it was a real treat flavoursome and easy to make and the spices were just right.
Mike says
Well flavoured easy to make Bhuna style sauce. Can I suggest that the medium curry powder be reduced from 2 to 1 tablespoon. I love hot curries but Bhuna should not be this hot. Thanks for a great easy to cook - goto recipe which is delicious.
Michelle says
I love all of the flavors in this simple dish, and the shrimp are cooked perfectly
Sharon Chen says
Delicious! I will definitely serve this for our family dinner soon.
Rachna says
Oh my what a delicious dish! I love prawns and Indian curries are my favourite. I am surely trying this out soon.
Wanda says
This dish sounds so delicious, what an awesome combination of flavours! Bookmarking!