Butter Prawns

Name: Butter Prawns
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 0.3 kg Prawn, pref fresh; Some Salt; Some Pepper (Black); 1/4 tbsp Garam Masala; 1/4 tsp Turmeric; 1/4 tbsp Yogurt; 1/4 tsp Chili Powder, optional; 1/4 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste; 1/4 half of Lime; 1/4 tbsp Butter; 1/4 tbsp Butter; 1/4 Onion; 1 Garlic Clove; 3/4 Chili Pepper; 1/4 Tomato; Some Curry Leaves; 1/4 cube of Ginger; 1/4 tbsp Tomato Paste, or two for deeper color; 1/4 tsp Garam Masala; Some Turmeric, a touch, if you want it more orange; 1/4 cups Cream; 1/4 tbsp Ghee; 1/4 Cinnamon Stick; 3/4 Bay Leaf; 3/4 Cardamom Pods; 1/2 cups Rice, washed & soaked; Some Salt; Some Prawn or Chicken Stock Powder

Butter Prawns is a rich, aromatic dish featuring lightly marinated prawns finished in a smooth, creamy tomato-butter sauce. Served with fragrant spiced rice, it balances warm spices, gentle heat, and a bright squeeze of lime for a comforting restaurant-style meal at home.

Butter Prawns is a rich, aromatic dish featuring lightly marinated prawns finished in a smooth, creamy tomato-butter sauce. Served... Show more

By Chef jj · Original recipe

Health Grade

C · Balanced

Time

50 min

Price

6,52 €

Calories

1058 kcal

high protein

low sugar

fusion

comfort food

Method

Wash and soak rice

Rinse the Rice (washed & soaked) in several changes of cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then cover it with fresh water and let it soak while you prepare the prawns and sauce ingredients. This helps the grains cook up longer and fluffier instead of clumping.

Marinate the prawns

Pat the Prawns dry if they look wet, then place them in a bowl with Salt, Black Pepper, Garam Masala, Turmeric, Yogurt, Chili Powder (optional), Ginger Garlic Paste, and the juice of half a Lime. Mix thoroughly so every prawn is well coated, then set the bowl aside while you continue with the rice and sauce.

Chop the aromatics

Peel and finely chop the Onion. Peel and slice or crush the Garlic Cloves. Finely chop the Ginger, chop the Chili Peppers, dice the Tomato, and pick the Curry Leaves if needed. Keep everything near the stove, because the sauce comes together quickly once the pan is hot.

Start the spiced rice

Set a pot over medium heat and add the Ghee. When it melts, add the Cinnamon Stick, Bay Leaves, and Cardamom Pods. Stir for just a few seconds until fragrant, then drain the soaked rice well and add it to the pot with a little more salt and the Prawn or Chicken Stock Powder. Stir gently for about 1 minute so the grains are coated in the fat and whole spices.

Simmer the rice

Pour in enough water to cook the rice as you normally would, bring it to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to its gentlest setting. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Keep the lid on afterward so it can continue to steam off the heat until serving.

Heat the skillet

Place a large heavy skillet over high heat and let it get properly hot before adding any fat. You want the pan hot enough that the prawns sear quickly rather than release liquid and steam.

Sear the prawns

Add a knob of Butter to the hot skillet. As soon as it melts and foams, lay in the marinated prawns in a single layer. Sear them for 1 to 2 minutes on the first side, turn them, and cook for about 1 minute more, just until lightly colored and nearly cooked through. Transfer them to a plate; they will finish in the sauce later.

Cook the sauce base

In the same skillet, add the remaining butter if the pan looks dry. Add the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, chili peppers, tomato, and curry leaves. Cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring often, until the onion softens and the mixture smells sweet and aromatic. Stir in the Tomato Paste (or two for deeper color), more garam masala, and a small extra pinch of turmeric if you want a deeper orange color. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more so the tomato paste darkens slightly and loses its raw edge.

Blend until smooth

Carefully transfer the hot vegetable mixture to a blender with a small splash of water and blend until completely smooth and velvety. If you prefer, an immersion blender can work in a deep container, but a jug blender usually gives the silkiest finish for this kind of sauce.

Finish the butter sauce

Pour the blended sauce back into the skillet and stir in the Cream. Bring it to a very gentle simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce looks glossy and heated through. Return the seared prawns and any juices on the plate to the pan, then simmer for 5 minutes so they finish cooking and absorb the sauce. Taste and adjust with a little more salt if needed.

Fluff and serve

Fluff the rice with a fork and remove the whole spices if you like. Spoon the butter prawns over or alongside the rice, then finish with an extra squeeze of the remaining lime for brightness just before serving.