The Best Tandoori Prawns My Food Story

on Jun 16, 2015, Updated Oct 17, 2020 I just can’t seem to get enough of these prawns, and these are easily the best damn tandoori prawns I’ve ever had. Spicy, smoky, crunchy outside, juicy inside and that masala has enough pizzazz to make you fight over the last piece! Plus I never thought tandoori masala would be so easy to make. All it takes is 10 minutes to marinade and less than 10 to cook. Because prawns = quick cooking.

Ingredients To Make Tandoori Prawns

For the marinade:

Hung curd: Gives the prawns a nice creamy flavor and helps the masalas stick to it more easily. Ginger garlic paste: Freshly ground ginger garlic paste for flavor and aroma Masalas: I have used red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and garam masala for this recipe. Lemon juice: Adds a nice zing to the whole dish. Salt: For flavor and seasoning.

For the prawns:

Prawns: I prefer to use tiger prawns for this recipe as they’re bigger in size and are perfect for these kind of recipes. Butter: Melted, and used to cook the prawns as well as to brush cooked prawns before serving. Chaat Masala: Adds a nice tang to the whole dish. Coriander: Freshly cut to add a hint of earthiness and freshness to the whole dish.

Top Tips To Make The Best Tandoori Prawns

It’s important to use hung curd for this recipe, as a normal curd marinade won’t stick very well. If you don’t have hung curd, you can replace it with Greek yogurt for similar results. Prawns cook very quickly and can go from cooked to overcooked and chewy in seconds. So make sure to follow the cooking time and instructions carefully. The way you defrost prawns plays a huge role in the resulting texture, flavor and safety of the dish. If you’re a beginner with cooking prawns, I would highly recommend you read this article – how to defrost prawns safely – before you start.

I love serving this with my mango chutney (you can find the recipe in the recipe card below), but these tandoori prawns taste delicious even when served with a simple coriander chutney. I usually make this appetizer when we’re hosting friends, and it ends up becoming a total hit every time! So be sure to make extras; you’ve been warned!