Prawn curry

Name: Prawn curry (Saloonat Rubyan)
Cuisine: Saudi Arabian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) king prawns (shrimps), head removed, peeled and deveined (the weight is after the prawns have been cleaned and prepared); 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) king prawns (shrimps), head removed, peeled and deveined (the weight is after the prawns have been cleaned and prepared); 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) king prawns (shrimps), head removed, peeled and deveined (the weight is after the prawns have been cleaned and prepared); 1 tbsp garlic paste; ½ tsp green chilli paste (optional); ½ tsp roasted ground cumin; ½ tsp ground green cardamom; 1 tsp red chilli powder (or to taste); ½ tsp ground turmeric; ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper; 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped; 30 ml (1 fl oz/2 tablespoons) tamarind pulp; 2 tbsp lemon juice; Salt; A handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped; A handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped; Lemon wedges; Hot Pitta Bread or carrot rice (Aish al Jazar); Hot Pitta Bread or carrot rice (Aish al Jazar); Hot Pitta Bread or carrot rice (Aish al Jazar)

Saloonat Rubyan

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Red Sea Cookbook

By Madeeha Qureshi

Published 2026

About

A hearty prawn curry from the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia but popular across the country, this is an everyday, any day kind of recipe. A very simple prawn curry that is zingy and tangy, a medley of subtle flavours with sweetness of the buttery prawns coming through. It can be pulled together in under 30 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
500 g (

Asia
Saudi Arabia
Fish course
Pescatarian

Method

Pour the oil into a large frying pan and sauté the onion over a medium heat until it starts to caramelize a little – about 3-5 minutes.

Add the prawns (shrimps) and turn the heat up to high to flash fry them without letting them get watery – about 2 minutes on each side, until they turn pink.

Add the garlic paste, green chilli paste (if using), ground cumin, cardamom, red chilli