Jamaican Curry Shrimp

Learn how to make this Jamaican Curry Shrimp recipe with coconut milk from scratch. The perfect island style seafood dish that is full of bold flavours, tasty, delicious and so easy to make, any day of the week.

This Jamaican seafood cuisine is a favourite of mine as it brings back fond memories of my youth.

If you adore Caribbean seafood that is relatively simple to prepare and equally as tasty then this recipe is a must try.

What I really like about curry shrimp is how easy it comes together and doesn't take a long time to cook.

I first published this recipe a few years ago, but decided to revamp the recipe by making a few adjustments to the original recipe which was my mothers.

If you want some island flavour in less than one hour then this recipe has your name written all over it.

In true Charla style, I like to use my homemade all purpose seasoning and homemade Jamaican curry powder.

Both ingredients are the backbone of so many of my recipes, the all purpose seasoning is like a flavour enhancer which really helps to optimise the taste of the entire dish.

I like to make this recipe in two parts - seasoning the shrimp first and foremost. Then I follow up with making the sauce.

This involves sauteing many of the foundation ingredients such as the scallion, onion, garlic, bell peppers and so fourth.

Building the recipe up in this format is very crucial for yielding the right balance of flavours.

I like to use fat fat coconut milk instead of half water and half coconut milk, something that I used to do.

I prefer to use just coconut milk because it results in a silky smooth curry sauce.

The key to a good curry sauce is allow it to simmer for a short period of time.

Simmering helps the aromatic flavours to permeate the coconut milk so you don't get a strong taste of coconut, instead the results are mellow, with a slightly spicy kick to it.

I found the more precise you are with measurements and ingredients the better the overall results.

There is no need for a thickener since the fat from the coconut milk will congeal and add volume to the sauce.

Coconut milk is an integral part of the cuisine for that velvety smooth sauce.

Reasons to make this recipe

• Perfect for people who are looking for a quick tasty Caribbean meal
• You can pair it with potatoes, plantain, brown rice or even vegetables
• It's a great way to use coconut and curry in the same dish
• A must try for seafood lovers
• Beginner friendly and very easy to make

Raw vs cooked shrimp

The use of raw versus cooked shrimp often leaves the nation divided, with some preferring the latter over the former.

I personally prefer to use raw shrimp over cooked ones, in fact, it is very rare for me to use cooked shrimp in any of my recipes.

The reason as to why I prefer to cook with raw shrimp is down to having more control over how the shrimp is cooked.

Raw shrimp is grey-ish in colour and translucent, depending on the size, it can take up to 10 minutes to cook through.

Having more control over cooking your shrimp results in a much better texture and flavour.

If you get it right, the shrimp will be slightly pink in colour and the texture should be tender.

On the other hand, cooked shrimp a great if you want to save time or a limited by time.

Also, because they are already cooked they only need to be heated through for a few times.

Once thing that you need to be mindful of with shrimp is that overcooking them (raw or cooked) can result in the texture becoming quite tough and rubbery.

If you are a novice to cooking shrimp, I would recommend using raw shrimp as there is a little more room for error.

Frequently asked questions

Can you use low fat coconut milk instead of full fat?

You can if you want to, just be aware that the sauce won't be as rich, thick and creamy as it would with full fat coconut milk.

Does the curry always have to be cooked/burnt first?

Many people do this for a number of reasons, some people say that it is crucial to cook/burn the curry to help aid digestion.

Other people do it as a means of releasing the aroma from the spices that constitute the curry powder.

I personally don't always burn/cook my curry (sometimes I forget) and the results have always been just as good without always carrying out this step.

It is optional but a cultural practice that many like to adhere to.

Can you make this recipe ahead of time?

You can prep ahead of time by chopping up the vegetables the night before. Another thing you could do is to make the sauce, season the shrimp and set aside.

Then all you will need to do, come dinner time is to heat up the curry sauce and add the shrimp.

The steps

• Place the shrimp in a medium sized bowl.
• Season with the curry powder and all purpose seasoning then set aside.
• In a medium sized frying pan, skillet or dutch pan, on medium heat, add the olive oil and the curry powder and cook for about one minute.
• Add the scallion, onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent.
• Add the green and red bell peppers and cook until soft (this should take a few minutes).

• Add the thyme, all purpose seasoning, paprika, tomato paste, scotch bonnet and stir so the ingredients are combined.
• Pour in the coconut milk and bring the pan to a rolling boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer, covered until the sauce starts to thicken up (this should take about 15 minutes).
• Do a taste test and season with pink salt and black pepper to taste.
• Finally stir in the raw shrimp and leave to cook until the shrimp are slightly pink in colour (this can take up to 10 minutes depending on their size).
• Remove the scotch bonnet pepper and thyme stems.
• Serve accordingly.

Notes and tips

• Only add the shrimp when you are ready to eat the actual meal, don't repeatedly re-heat the shrimp as the texture might become rubbery.
• Allow the sauce to simmer, don't rush this step as this time will help the flavours to come through.
• This is the link to the Jamaican Curry Powder and All Purpose Seasoning that you will need.
• Make sure the shrimp is de-vained, clean and blotted dry ahead of time. See this link on How to Clean Meat.
• You can use any size shrimp (small, large or jumbo) tail on/off to make this recipe.
• Do not freeze this recipe, eat it straight away for best results.
• Feel free to add any additional vegetables i.e carrots, potatoes etc..
• If you plan to use frozen shrimp, make sure to thoroughly defrost/de-vain it first before applying the seasoning.
• If you are a novice, I recommend using raw shrimp as they take longer to cook but you've less likely to overcook them and ruin the texture.

Serving suggestions

• Crispy Oven Baked Prawn Fritters
• Caribbean Stew Fish
• Shrimp Rundown
• Curry Cod
• Okra and Saltfish
• Jamaican Saltfish Fritters
• Pan Fried Garlic Butter Shrimp
• Jamaican Hot Pepper Shrimp

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