11 Restaurant-Style Curries With Just 5 Ingredients

4. Goan Prawn Curry: Coconut Tang with Minimal Ingredients

Ingredients (counted): prawns, coconut milk, tamarind paste (or fresh lime), red chili paste (or Kashmiri chili), garlic. Start by lightly searing garlic and red chili paste to bloom the oils and deepen the color. Add coconut milk and a small spoon of tamarind paste or lime juice for balancing acidity, then toss in prawns and cook just until they turn pink—overcooking ruins the texture. This curry cooks fast; expect 12–15 minutes from start to finish. A restaurant trick is to use full-fat coconut milk for body and to finish with a scatter of fresh coriander. Serve in a shallow bowl, so the glossy coconut gravy shows off the prawns; a wedge of lime at the side brightens each bite.