Prawn Malay Doopiaja
A Malaysian-style prawn curry with caramelized onions, aromatic spices, and coconut milk. The doopiaja method features twice-cooked onions - fried and then simmered - creating a rich, flavorful sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces Ghee or clarified butter (About 6 tablespoons; can substitute with vegetable oil)
- 1.5 teaspoons Salt (Adjust to taste)
- 4 teaspoons Onions, ground or finely grated (About 1 medium onion, grated)
- 1 teaspoon Ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Ground chilies or chili powder (Adjust for heat preference)
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground ginger
- 0.25 teaspoon Ground garlic or garlic powder (Or 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced)
- 1 cup Coconut milk, strong (Use full-fat coconut milk for best results)
- 12 medium onions Onions, sliced lengthways into fine slices (About 6 cups sliced; original quantity is large, can reduce to 4-6 onions for modern portions)
- 1.5 pounds Prawns or large shrimp, peeled and deveined (About 24-30 prawns)
More recipes using Prawns
Prawn Malay Doopiaja
A Malay-style prawn curry featuring large prawns cooked in a rich onion-based sauce with coconut milk and aromatic spices. The doopiaja method involves frying onions twice - once sliced and fried, then chopped and simmered into the curry.
Prawn Doopiaja
A traditional Bengali prawn curry cooked with double the amount of onions (doopiaja means 'double onions'), featuring prawns in a spiced mustard oil gravy with sliced curry onions.
Prawn Malay Gravy Curry with Pulwal (Stuffed Pointed Gourd)
A traditional Malay-style curry featuring pointed gourds (pulwal) stuffed with spiced prawn mince and cooked in fragrant coconut milk gravy. This dish combines the delicate sweetness of prawns with aromatic spices and creamy coconut.
Prawn Malay Gravy Curry with White Pumpkin or Cucumber
A fragrant Malay-style prawn curry with coconut milk and lemon grass, featuring white pumpkin or cucumber. The prawns are parboiled first to remove any fishy taste, then cooked in a rich, aromatic gravy.
Instructions
- 1Peel and devein the prawns. Slice 12 onions lengthways into fine slices. Grate or grind 1 medium onion for the ground onions. Measure out all spices.
- 2Heat the ghee in a large, heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and fry, stirring frequently, until golden brown and caramelized, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the fried onions with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.
- 3In the same pan with the remaining ghee, add the ground onions, turmeric, chili powder, ground ginger, and ground garlic. Fry over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the spices are fragrant and turn a deep brown color, about 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to burn.
- 4Add the prawns and salt to the pan with the browned spices. Stir well to coat the prawns evenly with the spice mixture. Fry, stirring frequently, until the prawns turn pink and begin to brown slightly, about 5 minutes.
- 5While the prawns are cooking, finely chop the reserved fried onions on a cutting board.
- 6Pour in the coconut milk and add the finely chopped fried onions. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- 7Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and allow the curry to simmer gently for 30-40 minutes. The prawns should be tender and the sauce thickened. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Note: Prawns cook quickly, so if using smaller shrimp, reduce simmering time to 20-25 minutes to avoid overcooking.
- 8Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot with steamed rice or flatbreads.
