Isso Curry
This creamy prawn curry is fragrant with pandan, curry leaves, garlic, and warm Sri Lankan spices. The sauce is silky from coconut milk, lightly fiery from chili, and brightened at the end with lime, making it perfect for spooning over rice.
Ingredients
Curry base
- 300 graw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 120 gonion, thinly sliced
- 12 ggarlic, finely chopped
- 1 small (10 g)green chili, slit lengthwise
- 1 tsp (2 g)red chili powder
- 2 tsp (5 g)curry powder, Sri Lankan style
- 1/4 tsp (0.5 g)turmeric powder
- 10 leavescurry leaves
- 1 leaf (about 15 g)pandan leaf, knotted
- 250 mlcoconut milk
- 80 mlwater
- 80 gtomato, chopped
- 2 tsp (10 ml)lime juice
- 3/4 tspsea salt
- 1/4 tspblack pepper
For frying and finishing
- 1 tbsp (15 ml)coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp (2 g)mustard seeds
- 6 leavesextra curry leaves
Instructions
- 1
Prepare everything first: slice the onion, chop the garlic and tomato, slit the green chili, and pat the shrimp dry. Keeping the shrimp dry helps them stay plump rather than watery in the curry.
- 2
Heat the coconut oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and let them crackle for a few seconds, then add the curry leaves and extra curry leaves. Fry briefly until fragrant, about 10 seconds; do not let them burn.
- 3
Add the sliced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until softened and lightly golden at the edges. Add the garlic and green chili and cook for 30 seconds more, just until aromatic.
- 4
Lower the heat slightly and stir in the red chili powder, curry powder, turmeric, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 15-20 seconds to bloom the spices. Immediately add the chopped tomato and stir well so the spices do not scorch.
- 5
Pour in the coconut milk and water, then add the knotted pandan leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce smells fragrant and slightly thickens.
- 6
Add the shrimp and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they turn pink, opaque, and just curl into a loose 'C'. Avoid overcooking or they will become rubbery.
- 7
Turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Let the curry stand for 2 minutes so the flavors settle, then remove the pandan leaf before serving.
- 8
Serve hot, spooning the sauce over the shrimp. This is especially good with steamed rice, string hoppers, or crusty flatbread.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •Use medium or large shrimp; very small shrimp overcook too quickly in the sauce.
- •If you cannot find Sri Lankan curry powder, use a roasted curry powder for the closest warm, deep flavor.
- •For a richer curry, use full-fat coconut milk; for a lighter version, reduce to 200 ml coconut milk and increase water by 50 ml.
- •If you want more heat, add another green chili or a pinch more chili powder.
- •Do not boil the curry hard after adding the shrimp; a gentle simmer keeps them tender.
Background
Isso curry is a classic Sri Lankan seafood curry, especially popular in coastal regions where fresh prawns are abundant. Like many Sri Lankan curries, it relies on layered aromatics such as curry leaves, pandan, chili, and coconut milk to create a deeply fragrant sauce. Home-style versions vary by region and family, but the combination of shellfish and coconut is a hallmark of the island's cooking.
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