Easy Butter Shrimp Curry
, Updated Sep 04, 2025
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This easy shrimp curry recipe takes just minutes to cook and tastes sensational! Perfect for busy weekdays and mild enough for the whole family to enjoy. Delicious served with basmati rice and garlic naan bread.
Lovers of Butter Chicken prepare to fall in love with this wonderful Butter Shrimp (Jinghe Makhani) curry recipe! All the luxurious rich flavor you would expect and the perfect showcase for plump juicy shrimp.
It’s my number one choice for whenever we need dinner in a hurry as it cooks incredibly quickly and tastes out-of-this-world delicious! Forget paying through the nose for often disappointing takeout – this homemade Indian-style shrimp curry is the real deal!
Shrimp Curry Ingredients
Our shrimp curry has a tomato based gravy that’s deliciously fragrant thanks to the wonderful blend of spices. If you don’t have all the spices listed below, you can make an easier version using just one mild curry powder.
- Shrimp – it’s worth splashing out on the largest raw jumbo HAVE YOU MADE GREEK CHICKEN AND LEMON RICE RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day! If you have any questions, message me on Instagram and I will do my best to answer them quickly.shrimp (or jumbo prawns) you can afford. Frozen peeled and deveined shrimp are a little more affordable and a great freezer standby when you are stuck for what to make for dinner.
- Concentrated tomato paste (tomato purée) is the base for our gravy. You can also use fresh or canned tomatoes but the flavor will not be as rich.
- Shallots or onion and plenty of garlic.
- Fresh ginger – ginger and garlic go hand-in-hand in the majority of curry recipes. You can even find frozen cubes of garlic and ginger in some supermarkets but fresh is always best!
- Spices and seasoning – garam masala, cumin, turmeric, fenugreek, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and a little sugar to balance out the flavor.
- Lemon juice and water to balance the acidity and thin the sauce.
- Unsalted butter to enrich the sauce and balance out the flavors.
- Cream – heavy cream is added at the end to enrich this simple curry. You can also use coconut cream or milk instead of the cream if you prefer.
- Cilantro (coriander) – to garnish.
How to make Butter Shrimp Curry
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
- Combine all the seasoning and spices together. Set a teaspoon aside for the shrimp. Add the remaining seasoning, shallots, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, lemon juice to a food processor adding as much water as needed to make a smooth paste.
- Pat the shrimp dry using paper towels. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with the reserved seasoning blend.
- Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the shrimp and cook them for about a minute until they turn pink. You don’t want to cook them for too long as they will continue to cook in the sauce. Use a slotted spoon to set them aside.
- Add a splash more oil and the curry paste to the pan and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Stir in enough water to loosen the gravy, about 1/3-1/2 cup (80ml-120ml).
- Now add the shrimp into the sauce and simmer over low heat for 5-10 minutes.Add cubes of cold butter to the sauce, stirring until it melts. Finally, stir in the cream and simmer for a minute or so until it is warmed through.
- Have a quick taste to check whether you need to add a little lemon juice and garnish with plenty of chopped cilantro. Serve over steamed basmati rice or pilau rice with naan bread to mop up all the delicious gravy!
Storing and freezing
Leftovers will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container. Reheat on the stove, adding a splash of water if needed.
Creamy curries can be frozen for up to three months, but the cream is prone to separating and curdling when the dish is reheated. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat over low heat, stirring gently, to serve.
Recipe Notes
- How to defrost shrimp quickly: place the shrimp in a bowl and cover with cold water. Change the water several times until the shrimp is thawed. Pat the shrimp dry before using and never leave shrimp to defrost at room temperature.
- Replacing the cream with coconut cream: the cream usually solidifies in cans of coconut milk, separating from the liquid. You can simply use a spoon to scoop it out and use instead of heavy cream. Reduced fat coconut milk should be stirred well before adding to the curry.
- If you don’t have all the spices listed in the ingredients, you can use 1-2 tbsp mild curry powder instead for a simpler version of this curry recipe.
Related Recipes
HAVE YOU MADE MY SHRIMP CURRY RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day! If you have any questions, message me on Instagram and I will do my best to answer them quickly.
Easy Butter Shrimp Curry
Video
Ingredients
Seasoning blend
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp fenugreek
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp pepper
For the curry paste
- 4 shallots , peeled and roughly chopped
- 5 cloves cloves , peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 thump-sized piece fresh ginger , peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (tomato purée)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup (60ml) water or as needed
For the curry
- 1 tbsp neutral oil , or as needed
- 1 pound (450g) large shrimp (prawns) , peeled and deveined
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) water or as needed
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter , cold and cubed
- ⅓ cup (80ml) cream heavy / double
- 2 tbsp cilantro (coriander) chopped, to serve
- pinch red pepper flakes to serve
Instructions
- Combine all the seasoning and spices together. Set a teaspoon aside for the shrimp.1 tsp salt, 2 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp fenugreek, 1 tsp sweet paprika, ½ tsp red pepper flakes, ½ tsp sugar , ¼ tsp pepper
- Add the remaining seasoning, shallots, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, lemon juice to a food processor adding as much water as needed to make a smooth paste.4 shallots, 5 cloves cloves, 1 thump-sized piece fresh ginger, 2 tbsp tomato paste, ¼ cup (60ml) water
- Pat the shrimp dry using paper towels. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with the reserved seasoning blend.1 pound (450g) large shrimp (prawns)
- Heat some neutral oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the shrimp and cook them for about a minute until they turn pink. You don’t want to cook them for too long as they will continue to cook in the sauce. Use a slotted spoon to set them aside.1 tbsp neutral oil
- Add a splash more oil and the curry paste to the pan and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Stir in enough water to loosen the gravy, about 1/3-1/2 cup (80ml-120ml).⅓ cup (80 ml) water
- Now add the shrimp into the sauce and simmer over low heat for 5-10 minutes.
- Add cubes of cold butter to the sauce, stirring until it melts. Finally, stir in the cream and simmer for a minute or so until it is warmed through.1 tbsp unsalted butter, ⅓ cup (80ml) cream
- Have a quick taste to check whether you need to add a little lemon juice and garnish with plenty of chopped cilantro and pinch red pepper flakes.2 tbsp cilantro, pinch red pepper flakes
Notes
Storing and freezing
Leftovers will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container. Reheat on the stove, adding a splash of water if needed. Creamy curries can be frozen for up to three months, but the cream is prone to separating and curdling when the dish is reheated. Thaw overnight in the fridge and heat over low heat, stirring gently, to serve.Recipe Notes
- How to defrost shrimp quickly: place the shrimp in a bowl and cover with cold water. Change the water several times until the shrimp is thawed. Pat the shrimp dry before using and never leave shrimp to defrost at room temperature.
- Replacing the cream with coconut cream: the cream usually solidifies in cans of coconut milk, separating from the liquid. You can simply use a spoon to scoop it out and use instead of heavy cream. Reduced fat coconut milk should be stirred well before adding to the curry.
- If you don’t have all the spices listed in the ingredients, you can use 1-2 tbsp mild curry powder instead for a simpler version of this curry recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
