Amazing Indian Butter Shrimp is a must try recipe! Tender shrimp in mouth watering makhani sauce is a twist on the classic butter chicken and is made without stock. Serve over rice or naan.
What is Indian butter shrimp? It is butter chicken made with shrimp instead of chicken. A fun twist! Butter chicken is tandoori chicken tossed in a creamy "makhani" or butter sauce. It is creamy, spicy and with a hint of sweetness. One of the tastiest Indian masala shrimp curry you will ever eat! You will also love this Butter Chicken Pasta or Indian butter chickpeas.
My favorite part, is that it is much more faster and easier, since there is no marinating time. Shrimp or prawns are always stocked in the freezer and thaws quick.
Main ingredients:
Shrimp - We used thawed frozen shrimp
Butter – Use salted or unsalted butter, but make sure that you adjust salt accordingly.
Onion, ginger and garlic – No Indian recipe is complete without these three.
Cashews – Raw cashews made into a fine powder.
Tomato – Traditional butter chicken recipes call for blanched and pureed tomatoes, however this recipe uses canned tomato sauce for convenience.
Spices – Cumin seeds, kasoori methi, cayenne, coriander, turmeric and garam masala powders
Heavy cream – It makes the sauce silky smooth, creamy and luxurious.
Honey – Adds sweetness and makes it finger licking good
Food color – Orange food color, optional
Method:
(with step by step photos)
Cook Shrimp - Cook shrimp with a bit of salt and cayenne powder in some butter, until ¾th cooked. Transfer to a bowl along with all the juices.
Make Butter Sauce - Heat the same pan with remaining butter and toast cumin seeds. Saute onion, crushed garlic and ginger until golden brown. Add kasoori methi, coriander powder, garam masala powder and remaining cayenne. Cook for about couple of minutes, until toasted.
Finish Prawn makhani - Stir in tomato sauce and cashew powder, cook in low flame for about 10 minutes. Stir in cooked shrimp along with all accumulated juices, heavy cream, honey and food color. Simmer for about 2 minutes and take off heat.
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Expert Tips
Shrimp - We used thawed frozen shrimp with tails removed.
Cashews– Process raw cashews into a fine powder using any dry spice grinder. It is important to stop the grinder every few seconds and give a good shake and continue grinding. Else, the powder might start clumping up due to the high fat content in cashews.
Tomato Sauce – Tomato sauce is found in cans in the canned tomato section of your grocery store. DO NOT USE jarred MARINARA SAUCE or PASTA SAUCE instead.
Color : Traditional butter chicken always has an iconic deep orange color that is achieved by adding orange food color. It is totally optional and will not affect the flavor in any way.
Cayenne – Cayenne is Indian chili powder.
Kasoori methi – Kasoori methi is dried fenugreek leaves and is one the key ingredient in authentic makhani sauce. Skip if not available.
Salt – Salt depends on the type of tomato sauce used and your taste. Use according to taste.
Spicy – If you like it spicier, then increase cayenne pepper.
Serving suggestions
- Buttery Naan
- Cooked rice
- Crusty bread
- Parathas / Rotis / Flatbreads
How to store leftovers?
Leftover Indian butter shrimp can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
To reheat – Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat in microwave, until heated through.
Indian Butter Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 and ½ pounds raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder adjust based on your spice level, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste, divided
Group-1
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 and ½ cups finely chopped onion about 1 large
- 2 large garlic cloves crushed well
- 2 teaspoons crushed ginger
Group-2
- 2 tablespoons Kasoori methi refer notes
- 2 and ½ teaspoons coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons raw cashews made into a fine powder
Group-3
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 to 2 pinches orange food color optional
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over high heat, add about 1 tablespoon butter and let melt. Stir in shrimp (don't need to be in single layer), some of the cayenne pepper powder and salt. Cook for about 2 minutes (stirring occasionally), until shrimp is ¾th cooked. Transfer to a bowl (along with all juices).
- Reduce heat to medium and add remaining butter to the skillet and let melt.
- Add cumin seeds and let it toast for about 10 seconds and then stir in chopped onion, crushed garlic, ginger and some salt. Cook, stirring often, until onions get golden brown color (4-5 minutes).
- Add kasoori methi, coriander powder, garam masala powder and remaining cayenne. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until spices are toasted well (don't let it burn).
- Add tomato sauce, cashew powder and ¼ cup water, stir well. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes (stirring every 3-4 minutes to make sure that it does not burn in the bottom).
- Uncover, stir in cooked shrimp (along with all accumulated juices), heavy cream, honey, orange food color and remaining salt. Let simmer for about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let rest for few minutes before serving. Delicious served with naan and/or rice
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Tina
I've never commented on a recipe before, but this one was too damn good! The flavour was immaculate, the honey was a perfect touch to it and it was the first time I've put cashews in a recipe, so I was pleasantly surprised by the new flavour it adds. I loved it, my sister loved it, and my father did too. I gobbled it up, like it was some dish at a five star restaurant. Really can't believe I made this masterpiece myself. It was delicious. Thank you