When you think Caribbean cuisine you automatically think heat. But as with any dish you’re preparing, you have control over how much heat you’d like to experience. Personally I like things fiery hot, but there are times when you don’t get the true flavor of the dish because it’s overwhelmed by the heat factor. Here’s a very quick recipe that I’ve tested (not perfected yet) for curry shrimp.
You’ll need..
2 lbs fresh shrimps (these days you can find shrimp that’s already peeled and deveined)
1.25 fl oz oil
2 onions, chopped
1/4 of a scotch bonnet or habanero pepper finely chopped up (remember this is how you control the heat)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 sweet pepper chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper
1 1/2 cups water
Peel and devein shrimp if necessary. Heat oil. Add the curry powder and continue to fry for two minutes (as my mom would say.. “let the curry fry-down a bit”). Then add the tomatoes, sweet peppers, salt, pepper and other seasonings. Add water. Bring to a boil then reduce. Add shrimp. Heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until shrimp is cooked. Keep an eye on the shrimp so as not to overcook (depending on the size of shrimp you purchased).
Tips…
a. I highly recommend that you try to get Raja Jahan Special Madras Curry powder. It’s a unique blend of spices that make up a dry curry powder with a hint of Caribbean flavor, since it’s made in Trinidad and Tobago.
b. You can cut back on the amount of water and add some coconut cream to add a delightful twist to the curry sauce.

BTW, it’s curry shrimp and not shrimp curry as others may tend to call it. Be sure to leave me your comments, suggestions or your own recipe for curry shrimp.

Curry shrimp, shrimp curry – I think it depends on where you’re from. In Guyana where I’m from, we say shrimp curry. But hey, the important thing is that is it shrimp and it is a curry right?
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I read your blog for quite a long time and should tell you that your articles always prove to be of a high value and quality for readers.
I LOVE SHRIMP ANYWAY IT IS PREPARED MAKES IT QUITE UNIQUE, I ENJOY IT ALL THE MORE BETTER.
That is a really interesting post, thank you.
It sounds Delicious !!!!
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Thsnks for having such a great site. I really appreaciate the recipies and looking forward more.
A special thanks to everyone for taking the time to leave your comments. Please do share with your friends and remember to add me as your friend on facebook if you'd like to connect. Click in the "about" link above to see my profile on Facebook.
Happy cooking
Chris
.-= Chris´s last blog ..Scotia Bank Caribana, Toronto : King and Queen event. =-.
thanks Chris you too sweet. your curry sounds nice but i make my own curry mix & so have control of the flavour my curry is this. 2tbs of garam masala [ good quality] 1/2 tsp of ground coriander 1tsp of cumin 1tsp tumeric, mix well & lightly toast then proceed to cook whaever you have in mind. if you are cooking goat or duck add ground mathee it helps cut out the gaminess of the meats & of shadobeni.chopped finely for these meats also increase the garammasla by a little & add a pinch of amcharmasala. of course in all the dishes coconut milk. Enjoy! antoinette [aka Toni]
I did the curry shrimp today, and even though I live in Dubai, I just came back from Trinidad with my stock of great curry powders!!!
I added some potatoes to my dish, and served it up with some Jasmine rice…was a delight! thanks for sharing……
that curry shrimp is very appeaLING to the eyes. its simple and delicious. i must try it.
i will introduce my caribbeanpot.com
ive never been to a better website.
thanks very much for your daily recipes
.-= yanique´s last blog ..A chef d’oeuvre macaroni pie. =-.
Re: Cher, Lovely. I’m heading down in a few days to get my stock of curry powders.
re: Yanique, Thanks for your kind comments.
Happy Cooking All.
.-= Chris De La Rosa´s last blog ..Profile of the Fiery Scotch Bonnet Pepper. =-.
want some now.mouth watering.
Hmmmmm I love shrimp and I am going to try this.
Hi Chris, I’m most delighted to have bumped into your website. WHY? my teenage daughter finds cooking boring and as such never learned to cook. But she is all for tecnology so when i introduced her to your Caribbean Pot…she now has an interest and find that caribbean cooking is not hard but just needs creativity. May God continue to keep your site going because she relies on it.
when u heat the oil place a clove of garlic to burn in it, this will help cure the curry and add taste, and also u can first disolve the curry in a little water before u add it to the hot oil, the result is less grain but a smooth finish. hope this helps. thank you
Hi Charmaine, this is Pam & that's exactly how I prepare any curry dish.
when u heat the oil add some chopped onion garlic and hot pepper,let fry abit in oil until the aromas rise mix curry powder in a little water and let fry down,true trini style,hope this helps.p.s loves shrimp especially with roti (preferably bust up shut)
Hello All, Thanks for taking the time to leave your wonderful comments and tips. I’m only just back from T&T so I’m playing catch-up with work and responding to everyone’s comments.
Re: Charmaine and Leesia.. great tips and thanks for sharing. BTW, “buss up shut” is still my favourite roti.. so much so (I can’t make roti) we get my mom to make tons for us and we put portion size in freezer bags and freeze them for future use. It’s just a matter of nuking a bag in the microwave whenever we get a craving.
Happy cooking.
Chris
.-= Chris De La Rosa´s last blog ..How to make green Mango Chutney. =-.
Sorry Christ i am not a fish person ,but i will cook it for my family.
.-= Pauline says:´s last blog ..Spreading the culinary culture of the Caribbean. =-.
I made your recipe today and it was so delicious! I am not Caribbean, but I enjoy experimenting with new flavors. I tried to find a Trini curry powder, but the closest I could find was a Jamaican curry powder at an Indian/Jamaican grocer here in Chattanooga. When I opened it, I did not like its smell – too much turmeric, so I used a curry powder blend that is sold in bulk by a grocery chain called The Fresh Market. I made the recipe exactly per your directions and it was delicious! My friends loved it also. I am going to order some of the Raja Jahan to use next time I make this. Oh, and I did add about half a cup of the coconut milk and it was just right. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Oh, I will add one more thing – I used frozen peeled and deveined shrimp and you don’t even have to defrost them. I just added them to the pot with the curry and vegetables and as they cook, they will release their water and enhance the shrimp flavor of the curry. I didn’t add any extra water at all because of this, just the 1/2 cup of coconut milk.
Ah you gave me a new recipe to try , for the past few days i’ve been living off your website… thankyou …. my husband can’t get enough .
The curry shrimp looks delicious.I must try it and it is easy to prepare.
Thanks for all your wonderful comments, it really keeps me going knowing others are enjoying what I have to share.
happy cooking
chris…
Shrimp is my Fav and curry is so easy. I curry everything I set my eyes on, lol. Today I curried shrimp and added whole ochroes with tomatoes and served it with couscous as the rice. As we say in Trinidad ” it lash like licks with ah wooden swizzle stick”
Love this site
@Nicky B. Now there’s a first..curry shrimp and couscous. I bet it was amazing.
Hi Chris,
Thanks so much for the recipes, curry is my favourite dish i can eat it five days a week. I am afro trini but my great granmother on my father’s side was madras indian and my granfather on my mother’s side was indian so it’s in my soul. I have been living in Canada for thirty six years and still cook mostly Trinidadian food.
Hey Chris,
Wonderful stuff!
Anyhow, I like printing your recipes for reference. However, i do not want all the other stuff. Replies,etc..
Could you do something about that? I should be able to just print the recipe or
recipes.
Dean Seon
Dean, thanks for the kind comments. The only thing I can suggest is to copy and paste the text into a “text” file. This way only the text you copy will be copied and not the pictures.
Very soon I’ll start working on a recipe book which I’ll be giving out for free. Stay tuned.
Happy cooking
chris..
Hi Chris,
My uncle turned me onto your site and I think it's great. My mother is from Trinidad and I love that I can learn how to make some traditional dishes and surprise her.
I am a web/graphic designer and I read the comment about not being able to print just the recipe without comments. I'm not sure if you are using wordpress for this site, but there is a plugin that could make printing out the recipes easier for people who visit your site.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-print/
Hope this is helpful!
HEY REALLY GOOD RECEPIES. MY WIFE SUGGESTED TO ADD ROASTED GROUND GEERA OR CUMIN AS SOME MAY KNOW IT.
Thanks for the tip Marlon…pass on my thanks to your wife as well.
happy cooking
chris…
Hello Chris,
I have sent you two mails asking for a recipe for gantia. Can you help? I love the web page and your approach to cooking.
Daniel, sorry. I’ve checked my inbox but couldn’t find anything from you. BTW, what is gantia? And thanks for the kind comment.
happy cooking
chris…
ok I tried the recipe to the t and its spicy but its very bland I mean I tried to doctor it as much as I could but it wasnt appealing at all
Hello Angelica, Thanks for your honest opinion. I’m not sure what to say. Can you tell me the name of the curry powder you used so I can avoid it in the futures
happy cooking
chris…
I added the coconut milk as suggested. It makes this dish even more rich.
coconut milk and curry is always a good combination
hi chris, thank you so much.. it really helps a lot for me..
lovely.. do let me know how you like it.
I love shrimp cooked in any style but the curry is special. as your mum said Chris
"curry fry down a bit boy". Same thing I tell my children. Very important tip.
Good job Chris.
Thanks.
Thora.
so glad that you stopped by and commented
Will definitely try your version – I hungry just watching. The curry powder I have been used for a few years is Lalah's but Martinique or Guadeloupe also have some good mix. Keep up the good work.
will try it this weekend it looking tasty.Thanks Chris.
Yea,i never go to a restaurant that put curry last.I guess from Trinidad originally and ole fashion!!!!Curry shrimp!
lol..
I didn't know about that make of curry but will look for it.
Chris thanks a million. Although I was born in Guyana, I don't know to cook 'West Indian'. So this is a good start. I absolutely love curried shrimp and what's great is I don't have to clean them. yay
I will impress my friends and family who make fun of me being too 'Canadian'. I'll show them a 'ting' or two. lol
hi Chris,
In my Curry Shrimp (not shrimp curry) I season the shrimps with ground Bhandanya, lil parsley, few celery leaves and thyme at least a few hrs before cooking. Not too much though as it will overpower the shrimp flavor.
I enjoy this site and have recommended this to several Non Trinis….
Looking forward to trying your recipe, Chris – it looks very similar to the recipe that we used when I was living on Grand Cayman. Love your website and keep up the great posts!
I am looking forward to try the curry shrimp, when i make my curry shrimp i use coconut milk and not water. I know it might be a little too rich for others but when you try it you will see it taste great. I also add cilantro.
hey Chris, I have to try this one day…but today I was looking for pepper shrimp receipe…how come u dont have that?
Hi Chris,mhhh my mouth is already water am sure it's delicious. I am definately going to try this and surely will update u on it. Thanks for lovely recipes so far i have alrdy tried 3 and everybody have enjoyed them
Once again thanks for taking your time to share these lovely recipes.
This looks really good to try out. Will tell you how it goes. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!
how about a little grind geera when you turn of the fire.
Hi Chris, have you ever tried pumkin with shrimp in it and hot sada roti.
made this last night and me and my boyfriend loved it! i used scotch bonnet hot sauce because i didnt have any peppers on hand. also added a bit of all purpose seasoning and red chilli pepper flakes for a bit more kick. this is definitely a keeper recipe and very easy to follow, thanks!
hi chris
have you ever tried curry shrimps with white rice boiled in rain water. what a blast!
Chris my wife surprised me yesterday and made the Pineapple Chow! It was quite good…even without the shadow benny!
hey it looks really delicious i look forward to trying it
Hi everybody,
Try adding two blimbings, without seeds, cut in pieces (in Suriname we say "lange birambi") along with the shrimps. Sensational !!
I use Surinamese ARVA curry powder. Great blend.
Thank you Chris for these awesome recipes… My partner is from Trinidad and I'm from India… so we do have the same conflict of 'Shrimp Curry' and 'Curry Shrimp'…either way, we are both right and the 'Shrimp Curry' tastes great… LOL
hi chris
your dish looks great wish i could eat some right now
our recipes are similar but i would use pimentos instead of sweet pepper and add in some fresh chives
I dont eat shrimps