Indian restaurant style king prawn butterfly made with succulent prawns inside and crispy golden coating outside. Make your own better than takeaway appetizer at home with simple pantry-friendly ingredients.
14Large PrawnAbout 350g (12oz), Large king prawn, tiger prawns, or shrimp, ( peeled, deveined, tails-on )
2EggWhisked
100gPlain flourAll-purpose-flour
150gGolden bread crumbsGolden/white or panko bread crumbs ( see details in note )
Oil for fryingVegetable or neutral flavour oil
Seasonings
½tspCurry powderHot or mild Indian curry powder
½tspChilli powderOr paprika
½tspGarlic powder
½tspPepper
½tspSalt
Dipping Sauce
3tbspTomato Ketchup
2tspMint yoghurt sauceOr plain yoghurt
1tbspLime juiceOr lemon juice
1tspChopped corianderFinely chopped coriander or mint leaves
⅛tspSaltOr salt to taste
Instructions
Prepare the prawns
Peel and devein the prawns and leave the tail on. Pat dry them with a paper towel.
To butterfly the prawns, use a sharp knife and cut along the back of the prawn but leave the tail tip. If there is any vein left inside, remove it and flatten the prawn by shallow scoring crisscross diagonally. Make sure not to cut right through.
Whisk two eggs and season them with salt, pepper, chilli powder, curry powder, and garlic powder. Add breadcrumbs and plain flour in a separate bowl or tray.
First, hold the butterflied prawn from the tail, dip it in the eggs and then dredge it in the plain flour. Next, dip it again in the egg and then dredge it in the bread crumbs. Gently pressed it with your fingers to coat it evenly.
Place the coated prawn on the tray and set it aside. Repeated the process until all the prawns are breaded.
Deep Frying
Heat the oil into medium-high heat about 330-340°F ( 160-170° C ) and fry the breaded prawns for 3-4 minutes or until crispy golden brown.
Remove from oil and place it over the paper towel. Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately with a choice of dipping sauce.
Dipping sauce
Add tomato ketchup, mint yoghurt sauce, salt, lime juice, chopped coriander in a small bowl and mix it well.
Baking Option: Deep frying and air frying create the best result. However, you can bake in the pre-heated 400°F ( 200°C ) pre-heated oven. Spray cooking oil over the breaded prawns and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until crispy by flipping halfway through.
Air Frying Option: Spray a bit of cooking oil over the coated prawns and fry it in 400°F ( 200°C ) pre-heated air-fryer for about 10-12 minutes or until crispy. Flip halfway through.
How to prep ahead? Once the prawns are breaded, place them over the tray and freeze them in the fridge until they are set. Then transfer to freezer-safe bags or containers and freeze them. Fry the breaded prawns directly from the freezer, do not need to defrost.
Nutrition facts are calculated approximately and it can be varied by number of factors.