Prawns cooked in a creamy custard-like coconut milk sauce with okra and your favourite Jamaican herbs and spices – pimento (allspice), thyme and scallion. Because of its sweet-savoury flavour, this prawn dish is a keeper that you’ll make again and again.
Jamaican Style Coconut Milk Prawns
My Jamaican-style coconut milk prawns dish is inspired by rundown (rundung). In Jamaican cuisine, rundown is vegetables and salted fish cooked in coconut milk. Before adding the fish and vegetables, the coconut milk is cooked until it has an oily base and depending on amount of coconut milk, this may take some time.
But I wanted to incorporate the same cooking method in my rundown inspired coconut prawns recipe, but with less time. I think I have achieve that with this recipe.
I don’t know why I include okra in this recipe, but it works, and you will like it.
Ingredients For My Coconut Milk Prawns Recipe
Here is what you need to cook prawns in coconut milk to get the tastiest dish:
- Prawns: I got king prawns with the head removed. If you get prawns with its head, you will have to get more to get the same amount used in this recipe.
- Coconut milk: You know by now that I only use homemade coconut milk. However, tinned coconut milk works just the same.
- Okra: Get you some okra. Avoid the big, old, hard ones. They tend to be tough and stringy when cooked.
- Jamaican flavour: Scotch bonnet pepper, pimento (allspice), thyme, scallion, garlic, onion and bell pepper that’s your Jamaican flavour.
- Seasoning: Salt and black pepper, you need nothing more.
How To cook Prawns In Coconut Jamaican Style
Once you start cooking, this recipe shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes.
- Prepare the prawns: Remove the shell, de-vain and season with salt and black pepper. In a non-stick pan, add oil and cook for 1 minute on both sides. Immediately remove the prawns from the pot and set them aside. Make the oil hot enough before adding the prawns.
- Sauté aromatics: Add the scotch bonnet pepper, pimento (allspice), onion, and garlic to the pot and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Create the custard sauce: Add the coconut milk and let it cook for about 8 to 10 minutes until you see the custard separate from the oil. Add the bell pepper and the okra and cook for another 10 minutes until the okra cooks.
Another minute or two then ready: Once the okras are fully cooked, return the prawns to the pot. Stir well to coat the prawns with the creamy coconut sauce. Cook for another two minutes, and your Jamaican style coconut prawns are ready.
What Goes Well With Coconut Prawns?
Rice is my favourite side to serve with this prawn dish. This coconut rice side dish goes well with coconut prawns and the are both cooked in with coconut milk.
Although I usually only serve rice with this rundown-inspired coconut prawns dish, many other side dishes go well with prawns cooked with coconut milk. Your choice of spaghetti or pasta, steamed or roasted vegetables, or salads, to name a few.
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator and consume within 3 to five days after making.
Reheat your coconut milk prawns on the stovetop because microwave reheating can cause the prawns to become rubbery.
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Prawns Cooked In Coconut Milk With Okra (Jamaican Style)
Ingredients
- 500 g (1.1 lb) Prawns Remove shell
- 1 ½ Cup (354.88 ml) Coconut milk
- 90 g (3.17 oz) Okra Chopped
- 30 g (1.06 oz) Onion Chopped
- 8 g (0.28 oz) Scallion (string onion) Chopped
- 50 g (1.76 oz) Bell pepper Sliced
- 2 Cloves garlic Crushed
- 5 Pimento berries (allspice)
- Scotch Bonnet pepper Seed removed and finely chopped
- 3 Sprig thyme
- ¾ tsp Salt
- â…› tsp (â…›) Black papper
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
Instructions
- After cleaning the prawns, pat with a paper towel to dry. In a kitchen bowl, season the pawns with the black pepper and ½ tsp of salt.
- Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the prawns and cook for about one minute on both sides or until the prawns turn pink. Remove immediately to a bowl.
- Add the garlic, onion, scallion, scotch bonnet pepper and pimento (allspice) sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and thyme. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the okra and bell pepper, cover and cook for about another 10 until the okra softens. Check to see when the custard like sauce started to thickens and reduce the heat to low.
- Once the okra cooks, return the prawns to the pot. Cook for another minute or two the turn the heat off.
This was a lovely recipe to try. Was so delicious. Definitely will be making it very often. Thank you for sharing
Prawns and coconut milk are a match made in heaven! I make something similar but I don’t put okra in it. I will try your recipe. It looks so much better than mine.
It’s so tropical and perfect for the summer! The coconut flavor is perfect and makes it dairy-free so I can enjoy it 🙂
I love all the flavors here! Prawns and okra are two of my favorite foods, but I’ve never had them together like this before. Made it last night and it was fab! The okra, prawns and coconut milk goes well together! Great recipe.
I love a similar prawn recipe with coconut milk, but I have not tried this version with okra. It looks delicious though, I can’t wait to try it out!
I adore prawns. What a great new way to enjoy them!
I love this recipe. Honestly i love anything with okra.Thanks for sharing
oh Wow! I love Okra and I think this is an amazing way to cook prawns and okra. So I tried it out and I was please. Thanks for sharing!
This looks so good and I will save this recipe to try it. Thank you for sharing!
Saw this recipe and it looked delicious so I thought I would try and making it. Turned out great and taste so good!!
Prawns are one of my husbands favorite things to eat. I thought I’d cook this for him and he LOVED it!
I have cooked prawns in coconut milk before and my kids loved it 🙂 but never add okra. Tried this version, and it was a hit, thanks for the recipe!!
Came out great. I use canned coconut milk, but it still tasted amazing. The family loved it! Five stars
Omg I so need this like right. This sounds amazing