You can enjoy a delicious taste of the Fijian islands with this Easy Fijian Coconut Shrimp Curry Recipe! Ready in less than half an hour, you'll LOVE this bold curry with mouthwatering juicy shrimp!
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Bula! This means "hello" in Fijian, as well as a warm welcome, which I offer to you!
This Fijian Coconut Shrimp Curry recipe was inspired by an incredible September 2025 visit to Fiji, a place where happiness comes naturally!
Fiji is an incredible place with endless natural beauty, friendly and hospitable people, and fresh delicious food!
Fijian food is heavily influenced by Indian cuisine, as a significant number of people in Fiji are of Indian descent.
I was treated to a Fijian Mud Crab curry during my visit, and got to watch it being prepared by our hosts. The hosts also explained that the mud crab could easily be replaced with shrimp.
So here is my version of the bold and amazing curry I had in Fiji, very similar to Indian curries.
I know you will absolutely love this shrimp curry made with fresh ingredients, a cooking time of less than 10 minutes, and ready in less than 30 minutes!
🥘 Ingredients
The following ingredients are what you'll need to make this Fijian coconut curry shrimp:
- Fresh shrimp (or fresh prawns) - I recommend using extra-large shrimp for this recipe, peeled and deveined prior to cooking; you can also use frozen shrimp, just thaw prior to use
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Medium onion
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Curry powder (use your favorite curry powder or try Hot Madras Curry if you like your curry a bit more spicy)
- Turmeric powder
- Salt
- Creamy coconut milk - I recommend full fat coconut milk for extra richness, however you can sub light coconut milk if you prefer
- Tomato (chopped)
- Cilantro
You should be able to find all of these ingredients in well stocked grocery stores.
An optional ingredient but one I really want to introduce you to is Fiji Fire Hot Sauce! I discovered this hot sauce during our visit. It is crafted using the native Fijian bongo chili, a type of habanero which is both sweet and fruity. So if you want to spice up your curry, a few dashes of this fiery hot sauce will do the trick!
🔪 Instructions
Heat the oil in your pot on a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and cook stirring often for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions have softened and the mixture is fragrant.
Lower the heat a bit (to medium-low), then add the spices (turmeric, curry powder, and salt). Stir for 1 minute to incorporate the spices into your aromatics, adding a little water if the mixture gets too dry.
Increase the heat again to medium, then add the coconut milk and stir well, followed by the peeled and deveined shrimp. Cook the shrimp for around 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp has turned pink and is cooked. The shrimp cook pretty fast, so be aware not to cook the shrimp for too long.
Lastly, add the chopped tomatoes and cilantro and stir well. Taste and add more salt if you so desire.
Your curry is now ready to enjoy!
Suggestions For Serving
The perfect accompaniment to your Fijian Shrimp Curry is rice. I love serving this with fluffy basmati rice to soak up all the delicious curry sauce, but brown rice or plain steamed rice are also great as well.
Indian breads such as naan or roti are also great sides for your Indian inspired Fijian shrimp curry!
By the way, how about serving this in a coconut shell, as I had with my mud crab in Fiji? 😊
Serve with joy! Kana Vinaka (means "good food" or "eat well" in Fijian)!
FAQ
I highly recommend jumbo prawns, colossal sized shrimp, etc. for this curry for best results! The size of the shrimp does matter, as larger shrimp will be juicier and able to better absorb the curry spices resulting in tastier and more flavorful shrimp.
If you love spicy foods, then I have the PERFECT Fijian hot sauce to recommend to you to spicy up this curry! Try Fiji Fire Hot Sauce, which is Fijian made! It is crafted using the native Fijian bongo chili, a type of habanero which is both sweet and fruity!
Some Other Shrimp Recipes That You Will Enjoy!
- Elvi's Kitchen's Delicious Coconut Curry Shrimp Recipe - here's a delicious shrimp curry, Belizean style!
- Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe Without Wine - this fantastic recipe is ready in less than 15 minutes for you to enjoy!
- Easy Shrimp Mei Fun Recipe - whip up this stir fry at home and enjoy this Chinese classic dish tonight!
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Finally, I invite you to come along on this food journey with me! Please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food horizons! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.
Cheers!
Grace
Easy Fijian Coconut Shrimp Curry Recipe
Equipment
- large pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp select extra large or colossal sized fresh shrimp for best results! Peel and devein the shrimp prior to cooking; if using frozen shrimp, please thaw before use
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch ginger minced
- 2 tablespoon curry powder use your favorite curry powder or if you like it spicy try using Hot Madras Curry powder
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- 1 ts salt plus additional to taste
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 large tomato deseeded and diced/chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped (leaves only)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in your pot on a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and cook stirring often for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions have softened and the mixture is fragrant.
- Lower the heat a bit (to medium-low), then add the spices (turmeric, curry powder, and salt). Stir for 1 minute to incorporate the spices into your aromatics, adding a little water if the mixture gets too dry.
- Increase the heat again to medium, then add the coconut milk and stir well, followed by the shrimp. Cook the shrimp for around 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp has turned pink and is cooked. Be aware not to cook the shrimp for too long.
- Lastly, add the tomato and cilantro and stir well. Taste and add more salt if you so desire.
- Serve with joy! Kana Vinaka!
Grace
I love that I can travel to Fiji through making and enjoying this recipe! It's super easy to make and ready in less than 30 minutes so it's perfect for my midweek meals!