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January 4, 2023

Chingri Bhuna | Bangladeshi Dry Shrimp Curry

This Bangladeshi Chingri Bhuna is luscious, spicy, and absolutely drool worthy!

Perfect for dinner parties or just a special meal at home. This curry pairs well with some plain steamed white rice, or pulao.

This dish is usually made with very large tiger prawns but regular colossal shrimp works too!

You can also use this same recipe to make any other kind of seafood you want, like crabs, lobster, fish steaks/fillets. Or even any smaller sized shrimps (just fry less at the beginning to keep them from overcooking)

If you want your curry to be more orange/yellow instead of brown:

Don’t brown the onions too much as they add color. And go easy on the cumin and gorom mosholla/garam masala.

I usually leave the shells on for my shrimp to make things easier (they also add more flavor),

But you can ofcourse choose to peel them. I would recommend just taking off the middle shell and leaving the tails and head intact for the look and extra flavor.

You can watch the full process in this video!

INGREDIENTS  

  • 1 1/2 lb tiger prawns/colossal shrimp
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/4 tsp red chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

For the Curry

  • 1/2 cup mustard/vegetable oil (or a mix of both)
  • 1 cup onion thinly sliced
  • 1/4-1/2 cup onion paste
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • 1-2 tomatoes diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 5 cardamom pods
  • 4 cloves
  • 5 black pepper pods
  • 3 dry red chilis
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp gorom mosholla/garam masala (optional)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 3-7 green chilis split
  • Dash of gorom mosholla/garam masala to finish
  • Water

INSTRUCTIONS 

You can leave your shrimp shells on or peel them if you want, leaving the tail and head on. Then clean and devein your shrimp (use heavy salt to wash if fishy). Make sure all the water has been drained, then season with turmeric, red chili powder, and salt. Massage into the shrimp carefully or toss in the bowl to cover all the shrimp.

Heat your pan on high heat, pour in your oil and let it heat up. Then toss in your shrimp and fry for just a minute until nice and golden/orange, flipping halfway through. Do not overcook, and fry in 2 batches if needed so you don’t overcrowd the pan and can get a nice fry.

Take out all the shrimp and put it in a wide bowl so they don’t steam too much, and turn the heat down to med-high Add in your sliced onions. Occasionally stir and fry until it starts to brown.

Then add in all your whole spices. Stir and fry for a minute

Pour in your onion, ginger, and garlic paste, fry for a few minutes until the raw smells are gone, stirring constantly and adding a splash of water to keep the bottom from burning if needed.

Add in your diced tomatoes, and ground spices. Stir and fry until the oils come out.

Then add in about a 1/4 cup of water, stir constantly and reduce until the oils come out, fry for a minute, then add in more water and repeat this step 3-4 times. The longer you go the better it will taste.

Once your curry base is good to go, add in your salt, sugar, and a half cup of water and stir. Slide in all your cooked shrimp carefully into the gravy.

Let it simmer on medium medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Adding in your split green chilis halfway through.

Add in a dash of gorom mosholla/garam masala (optional), taste and adjust salt if needed, then take it off the heat. Serve hot with lime wedges on the side, and enjoy!

Chingri Bhuna | Bangladeshi Dry Shrimp Curry

Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 lb tiger prawns/colossal shrimp
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/4 tsp red chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
For the Curry
  • 1/2 cup mustard/vegetable oil (or a mix of both)
  • 1 cup onion thinly sliced
  • 1/4-1/2 cup onion paste
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • 1-2 tomatoes diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 5 cardamom pods
  • 4 cloves
  • 5 black pepper pods
  • 3 dry red chilis
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp gorom mosholla/garam masala (optional)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 3-7 green chilis split
  • Dash of gorom mosholla/garam masala to finish
  • Water

Method
 

  1. You can leave your shrimp shells on or peel them if you want, leaving the tail and head on. Then clean and devein your shrimp (use heavy salt to wash if fishy).
  2. Make sure all the water has been drained, then season with turmeric, red chili powder, and salt. Massage into the shrimp carefully or toss in the bowl to cover all the shrimp.
  3. Heat your pan on high heat, pour in your oil and let it heat up. Then toss in your shrimp and fry for just a minute until nice and golden/orange, flipping halfway through. Do not overcook, and fry in 2 batches if needed so you don't overcrowd the pan and can get a nice fry.
  4. Take out all the shrimp and put it in a wide bowl so they don't steam too much, and turn the heat down to med-high
  5. Add in your sliced onions. Occasionally stir and fry until it starts to brown. Then add in all your whole spices. Stir and fry for a minute
  6. Pour in your onion, ginger, and garlic paste, fry for a few minutes until the raw smells are gone, stirring constantly and adding a splash of water to keep the bottom from burning if needed.
  7. Add in your diced tomatoes, and ground spices. Stir and fry until the oils come out.
  8. Then add in about a 1/4 cup of water, stir constantly and reduce until the oils come out, fry for a minute, then add in more water and repeat this step 3-4 times. The longer you go the better it will taste.
  9. Once your curry base is good to go, add in your salt, sugar, and a half cup of water and stir
  10. Slide in all your cooked shrimp carefully into the gravy. and let it simmer on medium medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Adding in your split green chilis halfway through.
  11. Add in a dash of gorom mosholla/garam masala (optional), taste and adjust salt if needed, then take it off the heat.
  12. Serve hot with lime wedges on the side, and enjoy!

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About the Author

Tasnim Haleem is the creator of A Taste of Bangladesh, a culinary storytelling platform celebrating the flavors and rituals of her Bangladeshi heritage.
Raised in Dhaka and now based in Houston, her work has been published in ICE Today, one of Bangladesh’s leading lifestyle magazines, and cited in The Daily Star, the country’s largest English-language newspaper. Followed by over 75,000 across TikTok and Instagram, she shares recipes not just to preserve tradition — but to make it feel beautifully alive.
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