How can I get fried prawns to be juicy? Okay I give up, I've tried and failed about 8 times now frying prawns but they never are succulent. The recipe that I want to get done is pretty simple:


De-vein. Salt the prawn for some time and allow it to marinate.
Wash them.  Fry them in some oil till they turn pink.
Add onion, chillies, ginger, garlic. Some turmeric. Some tomatoes. 


The cuisine is Goan if it's of any help.

This is exactly what mum does and somehow it turn out great. The only things different that I'm doing are:


The original recipe uses coconut oil, I'm using sunflower
I'm using frozen prawns because i cant get hold of fresh prawns.


I don't think any of this should affect the dish. Anyway, what always happens is that the prawns are either too chewy or too dry (opposite of juicy).

What am I doing wrong here?  How do I know if the prawns are just cooked right?  Should I be using low or high heat?

Any other tips for getting really juicy fried prawns?
You are overcooking them. When the shrimp turn pink at the end of your second step, they are done. When you add your remaining ingredients and continue to cook them, you are overcooking the shrimp.

I'd suggest cooking the shrimp until they are pink, then setting them aside. Cook your remaining ingredients in the pan until done, and then toss with the shrimp and serve.

Regarding the oil, it shouldn't make a difference that you are using sunflower oil. Regarding the frozen prawns, unless your mom was purchasing them direct from an oceanside market, she was likely buying once-frozen prawns too. Most prawns found in supermarkets are flash frozen at the source, and are only thawed and put on ice at the supermarket.