Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Roya Vepaddu
Roya Vepaddu (Golden Fried Prawns (Shrimp))

Roya Vepaddu

Golden Fried Prawns (Shrimp)
Non-vegetarian●●●Origin Hyderabad/Andhra PradeshPrep 15 minutesCook 15 minutes

Crispy fried prawns encased in a delicate coconut-infused batter. They are rich, savoury, and crunch pleasantly with each bite.

Batter seasoning

2.3 gStirred into the batter (step 2)
Keep ready to mix into the wet batter.

Everything else

01
Prawn · Jhingapeeled and deveined, heads removed but tails intact
80–100 g8–10 prawns
seafood
02
Vegetable oil · Telfor deep-frying
to taste
oil/fat
03
to taste
salt
05
15 g3 tablespoons
nut/seed

Method

  1. Arrange the 8 prawns in a shallow dish and season them lightly with salt.
  2. Whisk 100 g flour and 15.3 g desiccated coconut together in a mixing bowl. Gradually blend in 1 egg yolk, 152 g coconut milk, the batter seasoning, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
  3. Fill a deep, heavy pot or kadhai with vegetable oil and bring the temperature to 180°C (350°F), testing readiness when a cube of bread turns golden within 30 seconds.
  4. Coat the prawns individually in the batter, then ease them into the hot oil. Deep-fry for roughly 2 minutes, rotating occasionally with a slotted spoon until evenly crisp, then transfer to paper towels to drain and serve immediately.

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Prawn
  • King prawn

    Use the same weight; cut large ones into 2 cm pieces. Sweeter and firmer; cook 1–2 minutes longer.

  • Firm white fish fillet

    Use the same weight, cut into chunks. Add 3–4 minutes later; milder and less sweet, and it flakes easily.

  • Small prawn

    Use the same weight; they cook faster, so add 2 minutes later. More numerous and slightly sweeter.

Vegetable oil
  • Peanut oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.

  • Ghee

    Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.

  • Mustard oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Rice flour
  • Cornflour

    Use about 60–70% of the weight for thickening; for coatings use the same weight but the crust is denser.

  • Plain flour

    Use the same weight for coatings; contains gluten, browns faster and is less crisp.

  • Fine semolina

    Use the same weight for crisp coatings; coarser texture and needs a short rest.

Desiccated coconut
  • Grated desiccated coconut

    Use equal weight directly; it is the identical ingredient under a different label.

  • Fresh coconut

    Grate finely and use 130% to 140% of the weight to compensate for higher moisture; toast gently in a dry pan over low heat if a dry texture is needed.

  • Dried coconut

    Grate finely using a microplane and use equal weight. Offers a slightly oilier, toastier coconut profile.

Egg yolk
  • Egg

    Use the same weight of beaten whole egg. Adds white as well as yolk, so the mixture is less rich and sets more firmly.

  • Cream

    Use about 15 g cream per egg yolk for richness in curries or sauces. Does not bind or set like yolk.

  • Full-fat natural yoghurt

    Use about 15–20 g per yolk for moisture in marinades or fillings. Adds tang and will not enrich or set like yolk.

Coconut milk
  • Single cream

    Use equal weight; simmer gently over low heat to prevent curdling. Imparts a comparable rich texture, though it adds dairy richness without any coconut fragrance.

  • Cashew paste

    Whisk 1 part cashew paste with 2 parts water to match the consistency, then use equal weight. Provides a thick, velvety body without coconut flavour.

  • Whole milk

    Use equal weight, but reduce other cooking liquids by 20% to compensate for the lower viscosity. The curry will be lighter and lack sweetness.

Ground black pepper
  • Black peppercorn

    Use 1:1 by weight; pulverise in a spice mill or mortar to a fine powder for immediate, punchy heat.

  • Coarsely ground black pepper

    Use equal weight; offers the same bite, though it gives a visibly speckled finish and firmer crunch.

Similar dishes

Chemeen Ada
Prawn (Shrimp) Cutlets
Chemeen Ada has a sharper, spicy, and aromatic heat from the chillies and ginger rather than the rich, nutty, and peppery coconut profile of this dish.
  • Same: Both dishes feature prawns cooked in vegetable oil and seasoned simply with salt.
  • Different: Chemeen Ada is prepared as pan-fried cutlets flavoured with fresh ginger, green chillies, and curry leaves, whereas this dish uses a batter of coconut milk, desiccated coconut, and black pepper.
Hirvya Kelyatil Jawla
Prawns (Shrimp) with Raw Green Bananas
Hirvya Kelyatil Jawla tastes distinctly tangy and far more peppery rather than rich, mildly spiced, and crisp.
  • Same: Hirvya Kelyatil Jawla also features prawns seasoned with desiccated coconut and black pepper.
  • Different: Instead of battering and deep-frying the prawns in vegetable oil with coconut milk, it stews them with raw green bananas, lime juice, and ghee.
Jhinga Adraki
Grilled (Broiled) Ginger Prawns (Shrimp)
Jhinga Adraki tastes tangy, ginger-hot and smoky with a buttery finish, while this dish is crisp, coconut-rich and savoury with black pepper.
  • Same: Both are prawn dishes seasoned with salt and ground spices and cooked with fat.
  • Different: Jhinga Adraki is skewered and grilled after a hung-yoghurt marinade with lemon juice, ground ginger, ginger paste, turmeric, yellow chilli powder, mustard oil and melted butter, while this dish is fried in a rice-flour, desiccated coconut, egg-yolk and coconut-milk batter.
Chinchi Gulatala Jawla
Sweet & Sour Prawns (Shrimp)
Chinchi Gulatala Jawla tastes sweet, sour, and mildly spiced from tamarind and jaggery, while this dish tastes rich, savoury, and crispy from its coconut batter.
  • Same: Chinchi Gulatala Jawla shares prawns, salt, and vegetable oil with this dish.
  • Different: Chinchi Gulatala Jawla cooks prawns in an onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin, chilli, tamarind, and jaggery gravy, while this dish coats prawns in rice flour, desiccated coconut, egg yolk, coconut milk, and black pepper and fries them.