Jingha, Via. In the UK it is only possible to get small prawns. The biggest available are usually the Tiger prawn. Even that might be considered a shrimp by Indian standards. I have eaten prawns so big that you only get 6 to a kilo! Buy as big as you can afford. Buy them fresh if you can. Buy frozen if not. Most recipes assume fresh uncooked prawns. If you use frozen (cooked) ones, simply delay their introduction until the end of a recipe. Frozen prawns must be defrosted first and drained of the ice water. They then simply need warming through in the food. If you overcook them by even a little, they will shrink, become tough and waste the money you just laid out on them.

generally, any large shrimp

One of the most misused seafood terms. often used when referring to larger shrimp. Prawns are different in shape and flavor than shrimp; their meat is deliciously sweet, and their texture a little softer than shrimp. Through successful aqua culture farming prawns are much more available than they have been in the past.