Pil Pil Style Prawns
with Basmati Rice and Roasted Peppers
- Sulphites
- Crustaceans
- Celery
- May contain traces of allergens
- Celery
These Pil Pil Style Prawns are bursting full of flavours and make the perfect dinner night option from HelloFresh. Cook up a fresh start!
Ingredients
1
Red Onion
2
Bell Pepper
(May be present: Celery)
3
Garlic Clove
1
Flat Leaf Parsley
150
Basmati Rice
1
Chilli Flakes
15
Cider Vinegar
(Contains: Sulphites)
30
Tomato Puree
150
King Prawns
(Contains: Crustaceans)
10
Vegetable Stock Paste
(Contains: Celery)
Not included in your delivery
1
Olive Oil
¼
Sugar
300
Water for the Rice
100
Water for the Sauce
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Preheat your oven to 220°C. Halve, peel and thinly slice the red onion. Halve the peppers and discard the core and seeds. Slice into thin strips. Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Roughly chop the parsley (stalks and all).
Pour the cold water for the rice (see ingredients for amount) into a medium saucepan with a tight fitting lid, stir in the rice and 1/4 tsp salt, cover with the lid and bring to the boil on medium high heat. Once boiling, turn the heat down to its lowest setting. Leave to cook for 10 mins, then remove the pan from the heat (still covered) and leave to the side for another 10 mins or until ready to serve (the rice will continue to cook in its own steam).
Meanwhile, pop the peppers onto a baking tray. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper then toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer. When the oven is hot, roast on the top shelf until soft and slightly charred, 15-18 mins.
While everything cooks, heat a drizzle of olive oil (see ingredients for amount) in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft and sweet, 8-10 mins, stirring frequently. Once soft, add the prawns, chilli flakes (add less if you don't like heat) and garlic. IMPORTANT: Wash your hands and equipment after handling raw prawns. Stir together and cook for 2-3 mins, then add the cider vinegar. Allow it to bubble away until evaporated, 1 min.
Stir the tomato puree into the pan and cook for 1 min, then pour in the water for the sauce (see ingredients for amount). Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the prawns, sugar (see ingredients for amount) and vegetable stock paste. Cook until the sauce has thickened and the prawns are cooked, 3-4 mins. Remove from the heat. IMPORTANT: Wash your hands and equipment after handling raw prawns. The prawns are cooked when pink on the outside and opaque in the middle.
Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if needed. Add a splash of water if it has thickened too much. Stir in half the parsley. Fluff up the rice with a fork and spoon into bowls. Top with the prawns and finish with a sprinkling of remaining parsley. Enjoy!
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Aug 2026- Flavour: The sauce delivers a satisfying sweet-and-spicy kick, though some found it leaned towards tomato and chilli without much depth. Adding extra garlic or a pinch of smoked paprika can help round out the flavour.
- Ease of prep: Most found this quick and straightforward to pull together on a weeknight. Several noted that stir-frying the peppers in the pan rather than roasting them saves time, energy, and washing up.
- Suggestions: Reduce the prawn cooking time slightly to keep them juicy, as overcooking causes them to shrink. Adding a spoonful of crème fraîche or soured cream can balance the spice, and a splash of extra water helps if the sauce thickens too much.
- Next-day meals: Leftovers keep well and the flavour improves overnight, making this a good option for next-day lunches. The dish also freezes reasonably well if the sauce and rice are stored together.
- Portions: The prawn-to-sauce-to-rice ratio divides opinion; many felt the sauce was too little for the amount of rice, and ordering double prawns is widely recommended for a more satisfying meal.
- Pepper: Red, orange, or yellow peppers are strongly preferred over green, as green peppers can add bitterness that works against the sauce. If only green peppers are available, cooking them in the pan rather than roasting may help soften their flavour.
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