Prawn Balchao

A little piquant and very spicy, this classic recipe comes from Goa.

#SpicyPickledPrawn #Goan

Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Source: Umaima Tinwala, Friday magazine

Ingredients:

1 kg small to medium-sized prawns (cleaned and deveined)

4 tbsp oil

2 large onions, finely chopped

3 large tomatoes, finely chopped

5-6 cloves garlic

1" piece of ginger

10-12 dry red chillies

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

2" cinnamon stick

8-10 cloves

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

Salt, to taste

Method:

Sprinkle salt over the prawns and keep aside. Roast dry red chillies, cumin and mustard seeds, cloves and cinnamon till they begin to release their aroma. Take off from the fire and cool.

Grind together with ginger and garlic into a smooth paste, using vinegar.

Heat oil on a medium flame in a wok-style pan. Add prawns and stir-fry till opaque.

Remove from the pan and keep aside.

In the same pan, fry onion till light brown. Add tomato and fry till soft.

Now add the spice-vinegar paste, sugar and salt to taste and fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala.

Add prawns to this masala, mix well and cook for 2-3 min utes. Serve with piping hot, plain boiled rice.