Prawn Balchao - Goan Style

       
           Prawn Balchao is a very popular Goan recipe from the coastal regions. It is usually had either with rice or pav (bread). It is very spicy and the use of vinegar, sugar, red chili powder and pepper powder gives this dish a very fiery and a tangy tasty. I remember to have enjoyed this dish a lot during my earlier visit to Goa. Now I do prepare this yummy delicacy in my kitchen at times and relive the wonderful cuisines of Goa that I relished. So Prawn Balchao is synonymous to Goa. 

          I have used instant spice powder, but you can go ahead and dry roast the spices on a tawa and grind them. The use of prawn paste is optional, but if used, gives this dish an intense flavour. So go ahead and try this yummy dish by following a step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

          

• 500 gms prawns, shelled & deveined
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. black pepper powder
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1-2 tbsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tsp. prawn paste (opt)
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. tamarind paste
• 2-3 onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp. tomato paste / 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 3-4 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Make a paste of garam masala powder, pepper powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, prawn paste, vinegar, tomato paste, turmeric powder and tamarind paste with 1/2  cup water. keep aside.

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the prawns for a minute till they turn pink. Remove and keep aside. Add the remaining oil and sauté the onion and the curry leaves till light brown.

          Now add the ginger-garlic paste and the prepared paste and sauté on low flame till oil separates from the sides of the pan.

          Add the prawns, salt, sugar and 1/2 cup water and cook, covered on a low to med. flame till dry. Serve, garnished with coriander leaves.

                  Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a non-stick pan & sauté prawns for a minute till they
                  turn pink. Remove & keep aside. 

                           Heat remaining oil & sauté onion & curry leaves till light brown.

                                Now add ginger-garlic paste,

                                prepared paste & sauté on low flame till oil separates.

                                Add the prawns, salt, sugar 

                               and 1/2 cup water.

                                Cook, covered on a low to med. flame till dry. 

                               Serve, garnished with coriander leaves.