Prawns Balchao Goan Style Recipe

Prawns Balchao Goan Style Recipe: “Prawns balchao” is a pickled Goan delicacy. The dish is very popular along coastal western India and is as simple to make as it tastes great.

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This pickle could be served to spruce up any spread or with hot plain boiled rice as a meal in itself. Prawns balchao has all the goodness of prawns as it does the nourishment derived from the accompaniments.

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Pickled prawns are a hit with adults and children alike and the best part is that you can buy prawns in bulk when they are cheaply available and come up with a dish that can be served all year through.

Prawns Balchao Goan Style Recipe Ingredients

• 1 kg medium-sized prawns
• 4 tablespoons of vegetable cooking oil
• 2 large onions
• 3 medium-large tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons ginger/garlic paste
• 12 dry red chillies
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• Cinnamon 2 inch stick
• 10 cloves
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• Salt to taste

Popular Accompaniments:

Prawn balchao can be served as a pickle with any vegetarian or non vegetarian serving. It goes very well with sea food – fish curry/rice, prawn biryani, prawn pulao/curry etc. The balchao can also be eaten plain, with boiled rice or with bread.

Prawns Balchao Goan Style Recipe Preparation:

1. Clean and de-vein the prawns.
2. Wash and apply a little salt and turmeric powder and set aside.
3. Chop the onion and tomatoes fine.
4. Keep all the other ingredients close at hand.
5. Roast the red chillies, cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon and mustard seeds.
6. Once their aroma spreads, take the mixture off from the fire and cool.
7. Add the ginger/garlic paste to the roasted spices and grind to a smooth paste, using vinegar.

Main Cooking:

• Heat the oil in a thick bottom pan.
• Add the prawns and stir fry well for at least three minutes.
• Once the prawns are opaque, set them aside.
• In the same pan, fry the chopped onions till light golden brown.
• Add the chopped tomato and allow it to cook till soft.
• Add the spice paste, sugar and salt and stir fry till the oil separates from the masala mix.
• Add the prawns and mix well.
• Cook the prawns in the masala for 3 minutes.

Presentation:

The prawn balchao could be served hot, as soon as it is made, or cold as a bottled preservative. It goes well with just about any main course.