Prawn Balchao
List of Ingredients
(serves four)
The paste
7-8 dried red chillies (I use less, around 5, for a milder version)
2 pieces cinnamon, around 1" length
8 green cardamoms, shelled
8 cloves
1/2 tsp peppercorns
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tbs roughly chopped garlic pieces
1 and 1/2 tbs chopped ginger
1/2 cup malt vinegar
Put all of these in a grinder and make into a silky paste
The prawns
750 gms prawns, shelled, deveined
3/4 cup sliced onions
1/2 cup chopped tomato
7 - 8 curry leaves, kari patta
1 and 1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste
1/2 cup oil (I use less, maybe 1/3 cup)
Fry prawns in oil till golden, remove with slotted spoon and put
aside. In the same oil, fry onions till golden brown, add tomatoes,
stir till the tomatoes become soft and give off water. I usually turn
down the heat at this point. Add the spices paste, and "bhuno" ( an
Indian term meaning to cook-fry) until you get a heavenly aroma of
mingling spices and the paste leaves the sides of the pan. At this
point, add the prawns and keep stirring over low fire. The prawns
must absorb the spices. Add sugar, salt, curry leaves, adjust
seasoning to your taste. Serve with rice. You could fry some
poppadums to go with this too, and chilled beer is perfect as a drink! Recipe
Because of the vinegar, it always tastes better the day after being made, like its been pickled.
So I make it a day in advance, and serve it hot or cold depending on the weather. It's a recipe from Goa, and the Portuguese influence reflects in the use of vinegar, but the chillies are all Goan !! I'm sure that you'll get all the ingredients at an Indian/ South Asian store, except, perhaps, for curry leaves (kari patta), which you may get in the dried form. It's too sad if you have to omit the kari patta, but the dish will still taste great, enough other stuff goes into it.
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