In this season of belated rains, try out this flavourful preparation which consists of tiger prawns in rich sweet and sour Balchao gravy and served with Goan rice or Poi (Goan whole wheat bread).
Ingredients
Prawns ‘B’ grade — 16 nos
Onion — 1 kg
Tomato — 1 kg
Refined oil — 250 ml
Ginger-garlic Paste — 100 gms
Chopped garlic — 30 gms
Goan toddy vinegar — 150 ml
Dry shrimp powder — 50 gms
Deggi Mirch — 30 gms
Whole red chilli paste — 100 gms
Sugar — 20 gms
Whole coriander — 10 gms
Fennel seeds — 10 gms
Cloves — 5 nos
Black peppercorn — 5 nos
Cinnamon sticks — 1 nos
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder — 10 gms
Tamarind pulp — 20 gms
Method
For Tomato Onion gravy:
Heat oil in heavy bottom pan, add chop onion and sauté till translucent. Then add ginger and garlic paste and sauté till mixture starts turning light brown in colour.
Add turmeric powder, deggi Mirch and salt and then add chopped tomatoes and cook till the mixture starts releasing oil and masala are cooked. Keep aside.
For Balchao paste:
Blanch whole red chilli and then soak it with fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper corn, sugar in Toddy vinegar for 2 hrs. After 2 hours of soaking take a mixture and make a fine paste in food processor.
For the main dish:
In a heavy bottom sauce pan add refined oil and tempered garlic till light brown in colour and then add prepared prawns. Sauté for few minutes till prawns starts curling by itself and turns pink in colour. At this stage add tomato onion gravy.
Cook for few minutes and add balchao paste and cook again till oil starts releasing from sides. Finish the dish by adding shrimp powder. Mix well.
Serve hot with seamed Goan rice or Poi (Goan whole wheat bread).
Neeraj Tyagi is an executive Chef at The Claridges, New Delhi. His culinary career spans across some of the finest restaurants in India. He specializes in the cuisine of West Asia. Mediterranean cuisine. He has diligently strived to develop his professional skills in fine dining, high volume operations, creativity and menu composition.
