‘I mix mayonnaise, ketchup, brandy and a little mustard. This is a heck of a good sauce for seafood’.    – Jose Andres

Goan food – spicy and flavoursome! In most of the dishes, the spices are ground in vinegar. Coconut is the hero of Goan cuisine. Local spices are the main ingredients used in cooking. To bring balance to a spicy dish, tamarind and cane sugar are used. You can also use ordinary sugar. Cooking is done in clay pots and the accompaniment to any seafood or fish curry is just a bowlful of cooked rice.

We love prawns and whenever I buy prawns, it’s either a Prawn Biriyani or a Goan Prawn curry – depends on the size of the prawns. If it’s jumbo prawns then I just make Golden fried Prawns and it’s over in a split second!! 

This is an old recipe I  wrote down from a popular cookery show on TV  and I have made this umpteen times. Nothing can go wrong, we have this dish  with appam, garlic bread, rotis and even Pulao. Basically, it goes well with anything and everything.

Sharing this versatile recipe ,

Ingredients:

• Prawns -1/2 kg ( shelled and deveined)
• Turmeric powder -1 tsp
• Salt
• Coconut milk- 1 and a 1/2 cups
• Onions – 4 ( chopped)

Along with 1/2 a cup of grated coconut grind the following:

• Ginger-1 “piece
• Garlic- 10 -12 cloves
• Pepper powder-1/2 tsp
• Green chillies -3
• Red chilli flakes – 2tbsp
• Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
• Cummin powder – 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder- 1 tsp
• Vinegar – 2 tsp

• Tamarind paste -1 tsp
• Cane sugar -1 and a 1/2tsp
• Oil – 2-3 tbsp

Method:

• Rub the prawns with turmeric powder and salt and keep aside.
• In oil, fry chopped onions till golden brown.
• Add coconut masala and fry well.
• Add 1/2 cup of water, cover and cook on a low flame till raw smell disappears.
• Add tamarind paste and cane sugar and mix well. Let it simmer for a few minutes.
• Add prawns and cook on a high flame for 3-4 minutes. Taste.
• Add thick coconut milk, bring to a boil and remove.
• Garnish with fried onions and coconut shreds and serve hot.

Chefs tips :

• To get 1/2 a kg of clean prawns you have to buy a kg of prawns.
• To get 1 and a 1/2 cups of coconut milk, you have to grind 2 cups of  grated coconut with a cup of hot water.
• So basically for this recipe you need 2 and a 1/2 cups of grated coconut, that is half of a big coconut.
• After the cane sugar is added, taste – for balance in spice and flavours.
• Prawns can be substituted with fish and the same dish can be prepared.
• Serves 4-6 people.
• It is a great accompaniment for Goan Sausage Pulao. ( check it out)
• Happy cooking!

Till my next post,

Cheers

Rose