How much cooking time?

40 min — 20 min prep, 20 min cooking.

Prawn Balchao

Name: Prawn Balchao
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Goa Indian
Ingredients: 1000g prawns; 0.5piece Vinegar (White); 1tsp Turmeric Powder; 2piece onion; 2tbsp ginger garlic paste; 2tsp Black Peppercorns (Tellicherry Bold Grade); 2piece Tomato; 1piece cinnamon stick; Sunflower Oil; salt; 2tbsp sugar; 1tsp Mustard Seeds (Black); 15piece dry red chillies; 1tsp Cumin Seeds; 2piece Curry Leaves

Prawn Balchao is a famous Portuguese-influenced Goan Catholic prawn pickle-curry. Prawns are sautéed in a tangy spice paste of dried red Kashmiri chillies, vinegar, sugar, ginger-garlic, and garam masala, then reduced to a thick semi-dry pickle-like consistency. Served in small condiment portions with steamed rice, poi bread, or sannas as part of a Goan Catholic thali — keeps 2 weeks airtight refrigerated.

People also search this as goan prawn balchao, kolambi balchao, balchao.

Time 40 min · Serves 6 · 193 kcal · Coastal Goa, Goa

Ingredients

Main

prawns — 1000 g (chopped)
Vinegar (White) — 0.5 piece (whole)
Turmeric Powder — 1 tsp (ground)
onion — 2 piece (chopped)
ginger garlic paste — 2 tbsp (ground)
Black Peppercorns (Tellicherry Bold Grade) — 2 tsp (whole)
Tomato — 2 piece (chopped)
cinnamon stick — 1 piece (ground)
Sunflower Oil (optional) (whole)
salt (optional) (whole)
sugar — 2 tbsp (whole)

Tempering

Mustard Seeds (Black) — 1 tsp (whole)
dry red chillies — 15 piece (whole)
Cumin Seeds — 1 tsp (whole)
Curry Leaves — 2 piece (ground)

Method

Wash the prawns under running water and drain.
Mix with a pinch of salt and turmeric. Keep aside.
Dry roast red chillies, peppercorns, cumin, mustard seeds and cinnamon till fragrant.
Grind the roasted spices with ginger garlic paste and vinegar into a smooth paste.
Heat oil and fry the prawns till they turn pink. Take them out.
In the same oil, add curry leaves and chopped onion. Fry till golden.
Add chopped tomatoes and cook till soft.
Add the spice paste and cook till oil separates.
Add the prawns, sugar and salt. Cook till thick and almost dry.
Cool fully and store in a clean glass jar.

Common questions

How many calories in one plate of Prawn Balchao?: 193 kcal per plate.
How much cooking time?: 40 min — 20 min prep, 20 min cooking.

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