Fish Balchao Recipes

PRAWN BALCHAO RECIPE

Steps:

• To begin making the Prawn Balchao recipe, in a large bowl, clean the prawns under running water, strain it out.
• Add a pinch of salt and turmeric powder, mix well and set aside. This step will basically remove the typical sea food odour from the prawns.
• In a wok dry roast - chillies, pepper, cumin, mustard, cloves and cinnamon.
• Grind the roasted mix of spices along with ginger, garlic and the vinegar into a smooth paste.
• In another wok/kadhai heat some oil, add the chopped onions and cook till golden brown.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and curry leaves, cook till all the water evaporates and the mixture turns all mushy leaving oil at the sides.
• Add the spice mixture and cook till the raw smell disappears.
• Add the prawns along with the sugar, check for spice levels and adjust accordingly.
• Cook till the water left by the prawns evaporates and the mixture turns into a thick gravy like consistency.
• Serve hot Prawn Balchao with any roti or simple rice of your choice with a nice tall glass of chilled beer.

GOAN PRAWN BALCHãO

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Put the prawns in a large bowl and sprinkle salt on them. Set them aside.
• Using a dry pan over medium heat, toast the dried red chiles, cumin seeds, mustard seeds , cloves, and cinnamon until they begin to release their aroma. Take off from the heat and cool.
• Grind the ginger, garlic, and toasted spices into a smooth paste using the vinegar. You can do this with a small food processor or a mortar and pestle.
• Heat the oil on a medium flame in a wok -style pan or similar pan. Add the prawns and stir fry until opaque. Remove from the pan and set them aside.
• In the same pan, fry the onions until they are light brown. Add the tomato and fry until soft.
• Now add the spice-vinegar paste, sugar, and salt to taste. Fry until the oil begins to separate from the spice mixture.
• Add the prawns to this spice mixture, mix well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with hot basmati rice.

FISH BALCHAO

Steps:

• Chop the fish into medium-sized pieces.
• Keep aside.
• In your mixer/blender, prepare a paste of ginger, garlic and the corriander leaves.
• Marinate the fish with this paste mixture and turmeric powder, and keep aside for 15 minutes.
• Now, prepare a paste of cloves, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, cumin seeds, red chillies and corriander seeds in your mixer/blender.
• Heat oil in a skillet.
• Add the onions to it and stir-fry until they become soft.
• Add tomatoes and stir-fry until they become soft and the oil separates.
• Add the cinnamon-clove paste and fry for 5 minutes.
• Add the marinated fish and the coconut milk.
• Cover and cook on low flame for 10 minutes.
• Garnish with corriander leaves.
• Serve hot with cooked long-grain Basmati rice.