Goan Prawn Balchão
A fiery, vinegar-sharp prawn pickle-curry that keeps for weeks, born from the Portuguese-era balchão technique of preserving seafood in spiced vinegar.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 210 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy pan
- •Blender
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- fat
- 12 g
- carbs
- 8 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 18 g
- calories
- 210 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Grind the chillies, garlic, ginger, cumin and peppercorns with vinegar. Blend into a smooth, thick paste.
- 2
Coat the prawns in a little of this paste and salt. Leave them to marinate for 15 minutes.
- 3
Heat oil in a pan. Fry the prawns briefly until half-cooked, then set them aside.
- 4
In the same oil, fry the onions until they turn golden brown.
- 5
Add the rest of the ground masala (spice paste). Cook until the oil separates from the mixture.
- 6
Stir in the chopped tomato. Cook until it softens and completely breaks down.
- 7
Add the prawns back to the pan. Stir in the sugar and the remaining vinegar.
- 8
Simmer gently for 8-10 minutes until thick and glossy. Let it cool before putting into clean jars.
Chef's tips
Use plenty of oil, as it floats on top and preserves the pickle. Palm vinegar gives the authentic sour kick, but you can use cider vinegar sparingly.
Ingredient substitutions
- palm vinegar → cider vinegar diluted slightly
Storage
Keeps refrigerated in a sterilised jar for up to 3 weeks under a layer of oil.
Reheating
Serve at room temperature or warm gently; avoid repeated reheating.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Skipping the quick initial fry of the prawns, which makes them rubbery.
Serving suggestions
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