It is one of the staple pickles in every Goan home. This spicy tangy pickle is one of the most beloved pickle in Goa. It is served along with fish curry and steamed rice.

It is pretty easy and doesn’t take much time to make this pickle. There are many methods of making prawn balchão available as most of the Goans have their own little improvisation or twist of the basic original recipe. The recipe I followed is given to me by my brother. This recipe is by far my favorite among the different store bought or homemade balchão that I have eaten.

The level of spice of this recipe generally depends on the spice level of your “Reacheado masala” (spicy tangy red Goan masala). The Reacheado masala I used for this recipe is prepared by my mom. Whenever I visit Goa she will always pack a big bottle of her Reacheado masala for me. Her masala is not extremely spicy.  That’s how I like my Recheado masala.

So, if you like a spicy hot prawn balchão you would need to make or get spicy Reacheado masala. I hope you would give this recipe a try and let me know.  

Ingredients:

500gm Prawn cleaned and deveined

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

Salt as per taste

3 tbsp. Reacheado masala

1 tbsp. water

2 chopped onion

1 chopped tomato

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp of coconut vinegar  

Method:

Marinate prawns with salt, turmeric, chili powder and ginger garlic paste and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan, fry the prawns for about a minute till it just changes color. Remove the prawns and set it aside.

In the same pan heat some oil and add the chopped onion and let it fry till golden brown.

Then add the chopped tomatoes and let it cook till it softens.

Meanwhile, add a tbsp. of water to 3 tbsp of Reacheado masala and mix it well and set it aside.

Once the tomato has softened, add the Reacheado water mixture and stir well.

Add sugar and vinegar to the mixture and let it cook till it changes color and the masala is cooked, stir well.  

Now add in the prawn and toss it well, and let it simmer for about a minute till it becomes thick or as per the consistency of your choice. 

Tip: Add a tsp of “Cashew Feni” when it’s simmering to get the authentic Goan flavor.

You can enjoy it as a side dish and store in an airtight container for upto 2 months.