Prawns Balchao | Goan Prawns pickle Recipe | Goan style Prawns Balchao Recipe | How to make Goan style Prawns Pickle | Recipe of Goan prawns balchao with step by step instructions

Prawns balchao | Goan prawns pickle recipe is fiery flaming red hot, spicy seafood/meat dish from the region of Goa, India. It is made almost like a pickle.

In this recipe Prawns are marinated & stir fried first and then added to a fiery, tangy red curry to create a dish.

This tastes best even after many days when refrigerated, and pairs well with simple meals like Dal and Rice. Generally it’s served with steamed rice.

I love making pickles. This recipe works like a charm as side dish, appetizer or pickle. This delicacy is for prawn lover’s who like to eat tasty, tangy and spicy variety of seafood.

Prawns Balchao | Goan Prawns pickle Recipe from Goan Cuisine

The cuisine of the Goa region, which is surrounded by the Arabian sea is based on their seafood, since it is found in abundance here.

The people here are experts at pickling different types of meat and fish, and this recipe for prawn balchao/ pickle is no exception in the list.

What does balchao mean?

Balchao refers to the method of cooking seafood that is pickled in a spicy, tangy red chilies and vinegar – tomato based paste.

Tweak the recipe of  Prawns Balchao | Goan Prawns pickle Recipe to suit to your tastebuds

This recipe is originally made really spicy, but you can always tweak the spice level to suit to your tastebuds.

This dish is generally made from coconut toddy vinegar but since I didn’t have it, I substituted it with apple cider vinegar. You may use white vinegar also.

Instead of using very spicy whole red chillies, you may use Kashmiri or Byadgi dabbi variety that are little less on spice factor. It’s great on colour, flavour and taste.

Though it has more seeds, it is less spicy compared to the other variety of chillies.

If this recipe for Prawns Balchao | Goan Prawns pickle Recipe has worked for you, please do let me know in comments. I would love to hear from you.

Step by step instructions and pictorial presentation to make Prawns Balchao | Goan Prawns pickle Recipe

Clean and devein the prawns. Put the prawns in a bowl and sprinkle salt. Set them aside.

Now let’s make red chillies paste. For that soak whole red chilies in vinegar and brown sugar for 1 hour.

After an hour grind it in mixer. Take a spoon of this mixture and add this to cleaned prawns.

To this add lemon juice and crushed black pepper powder. Keep aside to marinate.

Using a dry pan over medium heat, toast the cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds and whole peppercorns 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 that remaining red chillies paste. You can do this in a mortar and pestle also. Take out in a bowl.

Heat the oil on a medium flame in a wok or pan. Add the prawns and stir fry it till it becomes opaque. Remove from the pan and set them aside.

In the same pan add oil and crackle mustard seeds. Add chopped onions and fry the onions until they are light brown. Add the tomatoes and fry until soft.

Now add the red paste, sugar, and salt to taste. Fry until the oil begins to release from this paste.

Add the marinated prawns to this spice mixture, mix well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. If required add some water and cook it on low flame.

Once cooked, add worcestershire sauce. Mix well and add a small piece of jaggery before switching off the flame. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves.

Serve with hot plain boiled rice or chapati.

Pro tips

You can enjoy this prawn pickle immediately or refrigerate it to enjoy the next day, after all of the spices mingle and blossom.

This pickle stays good for a long time in the refrigerator, so you can enjoy this for many days to come.

You can adjust the amount of heat in this dish by toning down the amount of the red chilies used.

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5 from 6 votes

Prawns balchao | Goan prawns pickle

Prawns balchao | Goan prawns pickle recipe is fiery flaming red hot, spicy seafood dish from Goa region. It's made almost like a pickle.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

red chilly paste soaking time1 hour hr

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, Goan

Keyword: Goan prawns balchao, Prawns balchao, prawns pickle

Servings: 2

Author: Lata Lala

Ingredients

To make red chilli paste

• Dried whole red chili 10 to 12
• Apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup
• Brown sugar 1 tsp

To marinate prawns

• Medium-sized prawns cleaned and deveined 250 gms
• Lemon juice 2 tsp
• Black pepper powder 1 tsp

Dry roast

• Stick of cinnamon small
• Cloves 2
• Cumin seeds 1 tsp
• Whole peppercorns 4

other ingredients

• Onions finely chopped 2 large
• Tomatoes finely chopped 2 large
• Garlic paste of 8 to 10 garlic cloves
• Ginger paste 1 tsp
• Vegetable oil 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds 1 tsp
• Jaggery 1 tsp
• Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Chopped coriander leaves handful

Instructions

• Clean and devein the prawns. Put the prawns in a bowl and sprinkle salt. Set them aside.
• Now let's make red chillies paste. For that soak whole red chilies in vinegar and brown sugar for 1 hour.
• After an hour grind it in mixer. Take a spoon of this mixture and add this to cleaned prawns.
• To this add lemon juice and crushed black pepper powder. Keep aside to marinate.
• Using a dry pan over medium heat, toast the cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds and whole peppercorns 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 that remaining red chillies paste. You can do this in a mortar and pestle also. Take out in a bowl.
• Heat the oil on a medium flame in a wok or pan. Add the prawns and stir fry it till it becomes opaque. Remove from the pan and set them aside.
• In the same pan add oil and crackle mustard seeds. Add chopped onions and fry the onions until they are light brown. Add the tomatoes and fry until soft.
• Now add the red paste, sugar, and salt to taste. Fry until the oil begins to release from this paste.
• Add the marinated prawns to this spice mixture, mix well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. If required add some water and cook it on low flame.
• Once cooked, add worcestershire sauce. Mix well and add a small piece of jaggery before switching off the flame. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves.
• Serve with hot plain boiled rice or chapati

Notes

You can enjoy this prawn pickle immediately or refrigerate it to enjoy the next day, after all of the spices mingle and blossom.

This pickle stays good for a long time in the refrigerator, so you can enjoy this for many days to come.

You can adjust the amount of heat in this dish by toning down the amount of the red chilies used.

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