Indian Prawn Balchao
A fiery, tangy Goan prawn curry with a sweet-spicy sauce made from red chilies, vinegar, and garlic. Cooked in one pan and ready in 20 minutes—serve over rice or with bread.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 245
- Protein
- 22g
Ingredients
- ½ lb large prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined
- 1 medium red onion
- 4 clove garlic cloves
- 2 whole red chili peppers, dried or fresh
- 3 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Slice the red onion from root to tip into thin strips about 1/8-inch wide, like cutting a regular onion lengthwise, and place in a small bowl.
- 2
Mince the garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots—and place in a small bowl.
- 3
If using dried red chilies, break them in half lengthwise and remove and discard the seeds by tapping the inside with your thumb into the sink. If fresh, slice them crosswise into thin rings.
- 4
Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a 10-inch skillet and set the heat to medium-high. Wait until the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 5
Add the minced garlic and sliced chilies to the hot oil and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the kitchen smells strongly fragrant and the garlic begins to turn golden at the edges.
- 6
Add the sliced onion and stir once every 10 seconds for 2 minutes, until the onion pieces soften and become translucent but still hold their shape.
- 7
Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste to the skillet and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the paste darkens slightly and coats the other ingredients.
- 8
Pour in 3 tablespoons of white vinegar and stir for 10 seconds, scraping up any stuck-on bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- 9
Add the 0.5 lb of prawns to the skillet and stir once every 10 seconds for 3 minutes, until the shrimp turn from gray-translucent to bright pink all over.
- 10
Taste the curry from a spoon and add a small pinch of salt if needed, stirring once. The sauce should smell tangy, spicy, and strongly garlicky with no raw-garlic bite.
- 11
Spoon the entire skillet contents—prawns and sauce together—into shallow bowls or onto plates. Serve immediately with steamed rice or warm naan bread on the side.
Tools you’ll need
- 10-inch skillet (cast iron or stainless steel)
- wooden spoon
- cutting board
- sharp chef's knife
- small bowls (for prepped garlic and onion)
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