This has been one of my favourite pickles since childhood. It would typically be made for special occasions and I would wait for it eagerly. Pickled prawns go extremely well with rice or poie, the local Goan bread, or mixed with cream cheese. It is also a surprisingly good topping on crackers for a quick snack. With all those flavours and textures, it was a perfect fit for my book Masala Dabba.

  • Serves

    4

  • Cook Time

    30m

Ingredients

For Balchao Spice Mix

  • 2 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 5 dried Kashmiri chillies
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 1-inch piece of ginger
  • Pinch of saffron

For Prawn Pickle

  • 1 cup shelled and deveined baby prawns
  • ¼ cup brown palm vinegar
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp pickle masala (any brand)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 large onion, finely sliced

Preparation

  1. Combine all the ingredients for the Balchao spice mix in a blender or processor jar and grind into a smooth paste, without adding any water.
  2. Heat a frying pan on medium flame. Add onions and salt. Sauté until all the moisture released from the onions has evaporated.
  3. Pour oil into the pan and continue sautéing the onions until they turn brown.
  4. Stir in a tablespoon of the freshly-made Balchao spice mix, followed by vinegar and pickle masala. Continue cooking until fragrant.
  5. Toss in the prawns and cook until they are tender. This should take about a minute.
  6. Remove from heat. Let it cool down before transferring to a clean, dry jar. Store up to a week.

Michael Swamy

Michael Swamy

Chef Michael Swamy dons many hats. A graduate of the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu, London, he has trained under several Michelin chefs. He is the brain behind numerous restaurants and culinary establishments in the country, has conceptualised many food shows, and authored several cookbooks. His work in the food media has been especially lauded.

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