Spicy Goan prawns with garlic, chilli & tamarind

Name: Spicy Goan prawns with garlic, chilli & tamarind
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 10 dried Kashmiri chillies, deseeded; 12 tiger prawns, shell and head left on; 6 cloves; ½ tsp cumin seeds; ½ tsp black peppercorns; pinch of ground cinnamon; 6–8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 3 cm (1 in) ginger root, roughly chopped; 3 tbsp dark soft brown sugar; 2 tbsp malt vinegar; 1 tbsp tamarind paste; salt, to taste; 2 tsp fish sauce

This classic masala base from the state of Goa balances the sweetness of the prawns, which I have cooked in a griddle pan to lend them a wonderful smoky flavour.

By Maunika Gowardhan

10 May 2023

Spicy Goan prawns with garlic chilli tamarind

Issy Croker

Although this recheado is commonly made using pan-fried fish, it works really well with grilled prawns too. This classic masala base from the state of Goa balances the sweetness of the prawns, which I have cooked in a griddle pan to lend them a wonderful smoky flavour. Make sure you use large tiger prawns and fully coat them in the thick chilli paste. I butterfly the prawns and then fill the cavities with the paste to ensure that they take on maximum flavour while they cook. If you have any left over, this chilli paste freezes well.

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Recipe notes