Goa is heaven on earth. But this place is not just beautiful for the pristine beaches, but what sets Goa apart like any other Indian state is also its unique cuisine. For those who have tasted Goan food would know what I am talking about.
I am a big Goa buff and every time I visit this heaven, I ensure that I eat a lot of local Goan delicacies. I also learn from the home chefs over there about food traditions and recipe secrets. My last visit to Goa helped me explore the secrets to a great prawn xacuti curry. So here is my version at home.
INGREDIENTS
For the xacuti paste:
1 tbsp oil
50 gms poppy seeds
50 gms desiccated coconut
For the curry:
300 gms prawns
2 onions, ground to a paste
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 tsp turmeric powder
PROCEDURE
- Dry roast the coconut and poppy seeds in 1 tsp oil in a pan. Once done, let it cool and grind it to a fine paste with a little water.
- Marinate the prawns with salt and turmeric powder and set it aside.
- In a pan, heat oil and fry the marinated prawns for about five minutes. Set them aside.
- In another pan, heat some oil and fry the onion and ginger garlic paste till the raw smell disappears.
- Next, add the xacuti paste and fry for a few minutes.
- Season this with the rest of the spices and fry for a few more minutes. Add some water if necessary.
- Add the fried prawns to this mixture. Taste the salt and add more if needed.
- Throw in some more water into this. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes till everything comes together.
- Switch off the gas and garnish this with fresh coriander leaves.
- Serve hot with pav, roti or rice!
