Recipe - Balchao (Prawn Preserve)

One fourth kg Prawns (shelled).
1 teaspoon Cummin seeds
1 teaspoon Peppercorns
10 Kashmiri chillies
Vinegar to taste
1 teaspoon Ground turmeric
2 cup Oil
4 md Onions, minced
1 Handful curry leaves
1 1inch piece of ginger,
finely chopped
3 Heads garlic, finely chopped
4 Green chillies, seeded and
chopped
Salt to taste

Many Asian countries have a balchao type preserve. It is used either in the
preparation of other dishes ; see Balchao de peixe (fish balchao) and
Balchao de porco (pork balchao), or served as an accompaniment to other
dishes.

For a fresh balchao, i.e. one you are not going to bottle :

Grind together the cummin, peppercorns and chillies with the vinegar. Mix
in the turmeric. Fry the onions in the oil until all the water have gone.
Add the prawns, masala, curry leaves, garlic, ginger and green chillies.
Simmer for 10 minutes or so.
From archives of rec.food.recipes

Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 08:20:10 GMT

From: trev@wg.icl.co.uk (Trevor Hall)