Prawn Balchao

Ingredients

• 500g raw prawns, peeled and deveined
• 1 tsp salt, for the prawns
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, for the prawns
• 20 dried Kashmiri red chillies
• 6 hot dried red chillies
• 150ml coconut vinegar or cider vinegar
• 12 garlic cloves
• 4cm ginger
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 8 cloves
• 1 x 4cm cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, for the paste
• 6 tbsp oil
• 3 onions, very finely chopped
• 3 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 12 fresh curry leaves
• 6 green chillies, slit
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tsp salt, for the masala

Before you cook

• Toss the prawns with 1 teaspoon salt and half a teaspoon of turmeric and leave them for 15 minutes.
• Break the stems off the dried chillies and shake out the seeds.
• Soak the chillies in 100ml of the vinegar for 30 minutes.
• Blend the soaked chillies with the garlic, ginger, cumin, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric and the remaining 50ml vinegar into a thick, smooth red paste, using vinegar rather than water so it keeps.

Steps

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wide pan over high heat.
2. Fry the prawns for 90 seconds, just until they turn opaque, then lift them straight out onto a plate.
3. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan and lower the heat to medium.
4. Add the chopped onions and fry for 15 minutes, stirring often, until they are deep brown and jammy — this long fry is what separates a rounded balchao from a harsh one.
5. Add the curry leaves and slit green chillies and fry for 1 minute.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 8 minutes until they break down completely.
7. Stir in the vinegar and chilli paste with the sugar and salt.
8. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the oil separates and floats clear above a very thick, dark masala.
9. Return the prawns and any juices from the plate to the pan and stir them through.
10. Cook for 3 minutes only, so the prawns stay springy rather than turning rubbery.
11. Taste and adjust with more sugar or salt until the sour, sweet and hot are all pulling their weight.
12. Cool completely and serve at room temperature with pav or rice, or spoon it into a sterilised jar and keep it in the fridge for up to three weeks.