Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Goan · Indian

Prawn balchão

Non-vegetarian

सुंगटां बालचांव · sungtam balchão

Prawns fried and cooked down in a fiery, sweet-sour paste of dried red chillies, garlic, ginger and whole spices ground in vinegar. Somewhere between a curry and a pickle, it keeps for days and is a Goan party favourite.

Prawn balchão is a Goan pickle from India, ready in about 55 minutes and made with prawns / shrimp, dried whole chillies and white vinegar. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking

No licensed photograph of this dish yet.

Prep
25 min
Cook
30 min
Total
55 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
232

Best after resting for a day in the fridge.

Ingredients

6 servings (as a side or relish)

To season the prawns

For the balchão paste

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Toss the prawns (opens in a new tab) with the salt and turmeric (opens in a new tab) and set aside in the fridge.

    • 2 min

    Food safety: Keep prawns chilled until you cook them.

  2. Step 2

    Soak the dried chillies, cumin (opens in a new tab), peppercorns, cloves (opens in a new tab) and cinnamon (opens in a new tab) in the vinegar for 15 minutes, then blend with the garlic (opens in a new tab) and ginger to a very smooth, thick paste. Add a spoonful more vinegar only if the blender (opens in a new tab) stalls.

  3. Step 3

    Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide pan and fry the prawns (opens in a new tab) over high heat for 2–3 minutes until just pink and curled. Lift out and set aside.

    Food safety: Prawns are cooked when opaque and pink throughout.

  4. Step 4

    Add the rest of the oil and fry the onions (opens in a new tab) on medium heat until deep golden, about 10 minutes. Add the curry leaves (opens in a new tab), tomato (opens in a new tab) and the paste and cook, stirring often, for 8–10 minutes until dark red and the oil separates.

    • 18 min
    • medium heat
    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Stir in the sugar (opens in a new tab) and salt, return the prawns (opens in a new tab) and cook for 3–4 minutes until the masala clings thickly. Taste: it should be hot, sharp and slightly sweet.

    • 4 min
    • medium-low heat

  6. Step 6

    Cool completely, then pack into a clean, dry glass jar with the oil on top. Refrigerate for a day before eating for the best flavour.

About this dish

Origin
Goa, India · Well documentedA Goan Catholic preparation; the name and vinegar-based method are often linked to Portuguese and Macanese influence (balichão).More food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Pickles & ferments · Side dishes
Cooking method
Pan-fried, Simmered, Marinated / cured
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), tangy, sweet & sour, garlicky
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · DASH-style · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Prawns / shrimp · Dried whole chillies · White vinegar · Turmeric · Cumin · Cloves
Techniques
Pan-frying · Simmering · Bhunao · Marinating · Curing

Allergens

  • Contains: Crustaceansfrom prawns / shrimp

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

232 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 172 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 31%
  • Carbohydrate 22%
  • Fat 47%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy232 kcal135 kcal
Protein18.4 g10.7 g
Carbohydrate12.9 g7.5 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars3.1 g1.8 g
Fibre——
Fat12.4 g7.2 g
Saturated fat1 g0.6 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol134 mg78 mg
Sodium591 mg343 mg
Salt equivalent1.5 g0.9 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
453 mg
Calcium
90 mg
Iron
1.6 mg
Magnesium
45 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
—
Vitamin C
—
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
—
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: tomato, curry leaves.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Smaller prawns absorb the masala better than large ones.
  • A thin layer of oil on top helps it keep.

Common mistakes

  • Cooking the prawns too long in the masala — fry them briefly first and add them back at the end so they stay tender.

Serve with

  • Serve a spoonful with plain rice, Goan fish curry and rice, or with pão or sannas.

Food safety

  • Although vinegar and spices help preserve it, prawn balchão is not shelf-stable — always keep it refrigerated.

Storage

  • Keeps 7–10 days refrigerated in a clean, airtight jar. Always use a dry spoon.

Reheating

  • Serve at room temperature or warm gently in a pan.

Variations

  • Pork balchão: Cubes of pork cooked in the same vinegar paste; a Goan Christmas dish.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

You might also like