Prawns Recheado Masala Recipe with step by step photos. Prawns recheado is a spicy, hot, tangy, reddish-orange famous goan masala used mainly for fish. This dish is quite regular at our house make them every week. This red masala goes well with all kind of fish majorly used for mackerels, barramundi and pomfrets in Goa. But due to popular demand at home make them with prawns as they are hubby’s favorite.
If you check a goan hotel menu they practically have recheado or reshad masala for chicken, paneer and all types of fishes. This masala could be made in bulk quantities and stored in the freezer. They last long due to the addition of vinegar in them which also acts as a preservative.
Apparently have posted pomfret recheado and mackerel recheado. I have added coconut vinegar which is traditional but you could use white vinegar. Also cinnamon spice is optional mostly added in goan paste or masala for meat or chicken. Prefer not to use cinnamon for fish in this recipe as its too strong spice for fish that’s what my mom and granny say.
The other traditional goan recipes are cafreal masala, caldin curry, peri peri sauce, xacuti masala, bafad masala, ambotik curry, vindaloo, balchow, tendli pickle, prawn chili fry, goan prawns curry, fish fry, goan egg curry, goan crab curry and dangar. There are many veg alternatives too specially now during Lental season like veg foogath, veg caldine, mushroom xacuti, sol kadhi, sorak curry, tender coconut and kaju sukke, rice poori, mushroom dangar, peas pulao, goan veg curry, tendli pickle, suran fry, laal maath and mushrom chili fry.
You could use any size of prawns for this recipe. I have used tiger prawns also some fry them coated with semolina some just fry them as it is. Honestly have tried both the ways and love both way however hubby prefers crunchy exterior with semolina so mostly make that way. But sometimes fry them without semolina as the masala goes well with steamed rice.
How to make prawns recheado masala recipe step by step:
- Wash the prawns, peel their skin and de-vein them.
2. Soak all the spices, ginger, garlic, tamarind pulp and kashmiri chilies except oil in vinegar.
3. Add sugar and salt. Also, add turmeric powder. Combine all nicely and marinate for 35-40 mins.
4. Grind the mixture until soft and smooth. Add more vinegar if required but ensure the paste has to be thick so add vinegar accordingly. If the masala paste is thin then it would not stick to the prawns.
5. Coat the masala on the prawns.
6. Marinate them for 30 mins.
7. Mix semolina and flour together. Spread them on a dish.
8. Coat the marinated prawns gently coat them with the dry mixture.
9. Heat oil until warm. Place them gently on the heated pan. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Don’t cluster with too many while frying.
10. After some time flip the prawns and fry them from other side until crisp.
11. Repeat the same with the rest of prawns. Serve prawns recheado hot as a side dish or with salad, lime wedges, rice and curry. We had ours with prawns pulao.
If you are looking for more prawn recipes then do check prawns pulao, prawns biryani, goan prawns curry, prawns achari, prawns masala, prawns malvani, prawns moilee, punjabi prawns curry, kolambi masala, prawns green masala, prawns gassi, prawns fry and butter garlic pepper prawns.
Prawns Recheado Masala Recipe card below:
- 250-300 gm of fresh prawns of any size from medium to large (peeled and de-veined)
- 17-18 dry red kashmiri chilies
- 1 inch ginger chopped
- 7-8 garlic cloves
- 1.5 tsp pepper corn
- 1 tsp cumin seed
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 4-5 cloves
- 2 green cardamom
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 marble sized tamarind ball without seed or pulp
- 2.5 tbsp coconut vinegar / white vinegar or as required
- salt as required
- oil for shallow frying
- ½ cup semolina
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- Soak all the spices, ginger, garlic, tamarind pulp and kashmiri chilies except oil in vinegar.
- Add sugar and salt.
- Also, add turmeric powder.
- Combine all nicely and marinate for 35-40 mins.
- Grind the mixture until soft and smooth. Add more vinegar if required but ensure the paste has to be thick so add vinegar accordingly. If the masala paste is thin then it would not stick to the prawns.
- Coat the masala on the prawns. Marinate them for 30 mins.
- Heat oil until warm.
- Mix semolina and flour together. Spread them on a dish.
- Coat the marinated prawns gently coat them with the dry mixture.
- Place them gently on the heated pan. Fry until golden brown from both sides. Don't cluster with too many while frying.
- Repeat the same with the rest of prawns.
- Serve prawns recheado hot as a side dish or with salad, lime wedges, rice and curry. We had ours with prawns pulao.
2. If you aren't able to find kashmiri chilies then use bedgi chilies or kashmiri red chili powder.
3. You could use white vinegar or coconut vinegar.
4. Any left over paste could be stored in the fridge for future use.
Arun says
Yummy!!! Can’t wait to cook this…. @maria I have a question… Usually before I cook fish I use to marinate fish with turmeric, salt,chilli powder, and some times with curd to get rid of fish smell and smelly
fish taste… Can I do same thing before I cook this recipe to get rid of smell and nece taste? Or can I cook directly.. If I cook directly it doesn’t taste nece?
maria says
Arun thanks for positive views 🙂 curd as per ayurveda is not good to use for fish. You can rub vinegar, lime juice with salt to the fish for 10-15 minutes, this will stop the fish from being smelly. Hope this information helps you. Let me know when you try prawns recheado, thanks.
Kiran says
Hi there, I would like to try this recipe out but I’m out of rice flour. Is there another substitute i can use instead?
maria says
Kiran you can use corn flour instead, thanks.
peter says
hi maria congrates for your new fry-pan ….ha ha ha….yummy
maria says
Thanks Peter 🙂
Priyal says
HI
Thanks for sharing your recipe. My partner was from goa and he keeps going on about this masala and am keen to try. Unfortunately I only have tamarind paste. How much should I use for your recipe?
Thanks
maria says
Thankyou Priyal you could use about 4 tsp tamarind puree. Let us know how the recheado was? and you are welcome.
Pradnya says
I love your recipes! All your dishes look so mouth-watering!
For this recipe – can I substitute red chillies with kashmiri red chilli powder? If yes, can you please tell me how many tsps should I add? Also, how many tsps of tamarind pulp should i add?
Thank you very much!
Bye Pradnya
maria says
Thankyou so much Pradnya it means a lot to us 🙂 you could add red chili powder however soaked dry red chilies gives a different texture and flavor. You could add up to 7 tbsp and 1 tbsp tamarind pulp. Hope this help’s you and you are welcome. Let us know how the recipe was?
Pradnya says
Thank you Maria! I am going to try this one next weekend!
maria says
Sure Pradnya and thankyou 🙂
Akshay says
Hi Maria,your recipes are so mouthwatering and I’m very eager to try all of your recipes.
And I’m how can a human being be so selfless by sharing the secret family recipes and all the other recipes
Great work
One question I had regarding the recheado masala
1.do we need to soak the spices overnight?
2.do we have to dry roast the spices before soaking in vinegar?
Please shed some light .
Sincerely,
Your admirer
maria says
Pleased to know this Akshay thankyou so much for your kind, positive and encouraging words. I believe sharing is the best practice as we all get to learn new things. Also, you could soak them for 1-2 hrs and not required to roast the spices only if you wish to preserve them for a longer time the add some vinegar and oil place in the freezer should last longer. Hope this help’s you surely try our other recipes and let us kow how it was?
Akshay says
Thank you so much Maria for the instantaneous reply.Keep the good working going and continue to inspire other’s.
Do you have a fb page which I can follow.
That would be great
Anyway,thanks once again
maria says
You are welcome Akshay 🙂 thankyou so much you could follow me on facebook here.
Vanita Amin says
Thks Maria for the Recipe of Prawns Recheado Masala . I like the way you explain Step by Step. I enjoy surfing for recipes Thks for the good work. Take care. Keep smiling 🙂
maria says
Pleased to know this Vanita 🙂 thank you for your positive and encouraging words. God bless you.
Meena says
Tried this recipe it was crispy and spicy tastd great thanks for sharing awaiting chicken tandoori recipe.
maria says
thankyou meena for trying to many recipes 🙂 have taken your request for tandoori chicken recipe on our file.