Why this recipe works
Balchão is really a pickle, and vinegar is the key. A masala of Kashmiri chilli, garlic and spices is ground with vinegar, which sours it and, crucially, preserves it, the same Portuguese-Goan trick behind vindaloo. The prawns are cooked in it until thick and jammy. Because it is so concentrated, it is a relish, eaten in small amounts.
Ingredients
Method
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1
Grind the Kashmiri chilli, garlic, ginger and whole spices with the vinegar to a smooth masala.
Why vinegar: the vinegar sours the masala and acts as a preservative, which is why balchão keeps for days without refrigeration, a legacy of preserving food in a hot climate.
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2
Fry the onion until soft, add the vinegar masala and cook until the raw edge goes.
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3
Add the prawns and cook down until thick, jammy and the oil surfaces.
Do not overcook: prawns toughen fast, so they cook only until pink and the masala reduces around them into a thick relish.
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4
Balance with a little sugar and tamarind. Cool and store, it improves after a day.
An honest word
Balchão is a relish, not a main, and that is the whole point of how to eat it: a spoonful alongside rice and a dal, not a plateful. Being a pickle, it is deliberately high in salt, oil and chilli, which preserves it, so a small amount is the sensible serving. The prawns are lean protein; eaten as intended, in little spoonfuls, it is a fiery, flavour-packed condiment.