Goan Dried Prawn & Raw Mango Curry (Sukhya Sungtache Kodi)

We Goans love fish & seafood! In fact, it is an integral part of our daily diet. All coastal regions especially the Konkan belt enjoys the wonderful treasure of fish & seafood everyday. It is not only fresh fish but dry & salted fish is also consumed & relished in Goa & coastal areas.

Earlier, due to heavy rains in the monsoons the fishermen would avoid or refrain from fishing from June to August as the sea would be rough & it was risky to fish in bad weather conditions. So the fisher folk would dry fish in summer, sell & cook it in the rainy season. People would buy & keep a good stock of dry fish & prawns in summer to be used in the monsoons. But now the times have changed as some fish is definitely available in the markets & served in expensive restaurants due to the use of mechanised trawlers used for fishing.

However, dried fish preparations are available & cooked throughout the year & not restricted to the rainy season. There are many varieties of dried fish available in the Goan markets. The markets I have visited in Goa are the Margao Market & Mapusa Market. You will find clean dried fish & prawns packed hygienically in sealed plastic bags which are easily available. You will also find heaps of dried fish & prawns displayed in cane baskets as well. You just need to pick as per your requirement.

Dry fish & prawns are a delicacy & can be used to prepare different types of pickles,curries, chilli fry & stir fries using raw mango, bimlis, bindi sol, vinegar & also combined with various vegetables too.

Today’s goan dried prawn curry recipe is a favorite with my family. Since it is summer & raw mangoes are easily available, I have used it along with tender lady fingers to prepare this delicious & mouth watering curry. So here’s this lovely Sukhya Sungtache Kodi for you to enjoy! 😀

Ingredients :

100 gms. Dried Prawns (cleaned)
2 med. Raw Mangoes
10 small tender Lady Fingers
8 dry Kashmiri Chillies (destemed & deseeded)
½ fresh Coconut(scraped/grated)
1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
4 tbsps. Coriander pwd.
½ tsp. Turmeric pwd.
2 fresh Green Chillies (slit)
1 med. Onion (peeled & chopped)
5 flakes fresh Garlic
1 tbsp. fresh Ginger (grated)
A pinch of Sugar
3 tbsp. Coconut Oil/Vegetable Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Procedure :
Soak Kashmiri chillies in warm water for about 10 mins.

In a masala grinder, blend Kashmiri chillies along with the water in which it was soaked, coconut, cumin,coriander pwd., turmeric, ginger & garlic to a thick, smooth masala paste.Transfer the paste to a bowl.

Put some water in the grinder & remove the masala water in another bowl. Reserve to use later.

Lightly rinse the dry prawns & drain thoroughly.

Now, wash & peel the raw mangoes & cut them into thick slices or pieces. Discard the inside seed.

Wash the lady fingers & wipe them thoroughly. They must be dry. Cut both the ends of the small tender lady fingers.

In a deep pan, heat vegetable oil on med. heat & fry the lady fingers for about 2 mins. Drain & keep aside.

Add onions & sauté till soft.

To this add the masala paste & sauté the masala paste for about 2 mins. or till rawness disappears.

Add the washed prawns & sauté for a while.

Then add the reserved masala water & sufficient water to thin the curry as desired.

Add a pinch of sugar, slit green chillies & stir well.

Let the curry come to a boil & then slide in the raw mango pieces gently & stir once.

Let the curry come to a boil; reduce heat & let it simmer for about 10 mins. or till the mango slices/pieces are cooked & tender.