Make Perfect Goan Fish Fry With This Recheado Masala Recipe

Ruth Sequiera shares her grandmother Ida’s recipe for recheado masala, the classic Goan paste, a smearing of which transforms a dish. Recheado, which means ‘stuffed’ in Portuguese is generally used to stuff fish, especially mackerels, pomfret, kingfish, which is then pan fried.  Alternatively you could make a prawn or fish curry or it can also be used with pork or beef, says Ruth.

IDA’S RECIPE FOR RECHEADO MASALA

Ingredients
20 red Kashmiri dried chillies 
2 garlic pods peeled
2 inch piece ginger chopped roughly
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon pepper
I teaspoon sugar
1 inch stick of cinnamon
4 cloves
Tamarind, a small ball the size of a lime
1/2 cup vinegar
Salt to taste 
1/2 teaspoon turmeric 

Method 
Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup water and extract pulp.

Grind chillies, ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, pepper, cinnamon cloves and turmeric powder. Add tamarind extract and grind until the paste is fine. Add vinegar, salt and sugar  and grind once more. If the paste is too thick add a little more vinegar.

Remove from the grinder and store in a dry glass jar.  It could stay for months in the fridge if stored well. (Avoid using wet spoons or leaving the jar half open.) 

Ruth Sequeira heads Human Resources for Hidesign, lives in Auroville, reads widely and loves to cook for friends.

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