Recipe

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 2 cups rice
• 1.5 cups grated coconut
• 1.5 cups toddy
• 350 g. sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1.25 cups prawn balchao
• 1 tablespoon butter
• salt to taste

For the Stuffing (Prawn Balchao)

• 1 kg fine shrimp (known as “galmbo” in Konkani”)
• 1 bottle palm “feni” (drinking it is a favourite goan pastime)
• 1 pod garlic
• 12 peppercorns
• 6 dry red chillies
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 2 clean dry empty bottles

Instructions

To make the dough

Wash and soak rice overnight. Next morning, grind rice and coconut separately with the toddy, to make a fine batter. Add the salt and sugar and keep aside for 3-4 hours till the batter is well risen. Now beat gently together the 6 egg yolks and only 3 egg whites. Add this to the rice-coconut mixture. Meanwhile line a cake tin 8” in diameter with greased butter paper.

Divide the mixture into 2 equal parts/portions. Put one portion evenly at the bottom of the cake tin. Now spread the prawn balchao over the bottom layer and then cover with the second portion of the rice-coconut mixture evenly. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 F till the Apa de Camarao is risen and golden brown on top. Cool and serve as a main dish, as a starter, sliced or with drinks sliced.

To make the Prawn Balchao

Clean the shrimp thoroughly, wash and tie in a muslin cloth. Allow to hang for about 12 hours till all the water has drained out. Squeeze out any water that may be left. Grind the shrimps,salt, garlic and peppercorns with palm feni only. Mix dry chillies (whole). If any feni is left, it may be added to the shrimp paste. Fill in the bottle and cap tightly.