Fish constitutes an integral part of the Goan diet. In summer, various purument fairs are held across Goa where local vendors and farmers sell their products and produce. Residents and visitors from all over purchase their required stock for the monsoon and to last throughout the year. The Konkani word ‘purument’ is derived from the Portuguese ‘provisão’ or provision. My mother would carry dry fish (bangda - mackerel, solye - waghole/skate, sukhe sungta - dried shrimp, galmbo - baby shrimp and peddyo - herring) to Mumbai. We would sun-dry the fish again in Mumbai on the terrace so that it stays well until our next visit to Goa. Besides preparing para and other dishes with the dried fish, my mother also made this balchão with the dried baby shrimps called galmbo. Delicious with a hint of spice, sour and sweet. Perfect accompaniment with rice, dal or sorak (plain coconut curry) and vegetable dish.
Balchão is a popular dish known for its piquant character. It was brought to Goa by the Portuguese and originated in Macao, where it is called balichão. Prepared with either seafood or pork in a spicy, vinegary sauce and usually preserved for the monsoons to be consumed when fish is scarce. More like a pickle and eaten in moderation.
Balchão is a popular dish known for its piquant character. It was brought to Goa by the Portuguese and originated in Macao, where it is called balichão. Prepared with either seafood or pork in a spicy, vinegary sauce and usually preserved for the monsoons to be consumed when fish is scarce. More like a pickle and eaten in moderation.
Galmbo (Dried Baby Shrimps) Balchão
(Yields 1 kg)
Ingredients:
100 grams baby dried shrimps (galmbo)
5 large onions (thinly sliced or chopped, about 10 cups)
1/2 cup vinegar
1 garlic pod (50 grams)
2-inches ginger
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups oil
salt (if required)
Grind to a fine paste with 2 cups vinegar
20 red dried Kashmiri chillies
12 whole black peppercorns
8 cloves
1 cinnamon stick (3-inches long)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
Method:
Finely chop garlic and ginger in a tupperware hand chopper. Set aside.
Onions can be pulsed to small pieces in a food processor.
Clean the dried shrimps, remove any dirt or stone. In batches, transfer to a sieve and strain off any residual powder.
Lightly roast shrimps in a skillet until fragrant. Do not burn or else they will taste bitter. Transfer into a bowl and do not leave them in the skillet or else, they will continue to heat and burn. Again, transfer to a sieve in batches and strain off any residual bits (see 4th picture to the right above).
In a pan, heat oil and fry onions on slow flame until brown, around 45 minutes to 1 hour. Halfway through, add sugar so that they caramelize faster. Stir in the garlic and ginger, cook until fragrant. Then, fry the spice paste until oil starts to separate. Rinse the blender jar with 1/2 cup vinegar and mix in with the spice paste.
Add the shrimps and mix well until well combined. Simmer on low heat. When oil floats on the top, remove from heat.
Cool balchão and bottle in an airtight sterilized glass container ensuring that it is covered with oil on top. Leave to mature for a week before consumption.
Store at room temperature in a cool dark place. The balchão has a good shelf life.
Note:
(Yields 1 kg)
Ingredients:
100 grams baby dried shrimps (galmbo)
5 large onions (thinly sliced or chopped, about 10 cups)
1/2 cup vinegar
1 garlic pod (50 grams)
2-inches ginger
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups oil
salt (if required)
Grind to a fine paste with 2 cups vinegar
20 red dried Kashmiri chillies
12 whole black peppercorns
8 cloves
1 cinnamon stick (3-inches long)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
Method:
Finely chop garlic and ginger in a tupperware hand chopper. Set aside.
Onions can be pulsed to small pieces in a food processor.
Clean the dried shrimps, remove any dirt or stone. In batches, transfer to a sieve and strain off any residual powder.
Lightly roast shrimps in a skillet until fragrant. Do not burn or else they will taste bitter. Transfer into a bowl and do not leave them in the skillet or else, they will continue to heat and burn. Again, transfer to a sieve in batches and strain off any residual bits (see 4th picture to the right above).
In a pan, heat oil and fry onions on slow flame until brown, around 45 minutes to 1 hour. Halfway through, add sugar so that they caramelize faster. Stir in the garlic and ginger, cook until fragrant. Then, fry the spice paste until oil starts to separate. Rinse the blender jar with 1/2 cup vinegar and mix in with the spice paste.
Add the shrimps and mix well until well combined. Simmer on low heat. When oil floats on the top, remove from heat.
Cool balchão and bottle in an airtight sterilized glass container ensuring that it is covered with oil on top. Leave to mature for a week before consumption.
Store at room temperature in a cool dark place. The balchão has a good shelf life.
Note:
- Add sugar as desired.
- If spices can be ground with less vinegar, use accordingly. Adjust heat and sour according to taste.
- I mixed in few dried Portuguese hot chillies from our garden in the spice paste.
- Nowadays clean galmbo is available that just needs to be checked for any unwanted dirt or stones, avoiding rinsing with water especially when preparing balchão. Moisture ruins the pickle. In case you feel the need to rinse, then sun dry well before use.
- Balchão was delicious without the addition of any salt. If required, then please do so.
- Though 100 grams galmbo is used, yield is 1 kg with the quantity of onions and spice paste.
- The more onions included, tastier the balchão, but ensure to caramelize them well.