Goan Coconut Curry or ‘Caldine’ is a much loved traditional seafood preparation from the coastal state of Goa. It is made by cooking marinated seafood with aromatic spices in coconut milk and tamarind for a tangy and mildly spiced flavour profile.
This single pot dish is the perfect weeknight dish. It comes together quickly as the ingredients are added into the one pot in stages. It is also very versatile and can be easily adapted to use veggies like beans and cauliflower, or other protein like boiled eggs or chicken.
This is a slow burn recipe. The flavour starts off quite mild but will keep developing on the palate over the meal.
Shopping List
800gm fish cutlets (King Fish, Spanish Mackerel or any firm white fish cut in 5 - 6 cm pieces) or 600gm peeled prawns, 400ml Coconut Milk, 200ml Coconut Cream, 3 tablespoons Cooking Oil, 1 medium Onion, 1 medium Tomato, Green chillies (optional), 1 teaspoon sugar, salt to taste
Prep
Sprinkle a generous pinch of salt on the seafood along with the Marinade spices. Mix well till all pieces of fish/prawns are evenly coated. Set aside for an hour.
Finely dice a medium onion and a medium tomato. Finely chop green chillies (1 for medium heat, more if you like it hotter)
Cook
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep pot and fry the marinated fish for 30-40 seconds each side, in batches if required. Remove and set aside. This step is not needed for prawns.
- Heat another tablespoon of oil in the same pan. Add chopped onion and green chillies (optional) and cook on medium heat till the onion becomes translucent.
- Add Sauce Spice Blend 1 and cook for 1 minute, so the spices cook through.
- Add diced tomatoes and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Then turn the heat to low, add Sauce Spice Blend 2 and cook for 2 minutes.
- Now add 400ml coconut milk and half cup water, 1 teaspoon sugar and the Powdered Tamarind.
- Increase the heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Then turn it down to a simmer, cover the pot and let the sauce cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and gently drop the fried fish/prawns into the sauce. For fish, cook for 2 minutes. For prawns, till they are just cooked and turn pink.
- Finally, pour in 200ml of coconut cream and turn off the heat.
- Add salt to taste.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed Basmati Rice.
Vegan option: Cauliflower caldine
The smooth and velvety coconut sauce makes the perfect base for a vegan Caldine with cauliflower and crunchy greens like green beans and snap peas.
Use 600g of cauliflower and greens instead of the seafood.
Prepare veggies - cut the cauliflower into small florets, chop the beans into 3-4 cm pieces and string the snap peas. Also finely chop an onion and a tomato, and green chillies if using.
Cook - Cook onions and chillies in 3 tbsp of oil until the onion is translucent. Add half a teaspoon of salt to help the onions cook faster. Add Marinade spices and Sauce Spice Blend 1 and cook for a minute. Add your veggies and fry until well coated. Follow from Step 4 in the above recipe, skipping Step 6.
Cooking Tips
1. If you prefer a thicker sauce, cook until it reaches the desired consistency before dropping in the fish.
2. Add a squeeze of lemon for some extra tang
3. Be sure to season well, especially for the veggie versions.
