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Goan prawn and coconut pie

Name: Goan prawn and coconut pie
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: butter 15g, melted, for the tin; rice flour 250g, plus extra for the tin; freshly grated coconut 40g; caster sugar 1 heaped tbsp; fast-action dried yeast 7g sachet; eggs 3; dried kashmiri chillies or dried mild red chillies 8, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes; ginger 5cm piece (about 25g), peeled and roughly chopped; garlic 6 cloves, roughly chopped; black peppercorns ½ tsp; cinnamon stick 2½cm piece, crushed; cumin seeds 1 tsp; cloves 6; vegetable oil 4 tbsp; white onions 500g, finely chopped; Goan toddy vinegar or malt vinegar 50ml; caster sugar 1 tbsp; coconut cream 1 tbsp; king prawns 450g, peeled, de-veined and roughly chopped; coriander a small bunch, finely chopped

1 hour 30 minutes + Soaking + Resting
Serves 6-8 as a brunch
A little effort

This savoury Goan pie (Apa de camarão) comes flavoured with homemade masala paste and a prawn masala filling. Well worth the effort, if you have the time

By Maunika Gowardhan

Published: March 9, 2021 at 3:43 pm

Make this Goan prawn and coconut pie, then check out our Goan prawn curry, pork balchao, Keralan chicken curry and more from Maunika Gowardhan.

Maunika says: “This local Goan favourite is a savoury pie to be shared with family and friends. The prawns can be made ahead.”

Ingredients

butter 15g, melted, for the tin

BATTER

rice flour 250g, plus extra for the tin
freshly grated coconut 40g
caster sugar 1 heaped tbsp
fast-action dried yeast 7g sachet
eggs 3

MASALA PASTE

dried kashmiri chillies or dried mild red chillies 8, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
ginger 5cm piece (about 25g), peeled and roughly chopped
garlic 6 cloves, roughly chopped
black peppercorns ½ tsp
cinnamon stick 2½cm piece, crushed
cumin seeds 1 tsp
cloves 6

PRAWNS MASALA FILLING

vegetable oil 4 tbsp
white onions 500g, finely chopped
Goan toddy vinegar or malt vinegar 50ml
caster sugar 1 tbsp
coconut cream 1 tbsp
king prawns 450g, peeled, de-veined and roughly chopped
coriander a small bunch, finely chopped

Method

Step 1

To make the batter, combine the rice flour, coconut, sugar, yeast and a large pinch of salt. Add the eggs and 250ml of water. Whisk until smooth. Cover and leave for 1 hour until bubbled up.
Step 2

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Blitz all the masala paste ingredients plus 50ml of the chilli soaking liquid in a blender until smooth – you can grind the whole spices with a pestle and mortar first if your blender isn’t powerful enough. Set aside.
Step 3

For the filling, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat and fry the onions for 35-40 minutes, stirring a few times, until the onions have reduced and are golden brown.
Step 4

Add the paste and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat. Add the vinegar and sugar. Fry for 2 minutes. Add the coconut cream. Fry for a minute. Season, add the prawns, stir and cook for a minute. Add the coriander, turn off the heat, cover and leave to cool.
Step 5

Brush an 18cm round springform cake tin with the melted butter. Lightly dust with rice flour. Pour in half the batter, add the prawns, and pour over the rest of the batter. Bake on the oven’s middle shelf for 30-35 minutes or until it springs back when pressed and is golden. Invert onto a plate. Leave to cool slightly. Serve warm.