Shrimp Prawn Pickle

Shrimp prawn pickle is a fantastic spicy condiment popularly made in the coastal areas of Andhra and Goa. If you love to eat very spicy food then you will surely enjoy this famous Andhra pickle. Andhra is very popular for their Guntur red chillies which are really fiery hot. The cuisine of Andhra is normally spicy and varies greatly across regions. Each district has a unique gastronomic heritage. Without pickles and chutneys, Andhra food would be incomplete. It is a part of the diet in this state, where ‘spice’ is the only way to go. Even your lazy shrimp can be converted into a pickle that is spicy and delicious and makes your mouth water at its very sight.

Another famous concoction is the garlic-ginger chutney which will have you licking your fingers for that lovely lingering taste. The Andhra have an abundance of pickles and chutney called Pachadi (Telugu). Pickling fruits and vegetables is an old Indian custom used for food preservation. No vegetable is spared while making pickles, and practically every vegetable can be converted into a pickle in this spice-loving state.

Few of the popular pickles of Andhra are the Avakkaya (mango pickle), Chintakaya Uragaya (tamarind pickle), Gongura chutney and non vegetarian pickle are the prawn pickle, chicken pickle, mutton pickle etc. Pickles are a pride of many household and bottles of each home’s unique version of this pickle are sent away with any guest or relatives. Most of the pickles are popular for their tangy and spicy taste and it really gets the taste buds tingling.

The Andhra tomato pickle is so dangerously delicious that it can be eaten with just plain rice and it will waken all your sleeping taste buds. Prawn pickle is usually known to have limited shelf life but when it is done under proper hygienic conditions, with the correct proportion of salt, spices and oil, it can be conserved intact for much longer than 3 months. They are many way of preparing the prawn pickle. Normally in Goa, prawns are pickled in mustard oil, vinegar and spices.

To get the perfect taste of the prawn pickle it is best to eat after 6 hrs of preparing the prawn pickle. To prepare this lip smacking Shrimp prawn pickle peel, devein and clean the prawns well with turmeric powder and salt. Put the prawns in a colander to drain off all the water. For making this pickle it is best to use only small prawns. Heat oil in a pan, add the washed prawn and sauté them well till they are nicely cooked till all the water is absorbed off.

Then add ginger garlic paste and mix well and sauté well till the raw flavor are gone and switch of the flame and transfer into a plate. In the same pan heat some oil add mustard seeds and allow it to pop. Then add cumin seeds, dry red chilli, and turmeric powder, fresh curry leaves stir and fry for a minute on low heat. Switch of the flame and let it cool down.

Take a bowl add the cooked prawns, lemon juice, red chilli powder, coriander powder, roasted coconut powder, garam masala and mix well and add the tempering to it and mix well. You can serve this immediately but it would take at least 6 hours for the spices to penetrate into the prawns and enhance the taste and flavor of the prawns. For an average Indian family no meal is complete without the achar (pickle).

To really relish Indian cuisine you have to put your taste buds to the test and enjoy a little bit of the chutney and mango pickle. Get ready for a spicy rollercoaster, as the cuisine of Andhra Pradesh is known for its tangy and spicy flavors. So are you ready for it?