Apa de camarão (Goan prawn and coconut pie)

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

1 HOUR 30 MINUTES + SOAKING + RESTING | SERVES 6 8 AS A BRUNCH | MORE EFFORT

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 21/2cm 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

PER SERVING 8 328 kcals | fat 12.2G saturates 4.1G | carbs 36.4G | sugars 10.7G fibre 3.2G | protein 16.5G | salt 0.6G

Maunika Gowardhan is a food writer and Indian chef. She brings her authentic techniques to the world through regular TV and radio appearances, and is the author of Indian Kitchen. Find more of her recipes on Omagazine.com and follow her on Instagram @cookinacurry.