Marinate the prawns Toss the cleaned prawns with a pinch of turmeric and a little salt, then set them aside in the fridge for fifteen minutes.
02
Soak the kokum Put the rinsed kokum in a small bowl with a quarter cup of warm water and leave it to soak for fifteen minutes.
03
Toast the spices Dry roast the red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns in a pan over low heat for about two minutes, until fragrant.
04
Grind the masala Grind the coconut, toasted spices, garlic and the remaining turmeric with three quarters of a cup of water to a very smooth, thick paste, for about three minutes.
05
Soften the onion Heat the coconut oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the sliced onion for about four minutes, until soft and translucent.
06
Simmer the curry base Add the ground masala to the pot, rinse the grinder jar with one and a half cups of water, pour that in too, and simmer gently for eight minutes, stirring now and then.
07
Add the souring Stir in the kokum with its soaking water, the crushed tirphal skins, the green chillies and salt to taste, then simmer for three minutes.
08
Cook the prawns Add the prawns and simmer for about four minutes, just until they turn pink and curl.
09
Rest and serve Cover the pot and let the curry rest off the heat for ten minutes, then serve it hot with plain boiled rice.
Xitt kodi means rice and curry in Konkani. It is the everyday Goan prawn curry of freshly ground coconut and red chillies, soured with kokum and scented with tirphal, eaten with plain boiled rice at lunch in most Goan homes.
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Method
1
Marinate the prawns
Toss the cleaned prawns with a pinch of turmeric and a little salt, then set them aside in the fridge for fifteen minutes.
Marinate the prawns · 15 min
2
Soak the kokum
Put the rinsed kokum in a small bowl with a quarter cup of warm water and leave it to soak for fifteen minutes.
Soak the kokum · 15 min
3
Toast the spices
Dry roast the red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns in a pan over low heat for about two minutes, until fragrant.
Keep the heat low and stir constantly. If the chillies turn black the curry will taste bitter and dull in colour.
Toast the spices · 2 min
4
Grind the masala
Grind the coconut, toasted spices, garlic and the remaining turmeric with three quarters of a cup of water to a very smooth, thick paste, for about three minutes.
Rub a little paste between your fingers. It should feel smooth, not gritty. A fine grind is what gives the curry its silky body.
Grind the masala · 3 min
5
Soften the onion
Heat the coconut oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the sliced onion for about four minutes, until soft and translucent.
Soften the onion · 4 min
6
Simmer the curry base
Add the ground masala to the pot, rinse the grinder jar with one and a half cups of water, pour that in too, and simmer gently for eight minutes, stirring now and then.
Keep it at a gentle simmer. A hard rolling boil can make the coconut split and turn oily. Add a splash of water if it gets thicker than pouring cream.
Simmer the curry base · 8 min
7
Add the souring
Stir in the kokum with its soaking water, the crushed tirphal skins, the green chillies and salt to taste, then simmer for three minutes.
Use only the tirphal skins; the black seeds are bitter. If you cannot find tirphal, leave it out rather than substituting, and the curry will still be good.
Add the souring · 3 min
8
Cook the prawns
Add the prawns and simmer for about four minutes, just until they turn pink and curl.
Take the pot off the heat as soon as the prawns curl. They keep cooking in the hot curry and turn rubbery if overdone.
Cook the prawns · 4 min
9
Rest and serve
Cover the pot and let the curry rest off the heat for ten minutes, then serve it hot with plain boiled rice.
The curry tastes even better a few hours later, once the kokum and tirphal have settled in.