Casa
Martin
Cookbook
Chicken & Prawn Patia
Despite Portugals longstanding trade and cultural links with India (Goa was a Portuguese colony for many years) there seems to be very little interest in Indian cuisine. There a few odd Tandooris in the tourist regions of the Algarve but I reckon your best bet if you are missing this sort of thing is a Chicken Tikka on the barbecue or this very good approximation of one of my favourites.
Obviously it can be made with only prawns or only chicken but I feel that the mixture of both is especially delicious. The amount of chillies in the marinade is a matter of personal preference but remember it is supposed to be spicy. Chopped fresh coriander is an essential and authentic finishing touch. Plain boiled rice and perhaps some spinach cooked with cumin seeds and topped with crispy fried onion slices are all that is needed for this feast. If desert is required then chilled pieces of tropical fruit like pineapple is a good idea.
4 Chicken thighs, skinned and boned, cut into 2cm pieces
12 large raw Prawns, shelled, shells & heads reserved
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 large Tomato, skinned and chopped
1 dstsp Flour
1small Onion
1 tbsp Tomato Puree (p)
1 tbsp Sugar (p)
1 tsp Coriander Seeds (p)
1 tsp Turmeric (p)
6 small dried red Chillies (p)
6 cloves Garlic (p)
1cm piece of Ginger, peeled (p)
1 tsp salt (p)
juice of 1 Lemon (p)
Liquidise the ingredients marked (p) to make a paste to marinate the chicken thighs for 2 - 8 hours.
Use prawn debris to make about 1pt prawn stock.
Soften the onion in a little oil. Add the chicken with any clinging marinade and cook for 10 mins. Add the chopped tomato and the flour and cook for 5 mins. Add remaining marinade and sufficient prawn to make a decent sauce. Put on lid and cook slowly for 30 mins adding more prawn stock if necessary. Just before serving add 4 whole and 8 chopped prawns and cook for further 10 mins til prawns are cooked through. Garnish with chopped coriander.