Shevandi Kada
A vibrant Goan-inspired dish featuring jumbo prawns and whole baby onions simmered in a sharp, aromatic sauce spiked with feni and black pepper.
Pepper seasoning
10 gAdded to the onions with the sugar and vinegar (step 2)Everything else
Method
- Warm 27 g vegetable oil in a pan set over medium heat. Add 2 g curry leaf and fry for about 1 minute until they begin to darken. Stir in 150 g chopped onion and cook for roughly 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Stir in 4.2 g granulated sugar, 2 tablespoon vinegar, the pepper seasoning, and salt to taste. Sauté the mixture for 1 minute.
- Pierce 36 baby onions with the tines of a fork, drop them into the pan, and cook for 3 minutes.
- Prick 8 king prawns with a fork and add them to the pan. Turn the heat down, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid, pour in 375 g feni, then cover the pan again and cook for another 5 minutes, until the prawns are cooked through and tender.
Don't have something?
Peanut oilUse 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.
GheeUse 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.
Mustard oilUse 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.
Bay leafFry 1 bay leaf for every 5 curry leaves in hot oil; imparts a warm, woodsy background note, but misses the citrus-sulphury punch entirely.
Lime juiceAdd a small squeeze (about 5 ml per sprig of curry leaves) right before serving; provides sharp citrus top notes without the toasty, herbal aroma.
JaggeryUse equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.
White wine vinegarUse the same weight; it is sharper and more neutral, so taste before adding more.
Malt vinegarUse the same weight; darker and maltier, fine in chutneys but not in delicate dishes.
- Lime juice
Use the same weight; it gives citric rather than vinegary sourness, so add salt a little at a time.
Black peppercornUse 1:1 by weight; pulverise in a spice mill or mortar to a fine powder for immediate, punchy heat.
Coarsely ground black pepperUse equal weight; offers the same bite, though it gives a visibly speckled finish and firmer crunch.
Baby onionUse the same weight; peel and leave whole. Practically the same.
ShallotUse the same weight; halve if large. Sweeter and softer, so add 2 minutes later.
- Onion
Use the same weight, quartered. Stronger flavour; cook 2–3 minutes longer.
Tiger prawnUse the same weight; split or halve if large. Same sweet shellfish flavour, similar cooking time.
Large prawnUse the same weight; they may need 1 minute less cooking. Slightly less sweet.
Firm white fish filletUse the same weight, cut into chunks and add 2-3 minutes later. Flakes easily and lacks prawn juice.
- White wine vinegar
Use the same weight if the recipe needs acidity; it is sharper and has no coconut or spirit flavour.
- Coconut vinegar
Use the same weight; it is softer and slightly sweet, closest to the vinegar option.
Brandy or rumUse 75% of the weight only if the recipe wants the feni spirit; add vinegar or lime separately for sourness.
Similar dishes
- Same: Like this dish, Jhinga Dopyaza cooks prawns with onions and curry leaves in vegetable oil.
- Different: Jhinga Dopyaza uses far more onions and oil, adding ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander, and turmeric while omitting the black pepper and sugar found in this dish.
- Same: Sirkewala Achar shares the use of onions, granulated sugar, oil, and salt with this dish.
- Different: Instead of being a hot-cooked prawn dish seasoned with curry leaves, black pepper, and vegetable oil, it is a cold preserve cured in white malt vinegar, garlic, and olive oil.
- Same: Both dishes rely on onions cooked with vegetable oil and salt.
- Different: Onion Bhajiya is a deep-fried fritter seasoned with ajwain seeds, omitting the prawns, curry leaves, and black pepper simmered in this dish.
- Same: Both dishes feature prawns cooked in vegetable oil and seasoned with ground black pepper and salt.
- Different: Roya Vepaddu coats the prawns in coconut milk and desiccated coconut to deep-fry them crispy, omitting the onions, curry leaves, and sugar simmered in this dish.