Malvan East Indian Squid Masala Recipe
It's the roasted masala that does the trick, and so do the steps of preparation. There's no doubt that the squid masala recipe smacks of East Indian flavour. Coconut plays a predominant role in most Malvan and East Indian recipes and this squid masala recipe is no exception. When I term this dish as "finger licking" I mean it.
Ingredients
Malvan East Indian Squid Masala Recipe - Ingrdients
- 1 wata squids (or 1/2kg squids, partly sliced in rings, partly whole, tentacles separated)
- 15-16 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 tsp aniseeds (saunf)
- 4 cloves
- ¾ inch cinnamon
- 20 whole black peppercorns
- 2-3 green chillies
- ¾ cup grated coconut (fresh) (dry coconut preferred)
- 2 onions (sliced)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2-3 tsp red chilli powder (Kashmiri preferred)
- ¾ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 lime sized ball of tamarind (soaked in warm water to make thick pulp)
- 2-3 tbsp refined oil (or as requied)
- ⅓ cup water (warm/hot water)
Instructions
Malvan East Indian Squid Masala Recipe - Preparation
- Roast the garlic, ginger, aniseeds, whole spices, coconut, chillies and onions separately. Let cool.
- Grind the roasted ingredients to a medium paste, not too fine yet not too coarse. Remove the ground masala and keep ready for use in the gravy.
- In a pan (I used a Japanese non-stick pan) heat some oil and saute a couple of bay leaves.
- Quickly add the ground masala paste and fry on medium flame, till the oil separates. Fry it patiently, lowering the flame when reequired as the taste lies in how well the masala is fried.
- Add the red chilli and turmeric powders and stir for a minute.
- Now add the chopped squid, tamarind pulp, and just enough water to allow it to cook till done. Close the lid while cooking, checking it intermittenly. Then leave the lid partially open to cook the squid further and reduce the water to a thick gravy.
- Serve with hot steamed rice, or pair with East Indian bread.