Goan Prawn Chow Chow

The Goan Prawn Chow Chow was made regularly at all occasions in Goa. I remember when I was young, how the Goan mestins (cooks) would cook it. The vegetables were chopped, some blanched, some fried – in batches and then assembled with the cooked noodles. Also note that the local egg noodles were used for this prep which gave it a different ‘mouth feel’. Children, especially, would crowd the buffet table for this simple preparation which is flavoured by stock cubes, chilly sauce, butter and of course the prawns. The caterers however were not so generous with the prawns.

Serves: 6 Persons

Prep. Time: 30 Mins.

Cooking Time: 30 to 35 Mins.

Ingredients:

[ Standard Measure – 1 cup = 200 ml ]

• Prawns (small – washed, peeled & deveined) – 1 cup
• Carrots (peeled & cut into thick juliennes) – 2 large
• French Beans (stringed & cut diagonally) – 10 to 12
• Capsicum (cleaned & cut into thick juliennes) – 1 large
• Spring Onion Whites (finely chopped) – 5 to 6
• Spring Onion Greens (finely chopped) – ½ cup
• Garlic (finely chopped) – 4 cloves
• Egg Noodles – 400 gms (uncooked)
• Green Chilly Sauce – 3 tbsp. or as needed
• Stock Cube (veg) – 1 to 2 small
• Soda-bi-carb – a pinch (optional)
• Sugar – ½ tsp.
• Eggs – 3 to 4
• Butter – 1 tbsp.
• Oil – 4 to 5 tbsp.
• Salt – 3 tsp. or to taste

Step 1:     Chop all the vegetables as shown in the pictures and keep each separately. Apply ½ tsp. salt to the cleaned prawns and keep aside.

Step 2:     Boil ½ liter water with ½ tsp. salt and sugar. When the water is boiling, add the carrots and parboil the carrots for 2 to 3 minutes and then drain and keep aside.

Step 3:     Add the soda-bi-carb to the same water and cook the French beans for 2 to 3 minutes as you did with the carrots. Drain and keep aside.

Step 4:     Heat 1 ½ tbsp. oil in a pan and fry the parboiled carrots for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Drain and keep aside. Do this for the beans and capsicum also. Take ½ of the spring onion greens in the same pan and sauté for a few seconds. Remove and keep aside.

Step 5:     Add 2 tbsp. oil to the pan and add the prawns and sauté on high heat for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute. Lower the heat to medium and add spring onion whites. Sauté for a minute or two. Add the fried vegetables and crushed stock cubes and mix well. Switch off the heat.

Step 6:     In another vessel, boil 2 liters water with 2 tsp. salt. When the water starts boiling put the noodles in and boil them for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and mix in the butter. (please refer to the instructions of your noodle pack also).

Step 7:     Add the noodles to the prawn-veggie mixture and add the green chilly sauce. Mix gently.

Step 8:    Beat the eggs lightly. Heat 1 tsp. of oil in a frying pan and cook the eggs on both sides. Cut into small pieces and mix with the noodles. Your noodles are ready to serve. Serve hot with or without a sauce.

Note:

• The vegetables are cut thicker than we do for Chinese preparation.
• To reheat the chow chow, sprinkle 2 tbsp. water on the noodles in the pan. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Soda-bi-carb helps retain the wonderful green colour of the beans.