Sungta Bhaji | How to make Goan Prawns Bhaji?

Sungta Bhaji with step-by-step photos and instructions.

Goan style Prawns Bhaji Pav, Goan prawns curry recipe, Prawn curry recipe indian, goan recipes.

Goa, the sun-soaked coastal state of India, is renowned not only for its scenic beaches and vibrant culture but also for its unique culinary traditions. Among the array of delightful Goan dishes, Sungta Bhaji stands out as a beloved breakfast option, often enjoyed with ‘pav’ or local bread.

Sungta Bhaji: A Goan Breakfast Delight

Sungta Bhaji is more than just a breakfast dish; it embodies the essence of Goan cuisine, characterized by its use of fresh seafood, aromatic spices, and the omnipresent coconut. Whether you’re a Goan native or a curious food enthusiast, this dish offers a delightful glimpse into the rich culinary heritage of Goa.

Sungta Bhaji-Pav is a popular breakfast served at local restaurants and also small food joints in Goa. It is also the preferred choice, offering a nutritious and satisfying start to the day. The use of prawns, a staple in coastal cuisine, reflects the region’s reliance on seafood.

Adding potato and cauliflower to the dish not only enhances its flavour but also adds substance, making it a more filling meal. Although you can find this bhaji at most food joints, preparing it at home is just as easy.

So, the next time you crave a hearty and flavourful breakfast, give Sungta Bhaji a try – it’s a true coastal delight that promises to tantalize your taste buds.

What is Sungta Bhaji?

Sungta Bhaji, also known as Prawn Bhaji, is a quintessential Goan dish that showcases the region’s abundant seafood. “Sungta” means prawns in Konkani, the local language, while “bhaji” refers to a vegetable or curry.

This dish is a perfect blend of coastal ingredients and undoubtedly the distinctive spices that define Goan cooking. Moreover, this savoury prawn curry is a testimony to the rich and diverse flavours that characterise Goan cuisine.

Sungta Bhaji is prepared using small prawns, potato, cauliflower in a coconut-based gravy with aromatic spices.

Fresh prawns provide a sweet and briny taste, essential for the dish’s overall flavour. Potato and cauliflower add a distinctive taste and texture, also providing a unique twist that sets it apart.

In Goa, breakfast is not just the first meal of the day but a significant cultural affair. The local bread, called pav, is a staple in Goan households, often paired with various curries, bhajis, and stews.

Moreover, Sungta Bhaji, with its succulent prawns and aromatic gravy, is a favourite choice, offering a wholesome and flavourful start to the day.

Ingredients

The beauty of Sungta Bhaji lies in its simplicity and the freshness of its ingredients.

Here’s a look at what goes into making this delicious dish:

1. Prawns – Obviously, the star ingredient of the dish. Use small-size prawns as they are more flavourful. Fresh, de-shelled, and deveined.
2. Potato and Cauliflower – Both add a distinctive taste and flavour to Sungta Bhaji. Do not miss these two ingredients because they provide a distinguished and authentic taste.
3. Coconut – Use freshly grated coconut. Coconut provides the base for the curry and also adds richness and a subtle sweet flavour.
4. Spices – A blend of traditional Goan spices, including coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, etc. creates the distinctive flavour profile.
5. Onion and Garlic – Increases the flavour quotient in addition to other spices.
6. Tamarind – A piece of tamarind gives the dish its characteristic tanginess.
7. Miscellaneous ingredients – Green chilli, oil, salt, etc.

Tips for Sungta Bhaji

Making Sungta Bhaji is a relatively straightforward process, but it requires careful attention to detail to balance the flavours perfectly.

1. Always use fresh prawns and also devein them properly.
2. Do not skip potato and cauliflower. This is because the combination of prawns-potato-cauliflower gives Sungta Bhaji its unique taste.
3. Do not use frozen or desiccated coconut. Since, fresh coconut makes the bhaji rich in texture and flavour.
4. Avoid overcooking the prawns as they will become hard and chewy.

Serving Suggestions

Sungta Bhaji is traditionally served with pav, the soft and fluffy local bread that in fact perfectly soaks up the flavourful curry making each bite a delightful experience. However, it can also be enjoyed with other types of bread like poee (a Goan bread), slice bread, roti, chapati or even steamed rice for a more heavy meal.

How to prepare Sungta Bhaji?

1. Clean the prawns. Remove the outer shell and devein them. Then, apply a little salt and keep aside.

Roasting the spices

2. Keep all the spices ready. Also, heat a kadhai. Add a tsp of oil. Roast the spices and red chillies till an aroma is released. (Check the recipe card for ingredients and proportions.) Remove the roasted spices and keep aside.

3. Next add oil again to the same pan. Add sliced onion and fry till light brown.

4. Next add grated coconut. Roast the coconut on medium flame till it turns light brown.

5. Add poppy seeds (khus khus) to the roasted mixture. (Do not fry poppy seeds with the other spices above since poppy seeds can burn and turn bitter after frying.) Finally, add turmeric powder.

6. Switch off the gas. Remove the roasted mixture and keep aside. Allow it to cool. Meanwhile chop the potato, cauliflower, onion and green chilli.

7. Take the roasted mixture and the spices in a mixie jar. Add water to the mixture.

8. Grind the roasted ingredients into a fine paste. Next add a tsp of oil in a vessel and then add chopped onion to it.

9. Fry the onion until soft. Further add potato, cauliflower and slit green chilli.

10. Empty the mixie jar and keep the ground mixture aside. Also, add a little water () to the empty mixie jar.

11. Add the water from the mixie jar to the vessel. Add salt.

12. Cook the above on low-medium flame till the potato cubes and cauliflower florets become soft.

13. Finally, add prawns to cooked veggies. Also add the ground coconut-spice mixture.

14. Then add water to adjust the consistency of the gravy. Add salt to adjust the taste.

15. Simmer the Sungta Bhaji for 5 mins. Switch off the gas and allow the flavours to infuse.

16. Serve hot with pav, roti, chapati or even slice bread.