Recheio Masala

This piquant red ground paste  is an excellent stand by for the busy Goan. The paste can be used as marinade for fish and even white and red meats  (that can then be fried or grilled as per your preference) and is a handy go-to masala in a goan household. This authentic goan recipe is the secret behind the delicious fish recheado you order at your favorite Goan shack. With fresh quality ingredients you can now replicate it at home. Let the good times roll!

This recipe makes about 1 cup of paste.

Ingredients

20 dried red kashmiri Chillies
5  cloves
1 garlic pod
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
10 peppercorns
4 inch piece cinnamon
2 tsp tumeric powder
Seeds of six green cardamom
Pulp from small lime size ball of tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup water
Vinegar to taste

Soak the dried red chillies for twenty minutes in some water so that they soften. Drain and grind with the rest of the ingredients to a paste, adding vinegar to enhance the typical tang of recheio masala. Store in an air tight container. If refrigerated, the paste will last for a week, frozen for more than a month.