Coastal Comfort: Goan Prawns in Caldine Recipe

Name: Caldine Prawns
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Cuisine: Goa, India

Goan Caldine Prawns: A Gentle Curry with Coastal Soul

Mild, creamy, and full of coastal charm — Caldine (or caldin) is one of Goa’s most comforting curries. Unlike its fiery cousins like vindalho or xacuti, caldine is all about balance: warm spices, mellow coconut milk, and the natural sweetness of seafood.

The word ‘caldine’ traces its roots to the Portuguese caldinho, meaning ‘little broth’ — a nod to Goa’s colonial past and its beautifully blended culinary traditions. This dish is often made with prawns or fish, simmered in a coconut-based gravy flavoured with turmeric, cumin, coriander, and green chillies.

If you’re craving something soothing yet flavourful, this Goan prawn curry is the perfect escape — straight from the Konkan coast to your kitchen.

Let’s get cooking.

A quick note
While this recipe features prawns, the same caldine curry base works beautifully with fish too. In traditional Goan kitchens, pomfret, surmai (kingfish), or mackerel are commonly used in fish caldine. Just adjust the cooking time to suit the fish.

Also, if you're wondering about coconut milk, we've included a quick how-to at the end of the recipe in case you want to make it fresh at home. That said, good-quality store-bought coconut milk works perfectly well, too, for those busy weeknights

Caldine Prawns

Prep time

15 minutes

Cook time

20 minutes

Servings

2-3

Ingredients

300–400g prawns, cleaned and deveined
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup grated coconut
1 tbsp Home Kouzina Caldine Masala
½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 medium onion, sliced
1–2 green chillies, slit
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 tbsp oil
2 cups water
2 tbsp coconut milk

Method

Marinate the prawns
Wash, clean, and devein the prawns. Marinate with turmeric, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Make the masala paste
In a blender, grind grated coconut, Home Kouzina Caldine Masala, and ginger-garlic paste with water into a smooth paste.
Cook the curry base
Heat oil in a pan and sauté sliced onions until translucent. Add slit green chillies and chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
Add the coconut-masala paste
Stir in the coconut paste and sauté well, adding small splashes of water to prevent sticking. Continue cooking until the raw smell disappears.
Simmer and add prawns
Add 2 cups of water and bring the curry to a boil. Gently slide in the marinated prawns and cook on medium heat until the prawns turn pink and are just done.
Finish with coconut milk
Stir in the coconut milk, adjust salt, and simmer for another 2–3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it rest.
Serve hot
Serve Caldine Prawns hot with steamed rice for a truly coastal meal.

Cooking and Serving

When cooking prawns, be careful not to overcook them; they typically take just 4–5 minutes to become tender and juicy in the simmering curry.

And if you're planning a vegetarian version, you can easily swap the prawns with ingredients like cauliflower, mushrooms, or tofu. All of which absorb the flavours of the Caldine beautifully.

Making Coconut Milk

Fresh Coconut Method:
To make coconut milk from fresh coconut, blend 1 cup of grated coconut with 1 to 1.5 cups of warm water. Strain through a muslin cloth to get thick coconut milk. Blend the leftover pulp again with water for a second, thinner extract—perfect for curries or stews.

Desiccated Coconut Method:
Soak 1 cup of desiccated coconut in 1.5 cups of hot water for 10 minutes. Blend until smooth and strain using a muslin cloth or fine sieve. This yields mildly creamy coconut milk, ideal for quick cooking when fresh coconut isn’t available.

Caldine is all about embracing the gentle warmth of coconut and mild spices—it’s comfort in a bowl, soothing yet full of Goan soul.”

Chef Crescentia Scolt Fernandes, founder of Bernardo's

chef crescentia holding a tray withe her christmas cake

About the Home Chef

Chef Crescentia Scolt Fernandes is the founder of the erstwhile Bernardo’s, Delhi NCR’s oldest and most loved Goan restaurant. She now brings her fabulous Goan food from her home kitchen to customers. And is now sharing some of her magic, with her homemade spice mixes, for the modern-day cooking enthusiast.

We hope these recipes have inspired you to get creative in the kitchen with Home Kouzina products. Remember, cooking is all about experimentation and fun, so don't be afraid to put your own spin on these recipes. We can't wait to see what delicious creations you come up with!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Caldine Prawns and how is it different from other Goan curries?

Caldine Prawns is a traditional Goan seafood curry made with coconut milk and mild spices. Unlike spicy vindaloo or xacuti, Caldine is light, creamy and mild— perfect for those who prefer subtle, coastal flavours in Indian cuisine.

2. What makes Home Kouzina’s Caldine Masala unique?

Our blend is hand-roasted, small-batch, and designed to capture the soft spice and tang of Goan curry without artificial preservatives or additives.

3. What makes Caldine Masala ideal for Goan-style seafood recipes?

Our Caldine Masala is crafted with coastal flavours in mind — a balanced mix of fennel, coriander, mild chillies, and turmeric. It’s preservative-free and made in small batches for freshness and purity, making it perfect for seafood curries like Caldine or Goan fish curry.

4.What are some other ways to use Caldine Masala besides prawn curry?

Fish goes great with Caldine. You can use Caldine Masala to make vegetarian curries with cauliflower, tofu, mushrooms, or boiled eggs. It also works well in light coconut-based stews or even fusion dishes like Caldine pasta sauce for a coastal twist.