Dried Shrimp is quite a famous delicacy amongst fish lovers across the globe. So also in Mangalore where it is usually eaten during the Monsoons when fresh fish is unavailable as boats often do not venture out for fishing into the rough sea. While dried fish has it’s own varieties, the most commonly available one being the dried Shark fish (which is chunky with a rubbery skin), Shrimp is just a class apart. We Catholic’s call it Galmbo in Konkani and it is customary to make the Galmbyachi Chetni/Chutney at least once during the Monsoons.
For those of you who are new to this, Shrimp is almost similar to Prawns but the difference is not in its size as commonly assumed, but in the gill structure. Dried Shrimp is nothing but Shrimp that is sun dried and shrunk to thumb size. It is frequently used in South East Asian cuisine and almost all of coastal cuisine, so little doubt that Mangalore loves it too. Shrimp Chutney tastes heavenly when eaten with Congee (Kanji/Rice gruel) and this is probably one of the simplest of all meals.
Today, we live in the era of refrigerators and deep freezers which help us store food for longer periods of time. Seasonal foods are no longer restricted to seasons as fresh food is imported from other places and made available to us in supermarkets. But in the olden days, people used to prepare for the Monsoons much in advance. Fruits and vegetables that have a longer shelf life (especially Ash Gourds, Madras Cucumbers, Snake Gourds, Garlic and Onions) were often tied up in ropes and hung from the ceiling in a special area or hallway near the kitchen. In Konkani these long hallways are often called as ‘Sopo‘ – houses were often similarly designed, so every house in Mangalore had an open portico, the beams and roof supported by two pillars at the entrance. The portico would be thin strips of seating area with parapets and the main door right in the centre that led to the main living room. The kitchen area, dining area, bathrooms, store rooms and the ‘Sopo‘ would often be on the left side of the living room and the bedrooms on the right side of the living room. So you see, if you entered anyone’s home, you knew exactly how the layout was and you could head straight to one’s kitchen to see what was cooking!
First Pic: Dried Shrimp before being washed. Second Pic: Dried Shrimp, washed and then dry roasted on a griddle/tawa
It is also important to note that the earlier generations used to have a house full of people – a few adults and at least a dozen kids, so it was technically impossible to feed such a battalion of people grand things every day. Congee was served almost everyday for breakfast or at least dinner and Shrimp was also one of the accompaniments served along with it apart from a host of other condiments such as chutneys, pickles, preserves and papads (poppadoms). So, the dried Shrimp formed part of the condiments that were regularly stored and found in kitchens all year round.We had a yummy and simple meal a couple of days ago – brown rice congee served with this chutney, the combination and taste was simply heavenly!
Dried Shrimp Chutney
Dried Shrimp is a common and much-loved ingredient in a seafood loving coastal town of Mangalore. The most popular way to eat it is to roast it and coarsely grind it along with coconut & spices and serve the chutney along with rice congee (kanji/gruel)
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Ingredients
- 50 gm dried shrimp/jawla/galmbo
- 3/4 th small coconut grated or about 1-1/4 packed cups of grated coconut (*see note)
For the masala
- 5-6 dry red chillies *see note
- 1/2 tsp cumin jeera
- 2 pinches of turmeric powder haldi
- 1/2 or 1 level tsp tamarind paste or to taste
- salt to taste just a little as the shrimp already has salt in it
For the tempering/seasoning
- 1 small onion finely sliced
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Wash the shrimp carefully and squeeze it dry (or place on a fine slotted colander/sieve) and drain. Dry roast it for a couple of minutes on a tawa on a slow flame until it lets out a nice aroma. Keep aside. Dry roast the coconut the coconut on the same tawa till again it lets out a nice aroma and then mix the two.
- Dry grind the red chillies, cumin and turmeric to a powder. Add the tamarind paste and the coconut and shrimp mixture and swirl the mixer for a few seconds. (Add just about 2 tsp water just to get the mixer jar moving). Do not grind it fine. It should remain coarse (shrimp should be coarsely crushed and not ground). Remove the chutney in a bowl.
- Heat some oil in another pan and fry the sliced onions till golden brown. Add them to the shrimp chutney. Serve with piping hot Rice Congee/Kanji/Pez
Notes
You can increase the shrimps upto 100gm if you like a strong taste of shrimp. If you like it 'coconut-y' then add more coconut. Ideally for 50gm shrimps, 1 packed cup of grated coconut works fine. You can use the proportions as per your choice, just ensure you adjust the spice level accordingly
Disclaimer
The nutritional values are only indicative.
Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment & rate the recipe below or share a photo on Instagram and tag me @ruchikrandhap
Looks so flavorful and yum. Loved the texture…
Hello! Thank you for dropping by and leaving such a nice comment. I definitely hope ur son likes the cookies 🙂 U have a lovely space too with some really interesting recipes. Glad to meet u 🙂
Heard a lot about it…but never tried it…looks yum….
Loved it
This is another dish that is new to me, but I'm curious enough to give it a try. This sounds really interesting. I hope you have great day. Blessings…Mary
We make spice powder with this dried shrimp,chutney sounds and looks super delicious,cant wait to try..
i know this must be very tasty…i too make this at home, almost similar recipe
Wow. Looks delicious. Yum. I haven't tried any shrimp recipes till now. I think i can start with this.
Cheers,
Uma
First tym here….happy 2 follow u
lovely delicious chutney….have never tried it before
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Thanks for the entry, sounds very new and interesting..
Hi Shireen..can this chutney be stored in the refrigerator and for how long?
@ Unknown: You can store this chutney in the fridge for upto 2 days but you could try freezing it in an airtight, freezer safe box for longer although I have not done it. Do not refrigerate (fridge area) for too long as the coconut may spoil
Hi can I use dessicated coconut
Hey Shireen,
I'm a huge fan of yours! I used to miss Mangi food so much but thanks to you, I now make Mangi food at home. Just wanted to check- for vegans, what can one substitute for galmbe(I know that fish is what brings about that delicious taste but what if I want a vegan alternative for a family member?)
@ Franklin: Thanks so much! Happy to hear that you find my blog useful! The galmbi cannot be substituted for a vegan version! Honestly, I have no answer to this 🙂 minus the galmbi, it will be just a coconut chutney 🙂
Hi …
I love dry fish …. so tried this recipe with kollatharu (anchovies ) also fried the items before grinding them ( added little corriander seeds too ) came out well . Thank you bai for the recipe .
Lovely blog, my mamma also makes this and I love it. I’m also a Manglorean and I’m in awe of how well you have built your blog with such lovely recipes. Keep going ❤️
Thanks a lot Grissel! You made my day <3
hi dear..thank u for the recipe..i’ll try it soon….can u plz gv me the recipe for green chilly dry shrimp chutney…
Hi Joyce,
I don’t have the green chilly dry shrimp chutney. Never heard of it actually. Will ask around and share the recipe soon
Nostalgic and oh so helpful. Thanks a million
Glad you liked it! Thanks for your comment!