🍤 Goan Prawns Dangar Recipe | Crispy Prawn Cutlets (Fried Snack)

🍤 Prawns Dangar (Goan Prawn Cutlets)

A beloved Goan snack, Prawns Dangar brings together prawns, coconut, tamarind, and spices to make crispy semolina‑coated cutlets that are spicy, tangy, and irresistible. Often served as an appetizer or a side with rice and curry, this dish is a highlight in coastal Konkani kitchens.

🧂 Ingredients 

You’ll Need Inspired by Goan household recipes:

• Prawns (deveined and chopped, about 15–20 medium)
• Spices for marination: 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp salt
• For the masala paste: roasted coriander seeds, cloves, peppercorns, dry red chilies, grated coconut, tamarind pulp or ball, chopped onion, garlic, green chilies, a splash of water
• Binders (if needed): gram flour (besan)
• Coating: ½ cup rava (semolina)
• Oil: for shallow frying

🍽️ How to Make Prawns Dangar

Marinate the prawns
Clean and chop the prawns. Mix with chili powder, turmeric, and salt. Set aside for ~20 minutes.

Roast & grind spices
Dry roast coriander seeds, cloves, peppercorns, and red chilies. Let cool and grind with coconut and tamarind into a thick paste (add a little water if needed).

Prepare cutlet mixture
Combine the ground paste with marinated prawns, chopped onion, garlic, and chilies. Adjust salt. Use gram flour if mixture is too wet.

Shape & coat
Form lemon‑sized balls or patties, flatten slightly, and coat evenly with rava (semolina).

Shallow fry
Heat oil in a pan and fry cutlets until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

🔗 Link to other popular Goan seafood snacks or starters:
🐟 Tamso Rava Fry (Red Snapper)
🍛 Prawns Pulao

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Serve warm as a starter, party snack, or with rice and Goan fish curry.
Some even love these cutlets in burger patties!

🌶️ Flavor Essentials

Tamarind adds tang and authenticity.
Fresh grated coconut gives a coastal richness.
Semolina coating delivers that signature crispiness.

✅ Why Try This Recipe?

Authentic Goan taste—spicy, sour, and perfectly balanced.
Great for festive meals or entertaining.
Easy to make, yet leaves a lasting impression.

👩‍🍳 Cook’s Note

When I first made Prawns Dangar, I used large prawns — and the cutlets ended up looking more like pakoras! 😅 I realized the shape was uneven because the prawns were too big to bind well into round patties.
So next time, I chopped the prawns into small pieces, and the result was perfect — crispy, round cutlets just the way they’re meant to be.

💡 Tip: Using small prawns or finely chopping big prawns helps the mixture hold shape and fry evenly.

💬 Tried this recipe? Let us know how your Prawns Dangar turned out in the comments!
📌 Don’t forget to pin this for later if you love crispy seafood snacks!