Apa de Camarao (Prawn Pie)

A Goan dish showcasing its Portuguese roots in the pie and the Goan ingredients of coconut, rice and recheado spices.  The original recipe is made with toddy as the rising agent so I had to figure out a way to make this with yeast. Using rice flour and desiccated coconut helped me simplify the process further. I also decreased the amount of sugar called for in the original recipe. By all accounts the batter appears to be a rich, sweet, egg bread which is complemented with the hot spicy flavors of the prawn balchao or recheado.

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Ingredients for the batter

2 cups rice flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened fine desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon quick rise yeast
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups water
6 egg yolks (beaten)
3 egg whites (beaten)

For the filling

About 1 1/2 cups of prawns chopped
1 large onion chopped
1 tsp garlic finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped
2 heaped  tablespoons recheado masala  (refer to recipe http://goankhana.blogspot.ca/2015/11/recheado-masala-in-minutes.html )
1 Tablespoon oil
Note:  Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onions, garlic and ginger to the hot oil.  When the onions are cooked and translucent, add the rechado masala and stir for a few minutes on lowered heat .  Finally add the prawns and cook till done. Leave aside to cool.

or

1 1/2 cups prawn balchao

Method

Line an 8 inch cake spring form with grease proof paper. Grease the lining and leave aside.

To make the batter

Put the rice flour and coconut flour in a large bowl or mixer bowl if using an upright mixer. Add the sugar and salt.  I used the bowl of my KitchenAid mixer.  Mix with a whisk to blend. Now add the  yeast, and whisk gently.

In a microwave safe glass measuring cup, mix the water and  butter and heat till warm to the touch, about 50-55 degrees C.  Do not let it boil because it will kill the yeast.

Add the water to the dry ingredients and whisk well, now add the beaten eggs and mix well.  I used the whisk appliance on my KitchenAid mixer to do all the mixing.  You will get a smooth batter at this point.

The batter will look like the picture above.  Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm, dark spot until well risen. (50-60 minutes)

Preheat the oven to 375 F.  When the batter is risen it will look like the picture above.

Put half the amount into the cake pan.

Cover with the prawn balchao or prawn recheado.

Cover with the remaining batter.   Bake in a pre-heated oven  until nice and brown, for approximately 50-60 minutes.  A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean when the "apa" is ready. If it browns too much, cover loosely with aluminum foil and continue till fully cooked

Let cool for about 15 minutes.  Enjoy as a snack with drinks or as a main course with a nice salad.