Portuguese Indian Style Stuffed Squid

Perhaps one of the most unique and mouthwatering ways you will ever eat squid.

A stunning showstopper that looks impressively complex yet is surprisingly easy to make, this Portuguese Indian Stuffed Squid brings a touch of luxury to your table.

Tender baby squids (or cuttlefish) are generously filled with a prawn (or squid) and potato herb stuffing, delicately seasoned and enriched with a vibrant red stuffing paste—an iconic Goan spice blend known for its warmth, tang, and complexity.

The squid are then brushed with a quick, glossy glaze made from the same red robust paste, allowing the flavours to deepen as they cook while keeping the texture beautifully soft and melt-in-the-mouth.

Rich yet refined, the show stopper seafood dish delivers gentle heat, aromatic spice, and a luxurious balance between the sweetness of seafood and the boldness of the paste.

Elegant, comforting, and unapologetically flavour-forward, this dish reflects the soulful fusion of Portuguese Indian cuisine ; crafted with care and finished with the signature touch of The Spice Queen.

This dish is perfect for entertaining—its make-ahead-friendly nature allows you to prepare it in advance, so you can spend more time with your guests while serving a scintilating, flavour-packed centerpiece.

Golden roasted parsnips with white wine, shallot reduction.

Ingredients:

Goan Red Masala:

20 Dried Kashmiri Chillies Deseeded & Soaking In ¼ Cup White Vinegar 15 Minutes.

10 Small Garlic Cloves

1 Inch Piece Ginger Skinned

1 Tiny French Shallot (1 Inch) Scorched on Flame

1 Tsp Black Peppercorns

½ Tsp Cloves

2 Inch Cinnamon Stick

1 Tsp Tamarind Paste (Indian Shop)

2 Tbsp Shaved Jaggery (Indian Shop)

1 Tsp Table Salt

Water For Grinding (Around 1/2 Cup)

Stuffing Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Brown Onion Fine Chopped

1 Tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Red Paste (From Above)

150-200g Raw Prawns Chopped Fine

2 Large Desiree / Red Potatoes Steamed Soft

2 Tbsp Fine Chopped Coriander

16 Baby Squid Tubes / 8 Long Thin Squid Tubes (Keep Tentacles Separate)

**Note, Chopped Squid Can Be Substituted For Prawns If Required

Finishing Glaze

2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Red Paste (From Above)

1/2 Tbsp Honey

1 Tbsp Fine Chopped Coriander

Step 1: Create The Red Paste

This heritage paste is a vibrant and aromatic Goan spice blend that brings bold flavour to any dish. A beautiful balance of tangy, slightly sweet, and warming spices, this versatile paste is traditionally used to marinate a variety of seafood species, infusing them with depth, colour, and a gentle heat.

The most critical flavour component of this dish , our paste's flavour deepens with time, so it needs to be made at least 12-24hrs prior to using.

You will need a blender such as nutri-bullet or ninja that can create a smooth paste, the way a traditional grinding stone would.

No ingredient in this recipe can be omitted or substituted. You can find everything you require for the paste, at an Indian grocer. Ask the store staff for assistance if required.

• Add all the red paste ingredients into a blender and grind with around 1/2 cup of fresh water.

• It should be thick and red , adjust with a little bit of water if needed.

• This is your red paste that can be stored in a glass airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Step 2: Create The Stuffing Mixture & Fill The Squids

The stuffing mixture comes together effortlessly once the red paste is prepared. In fact, the entire dish requires only eight simple ingredients, excluding the paste, making it surprisingly straightforward to create.

For the prawns, use small prawns or raw prawn meat, finely diced ; there’s no need for larger varieties, as they will be chopped.

Take care not to over-stuff the squids, as this can cause them to leak during cooking and compromise the visual elegance of the final presentation. After all, appearance matters just as much as flavour when serving a dish of this calibre.

• Heat enough olive oil in a frying pan so it coats the bottom.

• Then add the chopped onion , 1 tsp salt and fry until light brown around 5-8 minutes

• Add around 2 tbsp of the red paste to the onion mixture.

• Cook it for 2 minutes mixing constantly so the raw flavour disappears.

  The colour will darken as well.

• Add the chopped prawns and fry on high heat until fully cooked around 10 minutes.

• Remove the frying pan from the heat, add 1 tbsp fine minced coriander and mix

• Now add the cooked potatoes to the mixture and mash with a fork or potato masher until well mixed. You can use a rubber spatula to help .

• This is your stuffing mixture - you can let it cool so it's manageable to handle.

• Stuff each squid tube 80% full. Roll mini logs of the stuffing for easy insertion.

• Seal the bottom of the tube with a toothpick weaved, so nothing falls out when cooking.

• Arrange the squids on a large plate and cover with cling film.

If you are planning on cooking & serving this dish the next day, then stop here and place your plate of stuffed squids in the fridge. Prep done!

Note, the squids should be cooked within a couple hours of serving.

Step 3: Cook The Squids & Their Tentacles

For this recipe, we will be pan frying the squid and then braising on a low heat until it is so tender you can eat it with a spoon .

• Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan / flat bottomed cooking pot with a fitted lid.

• Then add 1 tbsp of red paste and fry it for 2 minutes to cook out the rawness.

• Now add the squid tubes and sear them both sides for 2 minutes to get some colour.

• Add 2 tbsp of water to create some steam and turn the heat to medium.

• Cover the pan with a tight lid and cook the squids on low heat for around 30 minutes until the tubes turn fork tender.

• If squid tube is not tender when poked with a fork, then keep cooking covered and on low.

• Remove the cooked squid tubes onto a serving platter neatly in a nice pattern.

• In the same pan , add a little olive oil and fry the tentacles until just cooked.

• Arrange the tentacles on your stuffed squid platter.

Step 4: Finish Garnishing With The Glaze

With the squids perfectly prepared, the final flourish is a sumptuous glaze brushed over the top, designed to enhance each sliced piece with an exquisite layer of flavour.

This quick yet essential step elevates the dish to its full potential, creating a truly indulgent, mouthwatering experience that should not be omitted.

• Add around 2 tbsp of olive oil in a small tadka pan / small frying pan.

• Also add 1-2 Tbsp of the red paste and bring it to a medium simmer. Keep mixing.

• Add 1/2 tbsp honey to the mixture and stir well.

• This will create a thick glaze which you can keep loosening with a bit of water as required.

• Once darkened and the raw flavour of the paste disappears (taste it) then turn the heat off.

• Add chopped coriander to the glaze and mix well.

• Spoon it over the sliced squid tubes.

• Garnish with more coriander finely minced and slices of lime

Serve my Portuguese Indian Stuffed Squid with plain white rice or for something a little bit special - my Celebration Rice