Goan Paella

Rice cooked with sautéed chicken, chorizo sausage, assorted seafood and spices

The chorizo, vinegar, paprika and white wine in this dish are Portuguese contributions, while the spices and herbs are purely Indian. It’s best not to rush the sautéing, as the chorizo needs to impart colour and flavour to the paella while it is being cooked in oil.

  • 1 lb fresh mussels, scrubbed
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 11/2 cups basmati rice
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 sweet red pepper, finely chopped
  • 1/2 lb hot chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, quartered
  • 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp toasted crushed cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika or plain paprika
  • Generous pinch saffron strands
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 6 large scallops, quartered
  • 20 raw, peeled and deveined shrimp
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Rinse and clean mussels. Discard any that do not close when tapped. Place mussels and wine in deep saucepan over high heat. Cover, boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook 5 minutes. Remove mussels, reserving 1 cup broth. Discard mussels that haven’t opened. If desired, discard shells and reserve mussels.

Wash rice in several changes of water, cover with water, soak 15 minutes. Drain in sieve.

Warm 2 tbsp oil in deep heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic and sweet pepper, sauté 4 minutes until softened. Add chorizo, sauté 4 minutes. Add chicken, sauté 4 minutes.

Add tomatoes, reserved mussel broth, coconut milk, rice, salt, pepper, toasted cumin, garam masala, cayenne pepper, paprika, saffron and vinegar. Stir gently, cover and boil over high heat. Immediately reduce heat to medium-low and cook 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm remaining oil in non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops and shrimp, sauté 4 minutes, until just cooked through.

After paella has been cooking 25 minutes, remove lid and gently fold in reserved mussels and sautéed seafood mixture, lifting it out of any cooking juices remaining in pan (discard juices). Fold in chopped fresh coriander.

Cover, cook 5 minutes. Let paella sit 5 minutes before transferring to platter.

Serves four to six