sorak curry recipe with step by step photos. sorak curry is a traditional goan curry made during monsoons. this curry is prepared with dry red kashmiri chilies, fresh grated coconut and spices. this is an easy yet delicious recipe and goes well with steamed rice.
sorak curry is mainly made during the monsoon season in goa. as due to heavy rains its impossible to get fish. so the locals make sorak and make some dry fish or veggie with it.
sorak tastes best when cooked in earthen or clay pots. but if you don’t have earthen pots, then make the curry in a steel pan. you can make this curry with veggies or without veggies. either ways it tastes good. i have already shared two variations of this curry:
1: vegetable curry
2: tomato curry
the taste of the sorak curry is delicious, mildly spiced, tangy and flavorful. it goes well with goan pao (poi), brun pao. we even like to have the curry with toasted bread. during our growing up years, we used to have sorak with pao (buns) along with steamed rice and veggies.
the curry recipe uses kokum (garcinia indica). kokum gives a sour taste in the curry. kokum will not be easily available in some parts of india as well as outside india. if you do not have kokum, then instead you can add tamarind or tomatoes. though both are not substitutes for kokum, but they do contribute in giving a sour taste to the curry.
- if using tamarind, then add 1 teaspoon tamarind while grinding the coconut paste.
- if using tamarind paste, then add ¼ teaspoon directly in the curry.
- if using tomatoes, then add 1 medium tomato while grinding the coconut paste.
if you are looking for more curry recipes then do check mushroom curry, palak paneer, paneer butter masala, veg korma and lauki kofta curry recipe.
goan veg sorak curry recipe below:
sorak curry recipe

INGREDIENTS FOR sorak curry recipe (1 CUP = 250 ML)
for the masala paste:
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 5 to 6 dry red kashmiri chilies
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- 1 cup fresh grated coconut
- 3 teaspoons coriander seeds
- ⅓ cup sliced onions or 1 medium sized onion sliced
- 4 to 5 garlic cloves (lahsun)
- ½ to ¾ cup water or add as required for grinding
for the sorak curry:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or sunflower oil
- ⅓ cup sliced onions
- 3 to 4 green chilies, slit or sliced (hari mirch)
- 4 to 5 kokam pieces or add as required
- 2 cups of water or add as required
- salt as per taste
HOW TO MAKE sorak curry recipe
preparing the masala paste:
- grind all the ingredients mentioned under "for the masala paste" with ½ to ¾ cup water to a smooth paste. keep the masala paste aside.
preparing sorak curry:
- heat coconut oil in pan. then add the sliced onions.
- saute sliced onions till they turn translucent.
- now add the ground masala paste. stir very well.
- next add 2 cups of water or as required. stir again and simmer for 5 mins on a low to medium flame.
- add salt as per taste.
- now add the green chilies and kokums.
- on a low to medium flame, simmer until the curry bubbles and you see some oil specks on top.
- switch off the gas and serve sorak hot with steamed rice.
Notes
2. if kokum isn't available then:
- if using tamarind, then add 1 teaspoon tamarind while grinding the coconut paste.
- if using tamarind paste, then add ¼ teaspoon directly in the curry. you can add more if required.
- if using tomatoes, then add 1 medium tomato while grinding the coconut paste.
how to make goan veg sorak curry recipe:
1. keep all the ingredients handy to make sorak curry. only garlic cloves are missing in the below pic, which i added while grinding the masala paste.
2. add the following ingredients in a grinder jar: 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 5 to 6 dry red kashmiri chilies, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 cup fresh grated coconut, 3 teaspoons coriander seeds, ⅓ cup sliced onions and 4 to 5 garlic cloves.
3. add ½ to ¾ cup water. grind to a smooth masala paste. there should be no small chunks or pieces of coconut in the paste. keep this coconut-spices masala paste aside.
4. heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in pan. then add ⅓ cup sliced onions. instead of coconut oil you can use sunflower oil.
5. saute onions till they become translucent.
6. add the ground coconut-spices paste.
7. mix everything very well.
8. add 2 cups of water or as required.
9. simmer the curry for 5 mins on a low to medium flame.
10. add salt as per taste.
11. now add 1 to 2 green chilies and 4 to 5 pieces of kokum. if you prefer just a hint of sourness, then add 1 or 2 pieces of kokum in the curry. kokum gives a sour taste to the curry.
12. simmer until the curry bubbles and you see some oil specks on the top.
13. switch off the gas and serve sorak hot with steamed rice.
Hi Dasanna
Can I skip onion and garlic in this recipe?
Thanks!
you can but some taste profile will go away. would suggest to add a pinch of asafoetida to mimic the flavors of onion and garlic.
Awesome! Thank you so much for attending the queries promptly!
welcome ?
Fantastic!! Really!!
Nice easy recipe, I was worried 5 kashmiri chillies would be to hot but it turned out very well balanced. Thanks
thankyou tom for sharing your views. kashmiri chilies are mild so they will not be spicy.
loved it
thanks.