Stuffed squid made with homemade rechead masala, they are spicy, quick, and easy to make, a 30-minute recipe that's full of flavor. Perfect for lunch or dinner, paired with rice, Goan bread (pao), or a simple salad.
This spicy, flavorful Goan seafood dish is made with fresh squids stuffed with a homemade recheado masala (a vibrant red Goan spice paste) mixed with onions and squid tentacles. Love squid recipes? Try my squid masala next.
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A Spicy Weeknight Dinner At My Home!
I make this classic Goan dish using homemade Goan Recheado (Rechad) masala, onions, and fresh squids. These stuffed squids (also known as Bharillyo Mankyo) are ready in about 30 minutes from scratch, using simple, everyday ingredients, making it perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.
For the stuffing, I have used Goan recheado masala and chopped squid tentacles. You can also use small prawns for the stuffing instead of tentacles and cook them the same way. Pan-fry the stuffed squid and then coat them with a little more recheado masala for that spicy, tangy flavour that goes very well with rice or bread.
- Preeti Nayak
Quick Look: Stuffed Squids Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Servings: 9 stuffed squids
- Calories: ~79 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- Cook Method: Season squids with salt → sauté onions → add chopped tentacles and rechead masala, cook well → stuff the squids → pan-fry until cooked → coat with extra rechead masala.
- Spice Level: Hot
- Flavor Profile: Spicy and tangy
- Difficulty: Medium, great for weekend meals
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Disclaimer: AI summaries may contain errors. Please check the original Stuffed Squids with Recheado Masala recipe for accurate steps.
If you like stuffed seafood recipes, you will also like my stuffed mackerel and rechado fish fry.
Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredients, quantities, and a printable version.
- Squids: I always use fresh squids for the best taste and soft texture. Clean them well before cooking. I have an easy tutorial on how to clean squids.
- Onions: Finely chopped onions add sweetness and body to the stuffing.
- Recheado masala: Homemade recheado masala is best. It is easy to make in 10 minutes using simple ingredients and gives a delicious flavour you won't get with the store-bought ones. You can use homemade harissa paste for the Mediterranean-style stuffing.
Popular Add-ons
- Tomatoes & Bell Peppers (also called capsicum): Add some chopped tomatoes and bell peppers after the onions are golden.
- Small prawns: Instead of using squid tentacles, use small prawns for stuffing squids.
How to make Stuffed Squids (with Step-by-Step Photos)
Step 1: Prep the squids. Clean the squids well. Sprinkle salt on them and keep aside (image 1). The squids will release some water later. Discard this water before stuffing.
Step 2: For the stuffing, chop the squid tentacles and flap (image 2). You can keep the flap attached or remove it for a neat look.
Step 3: Heat on medium heat. Add chopped onions and fry until golden (image 3).
Step 4: Add the chopped tentacles and flaps (image 4). Cook until they release water, and they dry slightly (image 5).
Step 5: Add rechead masala (image 6). Cook for 3-4 minutes (images 7 & 8). Taste and add salt or a pinch of sugar if needed. Turn off the heat. Let the stuffing cool completely.
Step 6: Discard the water released from the salted squids. Fold the top slightly to keep it stable while filling (image 9).
Step 7: Stuff the squids. Using a small spoon, add the stuffing (image 10). Fill only halfway, as squids shrink while cooking (image 11). Open the fold and seal the top with a toothpick (image 12). Keep aside.
Step 8: Heat the oil on medium heat. Add squids without overcrowding the pan (image 13). Cook in batches if needed. Pan-fry the stuffed squids. The squids will shrink when placed on a hot pan.
Step 9: Cook for 5-8 minutes, depending on size. Slowly turn and cook on all sides (image 14). Remove to a plate. Repeat with the next batch.
Step 10: Make the spicy masala coating. In the same pan, add 2 teaspoons of oil on low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of rechead masala and cook for 1 minute. Add a little water to make a light sauce. Increase the heat to medium. Cook until the masala leaves oil (image 15).
Step 11: Lower the heat and add the cooked squids. Coat well with the masala (image 16). No need to cook the squids further. Remove from heat. Serve hot with rice or bread.
Recipe Tips
- Do not overstuff the squids. They shrink while cooking, and the filling can come out.
- Pat the squids dry after marinating. Less water means better frying.
- Cook on medium heat. High heat can make the squids tough and burn the masala.
- Do not overcook. Squids cook fast. Overcooking will make them rubbery.
- Use toothpicks to seal the squids. It will hold the stuffing inside when you pan-fry the squid. Remove them before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Stuffed squid cooks very fast. Pan-fry for 5-8 minutes (depending on the size), turning on all sides. Do not overcook. If cooked too long, squid becomes rubbery.
Squid and calamari are actually the same animal. "Calamari" is just the name used for squid dishes, especially fried ones. In Goa, we call it squid.
Serve stuffed squid with steamed rice with any curry or pao (Goan bread). I also like it with a small onion-tomato salad and lemon wedges on the side. Keeps the meal light and balanced.
Recipe Card
Stuffed Squids Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 1 A heavy bottom pan
Ingredients
- 200 grams of squid after cleaning (9 squids)
- 2 onions, chopped
- ½ cup recheado masala (recipe in notes)
Instructions
- Clean the squids well. Sprinkle salt on them and keep aside. The squids will release some water later. Discard this water before stuffing.200 grams of squid after cleaning (9 squids)
- For the stuffing, chop the squid tentacles and flap. You can keep the flap attached to the squid tube or remove it for a neat look. You can also use small prawns (shrimp) for the stuffing.
- Heat on medium heat. Add chopped onions and fry until golden.2 onions, chopped
- Add the chopped tentacles and flaps. Cook until they release water, and they dry slightly.
- Add recheado masala. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Taste and add salt or a pinch of sugar if needed. Turn off the heat. Let the stuffing cool completely.½ cup recheado masala
- Discard the water released from the salted squids. I like to fold the top of the squid tube slightly to keep it stable while filling. Refer to step-by-step photos or a video.
- Using a small spoon, add the stuffing. Fill only halfway, as squids shrink while cooking. Open the fold and seal the top with a toothpick. Keep aside.
- Heat the oil on medium heat. Add squids without overcrowding the pan. Cook in batches if needed. Pan-fry the stuffed squids. The squids will shrink when placed on a hot pan.
- Cook for 5-8 minutes, depending on size. Slowly turn and cook on all sides. Remove to a plate. Repeat with the next batch.
- In the same pan, add 2 teaspoons of oil on low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of recheado masala and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add a little water to make a light sauce. Increase the heat to medium. Cook until the recheado masala leaves oil.
- Lower the heat and add the stuffed squids, cooked earlier, back to the pan. Coat well with the masala. No need to cook further. Remove from heat. Serve hot with rice or bread.
Notes
- You can also use small prawns (shrimp) for the stuffing instead of tentacles.
- I used homemade recheado masala. Store-bought masala can also be used.
- For more flavors, you can add tomato and capsicum (bell peppers) to the stuffing.
- Here's how to clean the squid.
- Do not overstuff the squids. VERY IMPORTANT! They shrink while cooking, and the filling can come out.
- Cook on medium heat. High heat can make the squids tough and burn the masala.
- Do not overcook. Squids cook fast. Overcooking will make them rubbery.
- Use toothpicks to seal the squids. It will hold the stuffing inside when you pan-fry the squid. Remove them before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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