Squid Roast Recipe

Squid roast, also known as koonthal roast or kanava roast, is a popular Kerala style seafood dish made with tender squid, shallots, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, spices and curry leaves. This easy seafood dish can be made in about 20 minutes and tastes delicious with rice, malabar parotta, appam or dosa. 

Squid Roast Recipe

Hubby got a bunch of those few days back and I made this delicious roast. I have asked him to get more, so I can share few more recipes.

Jump to:

• About Squid Roast Recipe (Kanava Roast)
• Ingredients
• Step by Step pictures
• Expert Tips
• FAQ 
• 📖 Get Recipe

I was not very familiar with cooking squid when I first started, but my husband has always loved seafood, especially fish and squid. After trying it a few times, I started enjoying it too. I have already shared squid masala, squid fry, crispy fried calamari.

About Squid Roast Recipe (Kanava Roast)

Squid, also known as calamari, can be cooked in many ways like fry, curry, masala or roast. It is also a good source of protein, and nutrients like vitamin B12 and selenium. So, this recipe is a great way to include protein in your family meal. 

For this recipe, I like to use small and tender squid as the cook quickly and stays soft. Clean the squid well, cut the body into rings and keep the tentacles whole. I have also added plenty of shallots, ginger, garlic and curry leaves to make this roast delicious and flavourful. 

Similar Recipes

• Kerala Squid Curry Recipe
• Squid Masala Recipe
• Kanava Kuzhambu Recipe
• Squid Fry Recipe
• Fried Calamari Recipe (Crispy Fried Squid)

The squid releases enough water while cooking, so there is no need to add extra water. Cook it until the water evaporates and the masala becomes thick and coats the squid well.

This squid roast is usually made as a dry side dish, but you can leave a little extra masala if you prefer a semi-gravy consistency. It goes really well with hot rice, Kerala matta rice, rasam rice, parotta, appam, idli or dosa. 

If you enjoy spicy seafood and simple homestyle Kerala recipes, give this squid roast a try. It needs only a few basic ingredients and comes together with very little effort. 

Similar Recipes

Fish Tawa Fry

Meen Varuthathu

Masala Fish Fry

Mackeral Fish Fry

Sardine Fish Fry

Ingredients

• Squid : Use fresh, cleaned squid for the best taste and texture. Squid cooks quickly and releases plenty of water while cooking, so there is no need to add extra water in this recipe. 
• For Masala : Shallots, Ginger and Garlic are ground together into a flavourful paste. This adds a fresh, aromatic and spicy taste to the squid. 
• Coconut oil : Coconut oil gives the authentic Kerala style taste and flavour. It also adds a lovely richness to the masala. 
• Curry leaves : Curry leaves add a wonderful South Indian aroma and fresh flavour to the roast. 
• Green chilli : Green chilli adds a fresh heat and spicy flavour to the dish. You can reduce the amount if you prefer to have a milder roast. 
• Tomatoes : Tomatoes add a mild tanginess and moisture to the masala. They also help bring all the spices together and give the roast a rich taste. 
• Spice powders : Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, fennel seed powder and garam masala powder are used for making this roast flavourful and aromatic.
• Lemon juice : Lemon juice adds a fresh tanginess that balances the spicy and rich masala. Add it towards the end for the best flavour. 

Step by Step pictures

1)Clean squid and cut them into rings. Wash them well, strain them completely and set aside. Take ingredients for grinding in a blender. I am using shallots, garlic and ginger.

2) Make it into a coarse paste. Don't add water while grinding. Just crush them to a coarse paste.

3)Heat coconut oil in a frying pan, add the ground onion masala.

4)Saute them till onions gets golden brown. Add in curry leaves and green chillies and cook till golden.

5) It will take around 5 to 6 minutes. The onions should get golden brown in colour.

6)Now add in finely chopped tomatoes.

7)cook till tomatoes gets mushy and paste like. It will take around 5 minutes.

8)Now add in all the spice powders. I am using Kashmiri chilli, coriander and turmeric powder.

9)Mix the spices into the onions and let them cook for 2 more minutes.

10)Now add in the cleaned squid and stir fry with the onion tomato masala.

11)Add in salt and Let them cook for 5 to 8 mins on high heat.

12)Let the moisture from the squid evaporate and cook down.

13)Now add in garam masala, fennel seed powder and pepper powder and saute on high for another 5 min.

14)Add lemon juice, coriander leaves and mix well.

15)Mix well and take it off the heat.

16)Serve.

Expert Tips

• Clean the squid well and remove the skin, inner parts, then cut it into rings or small pieces. 
• Don't overcook the squid. Overcooking can make it rubbery and chewy. Cook it until tender and coated well with masala. 
• Squid releases plenty of water while cooking, so there is no need to add extra water. 
• You can reduce the amount of chilli or other spices if you prefer a milder roast. 
• For traditional taste, cook the roast in a clay pot. You can also make it easily in a kadai or non-stick pan. 
• This recipe can also be tried with prawns, chicken, mutton or mushroom for a different variation. 

Storage and Serving

Allow the squid roast to cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It stays well for 2 to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan or microwave until hot. 

Serve Kerala style squid roast hot with steamed rice, parotta, appam, rasam rice, dosai or other Kerala style breads for a delicious and comforting meal. 

FAQ 

Q. Why did my squid become rubbery ?

This happens if the squid is overcooked. Cook it only until it becomes tender, then roast it well with the masala. 

Q. Can I use regular oil instead of coconut oil ? 

Yes, you can use regular cooking oil, but using coconut oil gives the roast a traditional Kerala flavor and taste. 

Q. Can I make this roast less spicy ? 

Yes. Just reduce the amount of chilli or pepper powder according to your taste. You can also use kashmiri chilli for more color and mild heat. 

Q. Can I make this as a semi gravy dish ? 

Absolutely ! You can leave some extra masala instead of cooking it completely dry. This semi gravy squid version also tastes great with rice, dosa or parotta.

📖 Get Recipe

If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @aarthi198689@gmail.com and I'll help as soon as I can.

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook,Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter for more Yummy Tummy inspiration.

IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR ANYTHING FROM YUMMY TUMMY, MAKE SURE TO POST IT AND TAG ME SO I CAN SEE ALL OF YOUR CREATIONS!! #YUMMYTUMMYAARTHI AND @YUMMYTUMMYAARTHI ON INSTAGRAM!

Similar Recipes