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Fish curry, rice and feni make the most over hyped and hence the most predictable Goan menu. The hype has contributed heavily to the impression that the Goan food is predominantly non veg. Since Goa is a known sea food dominion, veggies are often warned of a bad day out. But contrary to beliefs, you will be surprised to see a vegetarian cuisine tradition well preserved in Goa. In fact you’re bound to have a tough time choosing from among the fare. With a variety that ranges from numerous vegetarian dishes to prawns and fish, chicken, pork and sausages, Goan cuisine is capable of satisfying even the most demanding of gourmet appetites.

When we planned that most awaited trip to Goa, we were keen on having a taste of its culinary wonders. Culture, history and nature are the basic determining factors of the gastronomic temperament of any place.  We knew that Goan cuisine bears the mark of several continents, the most important one being that of Portugal, the country which kept Goa as its colony for about 450 years.

Bread & breakfast

What we did not quite expect was the ubiquitous presence of breads, and that too of several types. Bread makes up the breakfast for most Goans and you can always hear the hooting of the breadwalas in the streets. When we asked for breakfast we got Pavbaji and omlette. Later, we had sanna, the unique Goan bread. They are steamed rolls made with rice flour, grounded coconut and toddy, which are ideal to have with any of the spicy Goan dishes. The next morning while we were on the shacks, we had a strange breakfast offer.
“Want omelette- sambar?”
“What could that be?”
The boy signalled sideways to a plate in the hands of a person settled in the nearby shack. An omelette was seen lying soaked in sambar (a spicy south Indian Curry with all kinds of vegetables and herbs usually served with rice). And bread for accompaniment! We politely refused the offer.

Oh! The Celebrities!

For the lunch and dinner, here come those celebrated dishes made of the fruits from the sea. Prawns, lobsters, crabs, pomfrets, clams, mussels, fishes and oysters make endless combinations of curries, fries, soups and pickles. A variety of fish ranging from the kingfish, the most prized fish of the coasts, to mackerel, helps to make various fish curries, all soured with ambade or kokum berries.  Zawb, or mussel curry, is a must-try. Dishes made of fish from its fried variety to exotic preparations like ambok-tik,have a pride of place in the daily menu of the average Goan, and a typical Goan lunch starts with a mildly spicy dish such as caldeen which has fish simmered in coconut milk, ginger and cumin. Balchao, a typical Goan method of cooking either fish or prawns in a dark red and tangy sauce which has preservative qualities, is known worldwide.

Pig – The Amazing All-rounder

We had heard a lot of the rich and special Goan tradition of preparing meat which bears a distinct Portuguese influence and that pork and chicken are the most commonly used meat. The deep red pork vindaloo adorn a special hallow among the exotic preparations that western India has to offer. We were guided to a particular restaurant given our desire to have the taste of some special meat preparations.

A look at the menu card and a series of enquiries revealed, to our surprise, that not a single part of the pig goes unused. A good part of its flesh is used for vindaloos and pork assado, the organs become sorpotel, and the tripe goes to the rich stew known as tripas. A good part of what is left including the fat is mixed with masala (a mix of spices), stuffed in to its guts and dried in the sun and become the famous Goa sausage. What about the bones? Well, they go into aad maas. The sorpotel, prepared from pork liver, heart and kidney, all of which are diced and cooked in a thick spicy sauce, to which feni is added, can be kept for several days and is renowned worldwide. The Xacuti, which is a traditional way of preparing chicken by cooking it in coconut milk and adding grated coconut and a variety of spices, is a mild curry with a distinct and delicious flavour.

The Goan cooking generally involves liberal amounts of coconut and spices like cumin, coriander, chillies, garlic and turmeric. They use coconut sauce, and kokum, a souring agent which is widely used in fish curries. The traditional way of cooking in clay pots on firewood continues in rural areas. This style of preparation lends a smoky flavour to the dish which has high taste value among the Goans. Though the Goan food is generally spicy and pungent, many of the beach shacks and restaurants do offer seafood with less spice or no spice at all. In such cases, the food is fried, grilled or cooked in garlic sauce. You also get the simple Macchi khana, i.e., rice, fried fish, a salad of cabbage and onions, and a glass of kokum concoction. You get an additional piece of fish for every helping of rice.

The Invigorating Sweetness

The least we were prepared for was the formidable array of sweets and savouries which wake the Goans up from their indispensable afternoon siesta. Goa is simply a joy at tea-time. The same basic ingredients of rice flour, coconut milk, palm jaggery, semolina and eggs, in different combinations, turn out the tea-time spread. The more famous of these sweetmeats are bebinca and dodol, to mention a few.

More than meats the eye

There is more to add to this general picture of Goan cuisine. A more detailed survey would reveal that Goa is a gastronome’s delight in every season. For example, a vast range of dishes are there to combat the seafood drought in the monsoons.  There will still be seafood dishes like balchao and khatkhate, made of prawns and dried fish. There will be alsande, a rich curry of black-eyed peas, and chowli that is cooked with tender jackfruit seeds. But the best dish of the lean months is the simple souraca, prepared with coconut milk, garlic, chillies, onions, tamarind and a few other spices. And of course, you get feni, Goa’s own drink, at all times.

It is brilliant the way the Goans have fine-tuned a range of influences from different parts of the world. The food of the Goan Christians shows clear influence of the Portuguese and their other overseas colonies while that of the Goan Hindus does not seem to have picked up much from abroad. Still, there are some meeting points that present an interesting harmony. And, this blend is what makes Goan food so unique among the culinary traditions of India.
Whichever the season, a visit to Goa will sure turn out to be a culinary experience.

Some of the traditional Goan preparations:

Vindaloo: A curry made with pork marinated in a mixture of vinegar, garlic and chillies.
Bebinca: Traditional layered sweet pancake dessert made with coconut milk.
Galhina piri-piri: Fried chicken pieces marinated in a mild mixture of piri-piri and Goan herbs.
Chicken Cafreal: Fried chicken marinated in a mildly spiced green coconut-mint masala
Seafood Caldeirada: Seafood poached in a white wine sauce served with sauted vegetables
Peixe Reachado: A fried seasonal fish stuffed with a spicy homemade Goan masala
Goenchin's Chicken Taipei: Chicken sauted in hot green sauce
Xacutti: Chicken in Coconut based Masala.
Prawns Taipei: Prawns sauted in Szechwan sauce
Balchao: Fish cooked in shrimp preserve and coconut feni.
Fish Caldine: Mildly spiced coconut and turmeric fish curry
Alsandachem Tonakh: Kidney beans with a spicy Xacuti gravy
Feni: Strong alcoholic spirit distilled from cashew fruits or coconut.
Bolo Sans Rival: A sweet cashew nut based cake with a layer of biscuit
Ambottik: Baby Shark in hot and sour tamarind and chilly curry.
Cashew Green Peas Bhaji: A tangy mixture of cashews, green peas, spices and fresh coconut
Sprouted Moong Ussal: Bean sprouts with mustard seeds, green chillies and fresh coconut

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