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When someone talks about Goan food, one can only think about the luscious prawns and spicy chicken. But, there is an entire side to Goan food that boasts of rich vegetable-based dishes and interesting coconut gravies that are quite unheard of. We speak to our expert Goan food chef who gives us some insights on this cuisine.
Traditional Goa fare
Typical Goan cuisine is an influence of Portuguese and Indian cuisine. Most Goan dishes are a blend of spicy, tangy and sweet flavours and revolve around certain main ingredients. Since this region is a rich producer of coconut, rice, masala paste and kokum, these tastes are predominantly seen in most dishes. The most dominant factors of Goan cuisine are the pastes and masalas. Red chilli, coconut, dry shrimps and toddy vinegar are the main ingredients of pastes such as peri peri, balchao and rechad, which are made on a daily basis by local Goans.
Typical Goan cuisine is an influence of Portuguese and Indian cuisine. Most Goan dishes are a blend of spicy, tangy and sweet flavours and revolve around certain main ingredients. Since this region is a rich producer of coconut, rice, masala paste and kokum, these tastes are predominantly seen in most dishes. The most dominant factors of Goan cuisine are the pastes and masalas. Red chilli, coconut, dry shrimps and toddy vinegar are the main ingredients of pastes such as peri peri, balchao and rechad, which are made on a daily basis by local Goans.
The Saraswat cuisine
A vegetarian branch of the Goan cuisine is Saraswat. This cuisine has an influence of Mangalorean and Konkan food and belongs to the Saraswat Brahmins. The food is similar to typical Goan food but consists only of vegetarian dishes. One of the most important and unique elements which makes this cuisine popular is that being a Brahmin community, the Saraswats used ample sea food. Therefore, they are also known as the “Pesco-vegetarians”, which means the ones who eat fish but no meat.
A vegetarian branch of the Goan cuisine is Saraswat. This cuisine has an influence of Mangalorean and Konkan food and belongs to the Saraswat Brahmins. The food is similar to typical Goan food but consists only of vegetarian dishes. One of the most important and unique elements which makes this cuisine popular is that being a Brahmin community, the Saraswats used ample sea food. Therefore, they are also known as the “Pesco-vegetarians”, which means the ones who eat fish but no meat.
Flavours of Saraswat cuisine
Similar to Goan food the common ingredients here are coconut, tamarind, curry leaves and rice. The Saraswati Goan cuisine uses less heat as compared to typical Goan food. Usage of cooling foods such as tamarind and kokum for souring and jaggery for sweetening is abundant. Apart from these, the cuisine also flavours its foods with asafoetida, fenugreek, curry leaves, mustard and urad dal. It is not very spicy and very little amount of oil, onion and garlic is used. Since Saraswat food uses a lot of vegetables such as pumpkins, gourds, bamboo shoots, root, the food is rich in nutritional value and fibre content is abundant
Similar to Goan food the common ingredients here are coconut, tamarind, curry leaves and rice. The Saraswati Goan cuisine uses less heat as compared to typical Goan food. Usage of cooling foods such as tamarind and kokum for souring and jaggery for sweetening is abundant. Apart from these, the cuisine also flavours its foods with asafoetida, fenugreek, curry leaves, mustard and urad dal. It is not very spicy and very little amount of oil, onion and garlic is used. Since Saraswat food uses a lot of vegetables such as pumpkins, gourds, bamboo shoots, root, the food is rich in nutritional value and fibre content is abundant
Try vegetarian Goan food at home!
Botatyache patal bhaji
Ingredients: 5 potatoes, 2 onions, 10 gm chilli powder, 10 gms tamarind paste, 3 gm mustard seeds, 3 gm curry leaves, 20 ml coconut oil, salt to taste
Ingredients: 5 potatoes, 2 onions, 10 gm chilli powder, 10 gms tamarind paste, 3 gm mustard seeds, 3 gm curry leaves, 20 ml coconut oil, salt to taste
Method: Boil, peel and cut the potatoes into medium pieces and finely chopped the onions. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add the curry leaves and mustard seed to it. Once they begin to crackle, add the onions and sauté well till translucent. Add the potatoes, red chili powder and salt. Mix nicely till the potato absorbs the masala. Now add tamarind pulp and cook it for another 2-3 minutes till the gravy is looks ready. Check seasoning and serve hot with rice or bread.
Khatkhate curry
Ingredients: 60 gm grated coconut, 7 dry chillies, 100 gm tur dal, 20 gm kokam, 10 no teppal (or black pepper), 20 gm jaggery, 50 gm French beans, 3 gm drumsticks, 30 gm potato, 30 gm pumpkin, 1 corn cob
Method: Wash the tur dal and cook it with about 1 cup of water, until it turns soft. Mash the cooked dal with a spoon and keep aside. Dice the corn cob into 3 or 4 pieces and cook them with enough water and a little salt until corn kernels turn soft. Drain the water and keeps the kernels aside. Grind coconut, red chilies and turmeric with little water to a smooth paste. Add teppal and grind the paste again for few seconds, just enough to bring out the aroma of teppal. Cut the ends of green beans, remove the strings and re-chop them into big pieces. Chop the drumstick into 3 or 4 pieces. Dice the potato and pumpkin into big cubes (peeling the skin is optional). In a large pot, boil some water and add all the vegetables to it and cook until tender. When the vegetables are almost done, add cooked corn cobs, ground coconut paste and mashed tur dal and bring this mixture to a boil. Finish the curry with kokum, salt and jiggery and serve hot with steamed rice.
Ingredients: 60 gm grated coconut, 7 dry chillies, 100 gm tur dal, 20 gm kokam, 10 no teppal (or black pepper), 20 gm jaggery, 50 gm French beans, 3 gm drumsticks, 30 gm potato, 30 gm pumpkin, 1 corn cob
Method: Wash the tur dal and cook it with about 1 cup of water, until it turns soft. Mash the cooked dal with a spoon and keep aside. Dice the corn cob into 3 or 4 pieces and cook them with enough water and a little salt until corn kernels turn soft. Drain the water and keeps the kernels aside. Grind coconut, red chilies and turmeric with little water to a smooth paste. Add teppal and grind the paste again for few seconds, just enough to bring out the aroma of teppal. Cut the ends of green beans, remove the strings and re-chop them into big pieces. Chop the drumstick into 3 or 4 pieces. Dice the potato and pumpkin into big cubes (peeling the skin is optional). In a large pot, boil some water and add all the vegetables to it and cook until tender. When the vegetables are almost done, add cooked corn cobs, ground coconut paste and mashed tur dal and bring this mixture to a boil. Finish the curry with kokum, salt and jiggery and serve hot with steamed rice.
Posted in: TRADITIONAL INDIAN
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