Poha ( Flattened Rice Breakfast)

This delicious and nutritious dish is a breeze to make and one of my favourite go-to recipes when we want a wholesome breakfast.

Ingredients

2 cups poha (flattened rice)

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

5 to 6 curry leaves

2 green chilies (chopped fine)

1 medium onion (chopped fine)

1 medium potato (chopped fine)

A handful of unsalted peanuts (toasted)

A pinch of turmeric

1/2 a lime (juiced)

Salt to taste

Sugar to balance

A pinch of Hing

Garnish: chopped coriander

Directions

Place the poha in a sieve and rinse it through some running water twice and drain completely. Add the turmeric powder, salt and sugar and mix gently. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies. When they start to pop, add the onions and hing. Saute until the onions turn transparent and then add the potato. Add a few drops of water and cover to let the potatoes cook. Once the potatoes are done, add the poha, peanuts and mix thoroughly. Turn off the heat, and garnish with fresh coriander and lime juice.

Ambotik( Hot and Tangy Red Curry)

Goan Ambotik is a classic recipe hailing from the west of India. Cooked traditionally with fish like shark, solefish (lepo) or prawns. ‘Ambot’ in konkani means tangy and ‘tik’ means spicy or hot. The heat of the curry comes from the dried red chillies. I like to use Kashmiri chillies which lend a lovely flavour and colour to the gravy.

Ingredients:

12 small lepo (sole fish) cleaned

1 medium onion chopped

3-4 tablespoon tamarind pulp

1 tablespoon oil

3-4 Kokum (optional)

Salt to taste

Goan toddy Vineger to taste

Sugar to balance

For the curry grind together:

6 Kashmiri chilies
1 inch Cinnamon stick
5 cloves of garlic
½ inch ginger
4 peppercorns
6 cloves
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon turmeric

Directions

Salt the fish and set aside. Sauté the onion with some oil in a pan, till it turns translucent. Add the ground paste and cook for some time, then put in the tamarind pulp and little water. Cook this till it comes to a boil. Add in the kokum and the fish and cook on medium heat till they are cooked. Finally taste and toss in some salt,sugar and vinegar to balance. Your delicious curry balanced with heat and tang is ready to be served with some steamed rice and kismur.

Feijoada (Beans and Sausage Stew)

Feijoada (pronounced fay-ZWAH-da) is a delicious stew of pork and black beans that's traditionally served over rice. The word feijoada comes from the word feijão, which is Portuguese for beans. Served with rice it makes a meal that is warm, comforting, rich and hearty.

Legend has it that the feijoada was invented in the slave quarters in the plantations of Brazil. Apparently slaves cooked beans and gathered the leftover meat from the big house, parts of the pig that did not serve to the taste of their bosses. Later, the dish invented by the slaves won over all social classes, including the wealthiest. Others believe it originated in northern Portugal, a derivative of European dishes like cassoulet, the cooked stew in Madrid and the Portuguese Caldeirada. 

In Portugal, it is  cooked with white beans  or red beans and usually also includes other vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots or cabbage with the  pork or beef, chorizo, blood sausage and sausage. In Brazil, the mixture is made of black beans and various types of pork and beef, and comes to the table accompanied by farofa, white rice, steamed cabbage, sliced ​​orange, and cracklings. The goan version traditionally used salted pork and/or choricos, my recipe uses the spicy Goan sausage, onions, garlic and tomatoes to flavour the beans.

Ingredients


2 tablespoons oil

2 cups chopped onions

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 bay leaf

4 tablespoon tomato paste

5 large Goan Choriço sausages, skin removed

1/2 cup salted pork

2 cups kidney beans, soaked overnight and boiled

Salt and paprika to season


Directions

In a large saucepan, saute the onions and garlic in the oil. Add the bay leaves,the sausage, pork and tomato paste and cook for five minutes. Add the cooked beans and the water in which it was cooked( approx 1 cup). Season with salt and paprika. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the beans are tender, and the flavours melded together. Add water as necessary to keep the beans covered. Using the back of a ladle, mash some of the beans to add some texture to the feijoada. Reseason if needed.

Fruit Salad Custard

Ingredients

500 ml Milk

3 tbsp Vanilla custard powder

4-5 tbsp Sugar as per taste

2 1/2 cups Mixed fruits of your Choice, Chopped

1/4 Cup cashew nuts/almonds, chopped

Handful Raisins (optional)

Method

Boil the milk along with the sugar, the add the custard powder slurry ( dissolve powder in 2 tblsp water), stirring continuously till it thickens. Cool and then Refrigerate till cold. When Serving mix in the chopped fruit and nuts. Use any seasonal fruits of your choice apples,grapes,bananas,mango, pomegranate etc taste and look good in a fruit custard. Its the jeweled hue of the fruit in the creamy custard that makes this fruit salad so attractive.

Pineapple Sheera

Ingredients

1 cup semolina(rava)
2 cups milk

1/2-1 cup water (vary the amount based on how firm or soft you want the sheera to be)
1/4 cup pure ghee
1/3 -1/2 cup sugar
1 cup chopped pineapple (can be substituted with mango, or skipped altogether)
8-10 chopped cashews

20 raisins
1/2 tsp clove powder/ elaichi powder

1 pinch kesar

Salt to taste

Method

Heat a heavy bottomed pan and roast the rava for about 5 minutes on low heat Add the ghee and fry some more. When rava turns to golden brown remove from pan and keep aside. Heat the milk,water,kesar,salt and add the roasted rava in a thin stream,stirring continuosly and then cover and cook on low flame , till milk is absorbed. Now add the sugar and pineapple and finally the nuts,raisins and clove/elaichi powder. Cook for another 3-4 minutes till done and and turn off the heat. This Goan sweet is delicious had with a steaming cup of tea.

Goan Beef Cutlet

It’s a snack. But it could also be a whole meal on its own. The Goan cutlet is essentially a generous slice of beef, well marinated vinegar and goan marinade and crumb fried . The ingredients for the marinade are a matter of choice and taste. But they can make all the difference between a passable cutlet and a great cutlet (costeleta in Portuguese), as does the quality of the beef. The slice of meat then gets an egg wash before it is dusted in bread crumbs (or semolina) and fried. Served with Goan bread poie/ pao, a little gravy or ketchup and some salad, the cutlet-pao (also available in a chicken variant) is currently Goa’s most popular street food.

The costeleta is definitely of Portuguese origin. But the cutlet-pao, its local adaption, is as Goan as the chourice pao or the ross omelette.  They are dished out by the dozens from street carts that sell cutlet-pao, sausage-bread, pork chops and beef chilly fry among other takeaways, and have created a street food culture here that would be hard to beat in quality and price

Ingredients

1 kg thinly sliced Beef 

 Marinade:

1 small bunch Coriander

6-8 Green Chillies

12 to 14 cloves Garlic

½ inch Ginger

1 ball Tamarind

2 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Turmeric Powder

2 tsp Pepper Corns

2 inch Cinnamon

8-10 Cloves

3 to 4 tbsp Vinegar

½ tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

2 Eggs

Semolina to coat cutlets

Oil for frying

Wash the meat and tenderize it using a meat mallet. Place a piece of steak between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound it out to about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the rest of the steaks. Apply salt and vinegar and mix well. Grind all the other ingredients listed under marinade to a fine paste and apply the paste to the meat and marinate for 5 to 6 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

After the meat is marinated add 2 whipped eggs and mix well. Coat each meat slice with the semolina and keep aside. Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a large cast-iron skillet until hot  and fry the cutlets in batches for about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, or until well browned. Remove and drain any excess oil with a paper towel-lined plate. Serve hot in a poie/pav with a salad.

Photo Credit: Lloyd Vas

Patholi and Hole'

This aromatic goan sweet dish is traditionally made by catholics on the feast St. John the baptist celebrated on 24^th June and on the feast of Assumption on 15^th August ( also India's Independance day). The turmeric leaves impart a unique aroma and flavour to patholi. A variation of patholi is made with jackfruit leaves and shaped like cones. Making this dish always brings back childhood memories of simpler times and healthier foods.

Ingredients

2 cup Rice, Soaked

Salt, to taste

2 cups fresh grated Coconut
3/4 cup coconut jaggery
20 Turmeric leaves for patholi or jackfruit leaves for Hole'

Soak the rice in water for 3 hours. Grind it to a thick paste along with the salt. Add very little water while doing this, the paste should be the cosistency of a wet dough. Keep aside Mix the fresh grated coconut and jaggery till the jaggery melts and forms a uniform mixture.

To assemble Patholis: Spread a thin layer of the rice paste on a tumeric leaf that has been washed and wiped. Spread two tea spoons of filling and fold the leaf lenghtwise. 

To Assemble Hole': Make a cone with the jackfruit leaves and secure it with a toothpick. Spread a thin layer of the rice paste inside the cone, add about two tea spoons of filling and close the cone with another thin layer of rice paste.

Steam patholis or Hole' in a steamer for around 20-30 mins till the white rice pastry is translucent.

                                                     Assembled Hole' ready for steaming

                                                 Fresh steamed  Hole' ready to be devoured

Most Goan families make the hole' from separate jack fruit leaves, my mother in law however, adds some extra flair to this sweet, that she learned from her mother. She  makes the hole' with the leaves attached to the branch as seen above, which makes for very beautiful presentation as well as gave them as kids added excitement of who would get the biggest bunch. Enjoy these traditional Goan sweet dishes, and don't forget to have fun making them like I did.


                                                              Steamed Patoleo

 Photo Credit: Lloyd Vas

Teias de Aranhas/Gons (Goan tender coconut candy shaped like Cobwebs/Spiderwebs)

Ingredients
1 tender coconut*
200 gms Sugar
1/4 cup water
1 Sheet of white butter paper

Method

Cut the sheet of white butter paper into 4" squares. Traditionally the paper is cut with pretty snowflake designs very similar to paper doilies. Lay out on the squares a flat surface, ideally not far from the cooking area.

Remove the kernel from the coconut neatly, avoiding the thin brown skin. Cut into thin, long strips. Keep a pan on the fire with the sugar and water, when the sugar is melted add the coconut strips. Cook on a slow fire, stirring with a wooden spoon all the time till it thickens and leaves the sides of the vessels.

Working quickly, spread a spoonful of the sweet onto the small sheets of paper with a fork. Leave till it hardens. Store in an airtight container. 

 *tender coconut should be a little firm and not at the 'malai' coconut stage

Alle Belle (Goan crepes with coconut and jaggery filling)

Ingredients

1 cup refined wheat flour(Maida)

2 eggs

     1 teaspoon castor sugar

20 gms ghee

½ to ¾ cup milk(as required)

Salt to taste

1 cup fresh coconut(grated)

1/2 cup black coconut jaggery(grated)

25 gm cashew nuts (broken)

Dash of Nutmeg powder

Oil for frying crepes

Method

For the filling heat the jaggery, fresh grated coconut, nutmeg powder and cashew nuts for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. To make the batter for the crepes, mix flour, salt, eggs, castor sugar, milk and melted ghee together to form a smooth pancake batter. Keep this batter aside. Brush a flat non-stick pan with oil and heat over moderate heat. Pour a small ladle of the batter into the pan and move the pan so that the batter spreads over the whole surface as thinly as possible to form a thin crepe. Cook until firm and remove from the pan.To assemble each alle belle place a spoonful of filling on one edge of the crepe and roll it tight. Serve warm with a hot cup of tea.

Ambot Tik (Sour and Hot Red Curry)

Ingredients

1/2 Kg fish – shark, sardines, prawns or any other 'fleshy' fish
10 dried red Kashmiri chillies
1/4 tsp cummin seeds
4 peppercorns
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
4 garlic cloves
1/2 inch piece of ginger
a marble sized ball of tamarind mixed in some hot water
1 onion, finely sliced

2 tblsp oil
Salt to taste

Vinegar to taste (optional)

Method

Clean and wash the fish. Cut into small steaks, rub in some salt and set aside. Grind all the other ingredients except onion into a paste with a little water. Keep aside. Sauté the onion until soft and light brown. Add the reserved paste and fry for a minute. Add about 1 cup of water. Bring to boil then add the fish. Cook on low till fish is tender. Do not stir so as to avoid breaking up the fish. Just shake the pan a little to let the gravy move around in the pan. Season with salt and a little vinegar if you like some extra tang . Serve with some steamed rice or sannas.

Ambot tik tastes even better when served the next day as the flavours have time to meld together into a glorious sour and fiery red gravy and is guaranteed to tickle your taste buds, have you licking your lips and wanting some more.

Mackerel Cutlets

Goan Fish Cutlets or Fish cakes are known as "Almon”. Almon comes from Portuguese name Almondegas de Peixe which means "Fish meatballs".  Here is a recipe for those in search of the perfect Goan fish cutlet, one you can enjoy as a starter or in between some soft bread with some green chutney as a Goan fish burger.

Ingredients

6 medium sized Mackerels (gutted, scaled, cleaned and kept whole)
1 tsp Turmeric Powder

2 tsp Vinegar

2 big Onions, finely chopped

1 tomato, finely chopped
3 Green Chillies, minced (or more if you like the heat)
2 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste

2 tblsps oil                                                                                            

A small handful Green Coriander, chopped
1 Egg
2-3 bread slices, soaked in some water
Juice of one lime
1 tsp Pepper Powder

Salt to taste

1 Egg to coat the cutlets

Rice flour/Semolina

Oil to shallow fry

Preparation

Steam the fish in a little water with the turmeric powder, vinegar and some salt to season, cool. Drain the fish, remove the bones and shred the flesh well using your fingers or a fork. Set aside. 

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till soft and light brown. Add the ginger garlic paste, tomato and green chillies and fry till the tomato is cooked. Cool this mixture and add it to the mashed mackerels. Add the lime juice, egg, beaten lightly, coriander and soaked bread that had been squeezed. Season with salt and pepper.  Mix well.

Shape into cutlets; coat them with the egg and  rice flour or semolina and shallow fry till brown  and crunchy on both sides. The mackerel cutlets can be served hot with some lime and some tartar sauce.

Caldeirada de Peixe (layered vegetables and fish stew)

 Caldeirada, a well known Portuguese fish stew is a rustic medley of seafood and vegetables.It takes its name from the large saucepan (caldeirão) it's traditionally cooked in. Its ingredients can vary as per personal tastes, generally a combination of fish, a vegetable base, spicy notes from the garlic and pepper or green chillies, tang from the vinegar and tomatoes all brought together with some fabulous olive oil. This stew makes a great supper served with some crusty bread. Here is the Furtado family's version.

Ingredients

10 large mackerel or sardines, cleaned and head removed
4 large onions, sliced
2 large tomatoes, sliced
1 head of garlic, finely sliced
1 inch piece of ginger, finely sliced 

4 tblsp olive oil
1 tblsp vinegar
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
4 bell peppers (red/green)

Green chillies/black Peppercorns to taste
salt to taste

Method

Layer a few slices of onion, bell peppers and tomato in a pan. Place 1/2 the fish over the veggies. Add another layer of onion/tomato/bell peppers and then another layer of fish. Sprinkle with the garlic,ginger and pepper or green chillies. Scatter over the remaining onion, tomato and bell peppers. Sprinkle turmeric over fish.Pour the oil, vinegar and about 6-7 tblsp water over the fish. Add salt as desired. Do not Stir, just shake the pan to move the ingredients around if required. Cook on a low heat until fish is half done.  Cook until fish is tender.

Goan Sausage Pulao

This Goan chorizo flavoured pulao is a fragrant one pot meal made out of rice and spicy goan sausages. Perfect accompanied by some salad for Sunday lunch when you don’t want to spend too much time slaving over the stove. The goan sausages can be replaced with any other kind of sausage and made as spicy or mild as you like. You could also add veggies like fresh peas and/or finely diced carrots to make it  a more nutritious meal.

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice (rinsed, soaked for 1/2 an hour and then drained)

4 cups hot water

25-30 Goan  sausages, casing and string removed

2 medium onions – finely diced

2 medium tomatoes – finely diced

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1-2 Maggi cubes (Chicken flavour) to taste

1 tsp. red chili flakes/ 2-3 green chilies, split lengthwise

4-6 garlic cloves finely chopped

salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

Whole spices- 4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon piece, 6 peppercorns, 2 bay leaves

Coriander leaves to garnish

1/2 Lime

Method

Heat the oil in the pan, add the onion and fry them till they become soft and translucent, then add the. Garlic, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves and cinnamon  until they release their aroma. Add the tomatoes, sausage pieces, green chillies/chili flakes and turmeric powder. Saute till the tomatoes become soft. Add the rice and  fry, stirring occasionally till it starts browning lightly. Add  the hot water, Maggi cubes and salt to taste, stir once, wait till it starts boiling, cover the pan, reduce the flame and let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes till rice is done and liquid has evaporated. Remove the pan from the flame and let it sit covered for another couple of minutes. Serve garnished with some coriander and some lime juice.

For a special touch you can soak the goan sausages in 2 tbsps of  feni before adding to the pulao. This adds a heady aroma to the pulao.

Mushroom Tondak

Ingredients

4 cups sliced/Shredded Mushrooms (Button mushrooms work well)
2 cups diced onions
4 flakes garlic
1 cup grated coconut
1 sliced onion
1 marble sized ball of tamarind (soaked in some water to make a pulp)
3-4 tblsp goan sambar powder
Salt to season
2 tbsp  oil for sautéing

Method
In a pan, heat  1 tbsp oil & sauté the sliced onion till translucent, add the garlic and cinnamon. Add the coconut and fry till golden. Cool and grind this mixture to a coarse paste. Keep aside. Heat the remaining oil in a pan  and fry the diced onions till soft, add the mushrooms and cook for five minutes, add the ground paste,sambhar powder, tamarind pulp and salt and cook till the gravy thickens. Serve this delicious mushroom dish with chapattis or pao.

Batica (Batega)

Batica/Baath or  Batega is essentially a traditional Goan Christmas cake. This cake, made of semolina and the usual suspects gets an exotic flair with the addition of rose water and some aromatic cardamom.  Soaking the batter in a cool place allows the semolina to soften and absorb the flavours of rose and cardamom and ensures that the cake turns out moist, soft and crumbly. A slice of Batica with a hot cup of tea is the perfect evening indulgence.

Ingredients

250 gms semolina

1 ½ cups fresh coconut, ground

3 eggs

1 ½ cups Sugar

5 tblsp butter/ghee

1tsp salt

½ tblsp baking powder

1 tblsp Rose water

1/2 tblsp ground cardamom

¼ cup milk

Method

Beat the eggs, sugar and butter till fluffy. Add the semolina, coconut, cardamom, salt and rose water, mixing well. Set aside for 12 hours, or overnight in a cool place so that the semolina can soak and soften. Add the baking powder and the milk beat together and pour into a 7 by 7 inch lined pan and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees till done and the cake passes the skewer test.