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.

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.

Dose Bhaji (Broken wheat pudding)

The name 'doce bhaji' literally means a combination of something sweet and something savoury. Put simply, it is a broken wheat pudding made using ingredients readily available in almost any Goan kitchen - wheat, coconut milk, sugar, clarified butter (ghee) and flavourings. This traditional tea time sweet dish is excellent for lactating mothers and children because of its strengthening properties. The uninitiated could easily mistake a plate of doce bhaji for a halwa or a sheera, but take a bite of it and the play of textures on your palette will definitely make you want to reach out for one more piece.

Ingredients

1 cup Broken Wheat

2 cups thick Coconut milk

1-1 1/2 cups thin coconut milk

2-3 tbsps Ghee

3/4 dark coconut jaggery

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp Cardamom powder

¼ cup chopped Cashewnuts/Almonds

¼ cup Raisins

Salt to taste

Method

Wash and soak the broken wheat in in water for 3-4 hours to reduce cooking time.Drain the broken wheat and add it to a heavy bottom utensil along with the thin coconut milk and salt cook on a medium flame, stirring constantly. Once the wheat is almost cooked, add the thick coconut milk,jaggery, sugar and continue cooking. Finally add the cardamom powder, nuts, raisins and ghee. Keep stirring till it absorbs all the moisture. Remove it from the flame and transfer it to individual serving dishes or a greased platter of your choice. When cooled and set you can cut it into squares to serve if you prefer. Make sure you refrigerate leftovers (if you have any, I didnt) as docebhaji spoils easily because of the coconut in the recipe.

 

Photo Credit: Lloyd Vas

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

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.

Marzipan

The Goan version of this delicious German sweet is made widely for Christmas and Easter; we of course substitute local cashew nuts for almonds. Marzipan is generally molded into seasonal shapes using silicon mold that will be available at your closest baking supplies retailer. You may also shape the dough into miniature fruits and paint them using food colour for some beautiful food art right out of your kitchen. This recipe makes a loaf of marzipan dough of approximately 500 gms.

Ingredients

250 gms finely ground cashew nut/almond meal

250 gms powdered sugar/confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp lime juice

1 tsp almond/rose extract+ 1/3 cup water

Method

Sieve the cashew nut/almond meal and sugar together. The finer the nut flour, the smoother the marzipan will be. In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice, almond/rose extract, and water.
Then, start adding the liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients. Add one teaspoon at a time and then mix and check the consistency. Once combined it should look like a soft ball of dough. Do not over mix or the nut oils will be released which will make the marzipan oily. Wrap in Cling wrap and leave to rest for a while.  

You may colour this dough using edible food colour and mold it as per your choice. Store sealed well in an air tight container. The marzipan will stay in the refrigerator for several weeks.