Goan cuisine: curries that unite India and Portugal

When one arrives in Goa one is unwittingly looking for something close, something Latin, the Portuguese heritage. The gastronomy of Goa is a mixture of Konkani cuisine with a great Portuguese contribution. It is not in vain that the Portuguese spent four and a half centuries in this territory on the west coast of India. But beware! Goan cuisine is also one of the spiciest in all of India.

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Goan breads

Surely, you know the naan or chapati. Indian breads are well known all over the world because the tandoori oven gives them an extraordinary touch. However, in Goa, bread is made in the European style. This influence is noticeable, as all of India’s southern neighbors have a rice-only diet.

• Pao. A slightly sweet roll or bun that is served with all kinds of food, but especially common with a spicy bhaji.
• Konkan pao. Dry bread in the shape of a ring, like a pretzel, eaten dipped in tea or with a cream cheese.
• Poi. It is bread that mixes white flour and whole wheat flour. It looks like a pita bread and can be filled with Goa sausages – a delight!

In Goa you can also find North Indian breads. You can read more in HomeGrown magazine, which has written a very comprehensive article.

Portuguese snacks

If we talk about a typical Goan snacking, we have to talk about the Goan sausage. Spiced, spicy and tasty pork meat… You will not be able to stop thinking about the Spanish spicy sausages. It is used to spice up many dishes, but can also be eaten on its own or inside a poi.

Another Indian snack that has links to Portugal is pao bhaji. This can be found almost everywhere in the country, but is especially popular in Mumbai. It is prepared in large pans or tawa in the middle of the street. It is a mixture of vegetables in the manner of ratatouille, but spiced, and is served with two slightly sweet soft breads that combine perfectly with the chili.

Goan curries

Like all good Indian cuisine, in Goa cuisine there are curries to dip bread or accompany rice. And if we are talking about this spicy meat stew, in Goa there is an exponent that is reputed to be among the spiciest in India: the vindaloo.

Curry Vindaloo

Vindaloo is the Portuguese-influenced curry. Its name comes from vinho e alho, wine and garlic, which was the special marinade for this dish, traditionally pork.

The traditional spices of a curry (red chilies, coriander seeds, cinnamon…) are mixed with wine and garlic and applied to the meat to absorb the flavors. Then the next day, onions and some vegetables are sautéed, and the marinade is poured over the meat to release all its juices.

The evolution of vindaloo is also made with other meats and even seafood. Try the calamari vindaloo and you will be amazed.

Xacuti

This is a typical dish from Goa. It is a complex curry with grated coconut, tamarind paste and chilies. Cuts of chicken, pork or mutton are mixed with a garam masala and onion with the characteristic sour taste of tamarind-based curries.

Cafreal chicken

This chicken recipe is of African origin because Goa during the centuries of Portuguese rule had a lot of contact with the east coast of Africa.

The recipe contains green chilies, lemon and coriander as predominant flavors. Goa’s chicken cafreal is a spicier recipe than its African cousin.

It is usually served with poi for dipping in the sauce or even to be tucked inside like pita bread.

Goan fish curries

• Ambot tik. It is a very spicy curry from the Konkani region. It is served mixed with boiled rice. It is a recipe based on tamarind mixed with dried chilies and pepper that can be cooked with fish or squid as the recipe below.
• Crab xec xec. Goa also eats a lot of seafood. If you like coconut milk-based curries, you have to try this crab recipe that tastes best at the seashore.

Barbecued fish marinated with spices is also very common. The racheado is a very popular recipe that is cooked in a frying pan. It is very similar to the fish fry of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The mackerel is smeared with a paste of garlic, ginger, chilies and vinegar to soak in the flavor before cooking.