GOAN CUISINE

In the extra ordinary mosaic of cultures, religions and traditions, that go up to make Indian life, certain small ethnic , religious and geographic communities have evolve such distinctive manners, habits and food customs that, although indisputably Indian, they retain a definite identity of their own. Among these unequally colorful minorities are the Goans. – Who acquired their special status some 300 years ego as a result of colonization of their homeland by a foreign power – Portugal.Goa is an almost theatrical arrangement of hills covered with dense jungles sweeping down to the gilt crescents of beaches were the glittering Mandovi river stretches in a graceful carve to meat the ocean at the capital ‘Panaji’

History:Goa was celebrated in ancient Indian literature for its wealth and beauty. In fact, its name seems from the Sanskrit word for ‘cow’- traditional symbol of prosperity. For thousands of years, goa was ruled by various dynasties of Indian kings and many religions were represented there. It was originally a Hindu state. But the arrival of the Portuguese began an era that was shatteringly different from anything the community had known. In 1510 Alfanso d’ Albuquerque, who later left his name in America, sailed up the Mandovi River with 23 ships and captured Goa from its current Muslim Rulers. After violent Hand to Hand fighting, he knelt down in the public square and dedicated the city to St. Catherine as homage to her feast day. From then on goa’s story was dominated by the catholic zeal of the conquerors who sparked one of the most brutal and wholesale religious conversion recorded in Asia. Those Hindus who could afford to escape left goa to settle in other parts of India. Goa is roughly now half catholic Christen and Hindu. St Francis Xavier arrived in goa in 1542 and devoted his life to spreading Christianity in goa. The Portuguese finally left India in 1961 after which the Goans became the member of the republic of India.

The difference between the living habits of the goan christens and their Hindu neighbors are very small. It is in their food that the particular custom is expressed. Being a coastal region there is no goan who is not familiar with eating rice and fish. Goa in its daily life has two main religious influences the Hindus and the Christians but one should not forget that there is a little bit of Muslim influence as well.

Food habits:Being a coastal region palm and coconut trees grow abundance. Every part of the coconut t is used by the locals. The coconut milk is used cooking widely, the flesh is used for garnishing and the oil derivatives make an excellent cooking medium. From the palm trees is extracted ‘palm vinegar’ which is unique in itself and forms an integral part of the goan cuisine as it is widely used in marinades, gravies etc. spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, dried red chilies, peppercorns are grown in some parts of goa. And find a prominent place in the delicacies of this region. The Goans form the northern part of the state grind their masalas and coconut separately but the southern part prefers to grind the masalas and coconut together before pressing them through a muslin cloth to extract the moisture.

Rice is widely cultivated in goa. And is the staple food of the people. Apart from the rice the cereals consumed is wheat in the form of freshly baked breads by the Christian communities and the chapattis by the Hindus. Sannon -a fluffy white bread of rice and toddy, that in appearance and texture resembles is Idlis, is also eaten in goa. The taste however unique, the toddy giving sannon a sweet taste and an accent unlike another wheat cake. The rice is coarsely ground, then fermented with toddy an finally steamed to make small cakes.

Goa has unique brand of alcohol called based drink called feni, which is fermented from cashew nut, as well as palm sap which is fermented and heated. Feni is very popular in goa and is consumed by the Goans along with their meals.

From goan come countless fish and seafood recipes using the oceans and the river fish, as well as the many kind of shellfish that crowd the rocky outcroppings on its shore. Fishermen set out at dawn or dusk and return loaded with fresh fish which are sold immediately, the fish which are left over, left for sun drying on the beaches. One particular variety of goan fish preparation has become so popular all down the west coast that it is known by the generic name ‘goan fish curry’. It is a very liquid kind of preparation somewhat the consistency of a thick ‘bouillabaisse’, made of a mixture of several kinds of fish that are cooked wholes, or very coarsely cut into pieces, the recipe requires large quantity of coconut ground into a fine paste with hot masalas of red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and turmeric paste. Goan cook their fish in this mixture adding plenty of onion , tomato and water to provide the sauce and then seasoning it with tamarind , curry leaves and green chilies. Goan like their famous curry to be almost scarlet with chili and it is hot.Among shellfish prawn, lobster, crabs, and clams are consumed abundantly. Prawn curry, prawn balchao, prawn peri peri are few of the favorite dishes of the Goan. Among the bewildering varieties of seafood in goa clams are a delicacy. Clams coated with spices, steamed until they pop open and tossed with grated coconut from a golden gingery teesryo. Goans cook it in coconut milk and lime juice and sprinkle it with chopped fresh coriander leaves. It is served by itself – like moules mariniere in a bowl. Hindus eat it with chapatis which soak up the juice.

The common meals consumed are pork, lamb and chicken. The goan Christians have also produced pork dishes which makes their cuisine unique in India. This range from the familiar roast suckling pigs that composes the standard Christian dinner, to search an erotic item as baked pork head stuffed with brains, peas, onions, ginger, mint and green chilies, basted with vinegar. The more usual goan dishes, however, include some truly delicious and original uses of pork. Pork baffat is a dry curry cooked in an aromatic masalas with virtually no gravy, but the thing that makes it suppressing and delightful is the addition of sliced radishes, near the end of the cooking time. It is the contrast between the crisp, clean taste of the radish and greasy texture of the pork that gives the dish its distinctive flavors.Pork indad is a true curry with plenty of gravy that differs from many of the other pork dishes because of its appealing offbeat sweet and sour taste. The tamarind, cloves and cinnamon is the masalas gives the meat an almost perfumed flavor, while the sugar and vinegar in the gravy take the curse of the fattiness and provides the dish with its special characters. Another spicy red curry called Sorpotel made of pork, pork liver; pork blood is an absolute mass at any goan Christian banquet or feast. It is

served with the accompaniment of sannon. Pork vindaloo is another famous preparation of goa.

Goa is the only place in India where sausages is used. The Goans produce pork and liver sausages as well as several other kinds of highly spiced sausages, the best of which is Chourisam. It must be marinated for 24 hours in a complicated masalas mixed with vinegar before the sausages are made.

Chicken xacuti and Cafreal is the most well known chicken dishes form goa. Chicken xacuti is made from broiled ground spices such as peppercorn, fennel, coriander seeds cardamom, cinnamon nutmeg and coconut. Cafreal is a pot roast preparation of chicken in a marinade of goan vinegar, ginger garlic paste, chili paste, goan Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce.Sweets are not so popular in goa. Bebinka – pancake baked on one of the top of the other with jaggery, applied in layers, ingredients are jaggery, egg, milk, coconut and flour, and they are made into shape of cake.Alebele is another goan sweet dish, pancake with spicy coconut filling. The traditional recipe calls for a pancake made from flour, egg, milk, ghee and a pinch of salt. The filling is made of grated fresh coconut combined with jaggery, fresh ginger root and aniseeds.

Characteristics: The main characteristics or features of goan cuisine can be listed as follows:

1. The food consumed is very spicy and sharp with a maximum consumption of red chilies.

2. The masalas are ground freshly and fine to extend of grinding over and over again till the paste is clay fine.

3. Coccum is commonly used by the Hindus and the Christian use goan malt vinegar.

4. Many dishes are consumed pickled or marinated in oil and vinegar.5. The most popular food items in goa are sea food and pork. The consumption

of pork being maximum by the Christians.6. Goans do not have a sweet taste. Bebinka and alebele are the popular sweet

dishes.