Goan cuisine
Encyclopedia
Goan cuisine consists of regional foods popular in Goa
, located along India
's west coast along the Arabian Sea
. Seafood, coconut milk
, rice and paste are main ingredients of Goan delicacies. The area is located in a tropical climate, and spices and flavors are intense. Use of Kokum is another distinct feature. Goan food cannot be considered complete without fish. It is similar to the Malvani cuisine
/ Konkani cuisine.
The cuisine of Goa is influenced by its Hindu origins, four hundred years of Portuguese colonialism
, and modern techniques. The state is frequented by tourists visiting its beaches and historic sites, so its food has an international aspect.
is rice and fish
. Kingfish (Vison or Visvan)
is the most common delicacy, others include pomfret
, shark
, tuna
and mackerel
. Among the shellfish
are crab
s, prawn
s, tiger prawns, lobster
, squid
and mussels.
The Hindu
food of Goa is unique, and the food of Goan Christian
s is influenced by the Portuguese.
es, tomato
es, pineapple
s, guava
s and cashew
s from Brazil
to Goa. Of these tomatoes and potatoes were not accepted by the Hindus until the late 20th century. The most important part of Goan spices, the chilies
were introduced to Goan cuisine by the Portuguese which became immensely popular. All these above mentioned ingredients were not used in Goan cuisine before the advent of the Portuguese.
, fenugreek
, curry leaves, mustard
and urad dal.
It is not very spicy, less amount of onion
and garlic
is used. It also includes more use of vegetables, lentil
s, pumpkin
s, gourd
s, bamboo shoot
s, root
s etc. It is less oily and the medium of cooking is coconut oil.
Goan Saraswat Brahmin sub-castes, Daivajna Brahmins are mostly fish eaters. Broadly they can be considered as facultative vegeterians, i.e. they eat fish and chicken on most days, while eating strict vegetarian (no meat, no-fish diet) food on some days, due to religious reasons. Fish and meat in their diet is considered as non-vegetarian. On the other hand other Brahmins belonging to Pancha Dravida category are strictly vegetarian. Their vegetarian cuisine is unique. The rest of the Goan Hindu
s are non-vegetarian, but unlike the Catholic Goans
, do not eat beef or pork, due to religious beliefs.
----
Cashewnut laddu
s, Nevryo, Khaje
, Revdyo, Peda, Puran Poli
, Sakhar Bhat, Mangane, Payasa are other well-known dishes. Also, there are several types of halwa like Dali kapa (Halwa made of red gram), Cashewnut Halwa,Mango Halwa ,Banana Halwa, Dodol
, Pumpkin Halwa etc.
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, located along India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's west coast along the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
. Seafood, coconut milk
Coconut milk
Coconut milk is the water that comes from the grated meat of a coconut. The colour and rich taste of the milk can be attributed to the high oil content. In many parts of the world, the term coconut milk is also used to refer to coconut water, the naturally occurring liquid found inside the hollow...
, rice and paste are main ingredients of Goan delicacies. The area is located in a tropical climate, and spices and flavors are intense. Use of Kokum is another distinct feature. Goan food cannot be considered complete without fish. It is similar to the Malvani cuisine
Malvani cuisine
Malvani cuisine is the standard cuisine of the Konkan region of Maharashtra and Goa, and some northern parts of West Karnataka. Although Malvani cuisine is predominantly non-vegetarian, there are many vegetarian delicacies. Although it is an independent cuisine, it overlaps Maharashtrian cuisine...
/ Konkani cuisine.
The cuisine of Goa is influenced by its Hindu origins, four hundred years of Portuguese colonialism
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
, and modern techniques. The state is frequented by tourists visiting its beaches and historic sites, so its food has an international aspect.
Seafood
The cuisine is mostly seafood based, the staple foodStaple food
A staple food is one that is eaten regularly and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a diet, and that supplies a high proportion of energy and nutrient needs. Most people live on a diet based on one or more staples...
is rice and fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
. Kingfish (Vison or Visvan)
Indo-Pacific king mackerel
Indo-Pacific king mackerel or popularly seer fish is a sea fish among the mackerel variety of fishes. It is found in around the Indian ocean and adjoining seas....
is the most common delicacy, others include pomfret
Pomfret
Pomfret are perciform fishes belonging to the family Bramidae.They are found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, and the largest species, the Atlantic pomfret, Brama brama, grows up to long....
, shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
, tuna
Tuna
Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
and mackerel
Mackerel
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They may be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel , enter bays and can be...
. Among the shellfish
Shellfish
Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
are crab
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
s, prawn
Prawn
Prawns are decapod crustaceans of the sub-order Dendrobranchiata. There are 540 extant species, in seven families, and a fossil record extending back to the Devonian...
s, tiger prawns, lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
, squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
and mussels.
The Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
food of Goa is unique, and the food of Goan Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s is influenced by the Portuguese.
Introduction of new edibles to Goan cuisine
The Portuguese brought potatoPotato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es, tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
es, pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
s, guava
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
s and cashew
Cashew
The cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew nuts and cashew apples.-Etymology:The...
s from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
to Goa. Of these tomatoes and potatoes were not accepted by the Hindus until the late 20th century. The most important part of Goan spices, the chilies
Chili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...
were introduced to Goan cuisine by the Portuguese which became immensely popular. All these above mentioned ingredients were not used in Goan cuisine before the advent of the Portuguese.
Hindu Cuisine
Hindu Goans use less heat, tamarind and Kokum for souring and jaggery for sweetening. They use asafoetidaAsafoetida
Asafoetida , alternative spelling asafetida, is the dried latex exuded from the living underground rhizome or tap root of several species of Ferula, which is a perennial herb...
, fenugreek
Fenugreek
Fenugreek is a plant in the family Fabaceae. Fenugreek is used both as a herb and as a spice . The leaves and sprouts are also eaten as vegetables...
, curry leaves, mustard
Mustard plant
Mustards are several plant species in the genera Brassica and Sinapis whose small mustard seeds are used as a spice and, by grinding and mixing them with water, vinegar or other liquids, are turned into the condiment known as mustard or prepared mustard...
and urad dal.
It is not very spicy, less amount of onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
and garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
is used. It also includes more use of vegetables, lentil
Lentil
The lentil is an edible pulse. It is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds...
s, pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
s, gourd
Gourd
A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term 'gourd' however, can more specifically, refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow dried out shell...
s, bamboo shoot
Bamboo shoot
Bamboo shoots or bamboo sprouts are the edible shoots of many bamboo species including Bambusa vulgaris and Phyllostachys edulis. They are used in numerous Asian dishes and broths...
s, root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
s etc. It is less oily and the medium of cooking is coconut oil.
Goan Saraswat Brahmin sub-castes, Daivajna Brahmins are mostly fish eaters. Broadly they can be considered as facultative vegeterians, i.e. they eat fish and chicken on most days, while eating strict vegetarian (no meat, no-fish diet) food on some days, due to religious reasons. Fish and meat in their diet is considered as non-vegetarian. On the other hand other Brahmins belonging to Pancha Dravida category are strictly vegetarian. Their vegetarian cuisine is unique. The rest of the Goan Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s are non-vegetarian, but unlike the Catholic Goans
Goan Catholics
The Goan Catholics are an ethno-religious community of Roman Catholics and their descendants from the state of Goa, located on the west coast of India. They are Konkani people and speak the Konkani language...
, do not eat beef or pork, due to religious beliefs.
- FishFishFish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
curryCurryCurry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
called as Human ('हूमण' in KonkaniKonkani languageKonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
) and riceRiceRice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
('शीत' or 'भात ') ,also known as Kadi. - Fried fish (तळील्ले नूस्ते)
- Fish Suke or Dhabdhabit (सुकें) - dry spicy preparation of fish, eaten as side dish.
- Fish Udid Methi or Uddamethi (उद्दमेथी) - FenugreekFenugreekFenugreek is a plant in the family Fabaceae. Fenugreek is used both as a herb and as a spice . The leaves and sprouts are also eaten as vegetables...
and fish. - Kismur (किस्मुर)
- Dangar or the Fish cutletCutletCutlet refers to:# a thin slice of meat from the leg or ribs of veal, pork, or mutton # a fried cutlet# a croquette made of minced meat...
s (डांगर) - Kalputi - with different varieties of fish (कळपुटी)
- Bhaji or Shak made of different vegetables and fruit (भाजी or शाक)
- KhatkhateKhatkhate-Khatkhate Surname:Khatkhate is a well-known last name in Saraswat Brahmin community hailing from Konkan province of Maharashtra State and the coastal region of Goa in India. Additional information on Khatkhate as surname is available at link.-Khatkhate Curry:In Indian Cuisine, Khatkhate Curry...
(ख़तखतें) - Tondak, made of beans, cashew nuts etc (तोंडाक)
- Different varieties of sweets made of rice, lentils like Payasa, Patoli, Mangane, KheerKheerKheer also known as Payasam or Payesh is a rice pudding, which is a traditional South Asian sweet dish...
etc ( गोड्शें ) - Different varieties of Pickles and Papads (लोणचे and पापड)
- Solachi kadi, a spicy coconut and kokum curry (कडी)
Catholic Cuisine
- Ambot tik - A sour curry dish prepared with either fish or meat.
- Arroz doce - A Portuguese derivative of kheerKheerKheer also known as Payasam or Payesh is a rice pudding, which is a traditional South Asian sweet dish...
(sweetened rice) of India. - BalchãoBalchaoPrawn Balchão is a spicy seafood dish in Indian Goan cuisine. Balchão is a method of cooking either fish or prawns in a dark red and fiery tangy sauce. Balchão is almost like pickling and can be made days in advance without reheating...
- A curry based on a traditional sauce from MacaoMaçãoMação is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 400.0 km² and a total population of 7,763 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of eight parishes, and is located in the Santarém District....
, made from shrimp, aguardente, laurelBay LaurelThe bay laurel , also known as sweet bay, bay tree, true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree, or simply laurel, is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is the source of the bay leaf used in cooking...
, lemon and chili. - Canja de galinha - A type of chicken brothBrothBroth is a liquid food preparation, typically consisting of either water or an already flavored stock, in which bones, meat, fish, cereal grains, or vegetables have been simmered. Broth is used as a basis for other edible liquids such as soup, gravy, or sauce. It can be eaten alone or with garnish...
with rice and chicken, and is originally a Goan recipe. - Chamuças - A Goan derivative of samosaSamosaA samosa is a stuffed, deep fried,snack that is very popular in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Southwest Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean, the Horn of Africa, North Africa and South Africa...
. - Croquettes, beef cutlets and beef potato chops are common snacks.
- Roast beef and beef tongue are popular entrees at Goan celebrations.
- Sorpotel - A Goan pork meat, liver, tongue, blood curry that is very spicy.
- Xacuti - Goan curry made with roasted grated coconut with pieces of chicken or beef.
- Samarein Chi Kodi - Goan curry made with Fresh and Dried Prawns
- Pattoe or Patoleo - A dish of turmeric leaves stuffed with rice, dal, jaggery, and coconut.
- SannaSanna (rice cakes)Sannas, are a spongy, white, and slightly sweet steamed rice and coconut bread. They are considered to be a Goan variant of idli, a South Indian dish....
- A dry rice cake, considered to be a Goan variant of idli. - Solantule kodi - A spicy coconut and kokum curry
- VindalooVindalooVindaloo is an Indian curry dish from the region of Goa. It is popular globally in its Anglo-Indian form as a staple of curry house menus, often renowned as a particularly spicy dish, though it is not necessarily always the hottest available. The name Vindaloo is derived from the Portuguese dish...
- A spicy curry whose name is derived from the PortuguesePortuguese languagePortuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
term for a garlic and wine (vinho e alho) marinade. This is popular in the West, particularly the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Unrelated to aloo (potato). - Bebik (BebincaBebincaBebinca, also known as bibik or bebinka, is a type of pudding and a traditional Goan dessert. The ingredients include plain flour, sugar, ghee and coconut milk....
) - A pudding traditionally eaten at ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
----
Cashewnut laddu
Laddu
Laddu or Laddoo is a ball-shaped sweet popular in South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh as well as countries with immigrants from South Asia. Laddu is made of flour and sugar with other ingredients that vary by recipe...
s, Nevryo, Khaje
Kakinada Khaja
Kakinada Khaja is a sweet delicacy of Andhra Pradesh, India. Since Kakinada, a coastal city in Andhra Pradesh, is popular for Khajas, hence the name....
, Revdyo, Peda, Puran Poli
Puran Poli
Puran Poli is a traditional type of sweet flatbread made in India in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Goa.-Ingredients:*300 gm - Channa dal or split yellow gram*300 gm - Jaggery...
, Sakhar Bhat, Mangane, Payasa are other well-known dishes. Also, there are several types of halwa like Dali kapa (Halwa made of red gram), Cashewnut Halwa,Mango Halwa ,Banana Halwa, Dodol
Dodol
Dodol is a toffee-like sweet food delicacy popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines especially in the Ilocos Region in Luzon and in the Lanao provinces of Mindanao, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Burma, where it is called mont kalama. It is also popular among the Roman Catholics from the west coastal...
, Pumpkin Halwa etc.