Goa’s gold

In 1510, Alfonso de Alberqueque sailed up the river Mandovi with 23 ships and captured Goa from the Muslim ruler, the Sultan of Bijapur. Thi...

In 1510, Alfonso de Alberqueque sailed up the river Mandovi with 23 ships and captured Goa from the Muslim ruler, the Sultan of Bijapur. This reign lasted for about 150 years before yielding first to the Dutch and then to the British. Goa is now roughly half-Catholic and half-Hindu. Virtually nothing of its past grandeur now remains, except, possibly, Old Goa and its delicious cuisine.

The cuisine of Goa is an exceptional amalgam of Portuguese and local sensibilities, mainly those of the Saraswat Hindus. From Goa come countless fish and seafood recipes using both salt water and fresh water fish. The various shellfish, that crowd its rocky shores, are also used.

The liberal use of vinegar in Goan cuisine comes from its European influence. This is coupled with an abundant use of Indian ingredients that bespeak the local touch. Goa can boast of delicacies like the tangy Pork Vindaloo, spicy Sorpotel and the all-time favourite Goan Fish Curry. A tiny state, Goa, boasts of an intriguing variety of foods. Thereis, however, a distinct difference in the cuisine of the Hindus and Christians. Though the taste remains in the same range, they do use different ingredients. For instance, Hindus use kokum to give zing to their food while the Christians prefer to use vinegar. The Christians also prefer to eat pork and beef while the Hindus eat chicken and mutton. But a common ground is found in fish — both Hindus and Christians prefer fish to any other meat.

To demystify Goan cuisine, I kick off this series with a recipe that I developed an instant liking for during the Goa Food Festival, arranged at Hotel Varanasi, Ashok in 1986. This festival was the mastermind of a Goan food expert — Rui, who I am told runs a Goan restaurant and manages a hotel empire these days.