Sweet Tooth : Top 5 Sweet dishes of Goa

Yeah Goa is super famous for its seafood. But we also love our desserts. Rich and healthy, these form a huge part of our diet. These recipes are a blend of different Portuguese and  Indian food habits and diets, over time they have been improvised and now have their own Goan Touch. Be it festival or feast, wedding or birthday. These sweet little treats were often made by loving grandmothers; they loved overfeeding their grandchildren with sweets. They are made out of natural and organic raw food products.  And the process of making them was elaborate. These recipes have been part of Goan culture for years. Nowadays these sweets are made much more easily with mixers, ovens etc. With the increase of Goan tourism these products are now sold at bakeries and cafes all over Goa.

Here's my top 5: 

#5. Doce de Grao (Gram)

This Christmas sweet, is made out of gram flour..it is usually shaped into little diamonds and looks a lot like kaju barfi. The outer layer is  little crusty but the inside is a total melt in the mouth. Delicious and soft, it is also often distributed at the time of weddings. It requires constant stirring while the dish is made, but its worth all trouble taken.

#4. Neurios

This sweet is a must, be it Ganesh Chaturti, Diwali or Christmas. Families often keep a day off from work and spend a whole day prior to the festival. Many hands make light work and it is a fun process and everyone starts feeling the festival already. This sweet along with few others is then sent to neighbors and friends.  This is a has a crispy crust and is filled with desiccated coconut or gram flour mix.

#3. Patoleos

This sweet is made of rice flour, jiggery and coconut, and is set like crepes, and covered with turmeric leaves. this not only gives strong flavor to the sweet but is also healthy. Hindus prepare it during the early days of August, as these leaves are freshly available, Christians prepare it on the Feast of Assumption. The leaves give a strong herby flavor to the crepe like sweet  which is soft and chewy.

#2. Serradura

A dessert with Portuguese influence, is easy to make with hand mixers. It is soft and fluffy, creamy and moist. It has whipped cream, sugar and condensed milk whipped till thick and then is layered with powdered biscuits and nuts. The variation in texture makes this sweet a pleasure to eat.

#1. Bebinca

The all time favorite, sweet has to be made with great patience. It has 7 layers of soft, sweet, creamy goodness. It is made with coconut milk, sugar, a little flour, butter and a little of nutmeg which gives it that special flavor. Each time a thin layer of batter is placed in the mould, and after every layer, butter/ghee is used, and another layer is added. With the ovens this is an easy process. But grandmothers would prepare this with firewood and earthen vessels and the process was very long and tiring. The things grandparents did for love!

Can never ever get enough of this stuff. Fifty percent of the reason my body is structured the way it is because of these devils.

Image courtesy for all other than the Serradura : Google Images

Delectable Delicacies: Top 5 local food dishes

Not to brag, but we Goans take our eating very seriously. Meals for the entire day have to be decided at the start of the day itself. For me, eating is priority. It would be a shame if I did not eat and was able to maintain my fat body. Since Goa is situated in the tropical climate, spices and flavours are abundant. The sea makes it favourable for sea food. The blend of Hindu origins, and four hundred years of Portuguese Colonisation is a result of tasty Goan cuisine today.

Here’s a list of my top 5 authentic Goan dishes:

#5. Chicken Cafreal

Masala marinated in the chicken which is made of vinegar, coriander leaves, green chillies as its main ingredients. Hits the tongue the moment it’s placed in your mouth. Preferred when the masala is well marinated. Can be served dry or in the form of gravy as well. Trust me this is absolute glory. Another mention to be made to Chicken Xacuti, definitely worth a try.

#4. Crab Xec-Xec/ Fish Thali

Fish thali consists of fried fish, sol kadi, gravy, a boiled vegetable, dried prawns and of course rice. Crab xec-xec is best accompanied by this thali or can be eaten solely as well, depending on personal prejudice. I prefer it with the thali however. Xec- xec is very similar in taste to xacuti masala. The key to a satisfactory meal especially with the fish thali and crab xec-xec is copious patience.

#3. Pork Vindaloo

Pungent, tangy and vinegar, how can one resist. Red in colour with everything one dreams of. The bacon for us Goans. The Goan Catholics like me fancy a lot of pork in our cuisine. The name is derived from the Portuguese term vinho e alho which means garlic and wine marinade. Another pork dish exclusive to Goa is Goan sausages which is dried with masala for days and placed in the form of sausages made of the intestines as the skin and the fat and meat placed inside it.

#2. Ross Omelette

Like the name suggests, an omelette is drowned in spicy chicken gravy, garnished with coriander, diced onions and chillies and served with pao (bread). Very commonly found at gaddos (stalls) all over the state. Reasonable and extremely scrumptious. Within Rupees 50 a plate, I for one am more than happy to gobble this as a snack as well as dinner on certain occasions.

#1. Cutlet Pao

Consists of beef or chicken steak deep fried in rava crumbs, placed in bread with minimal gravy and salads. The more succulent, the more appetizing the dish is. This could be made at home, but it tastes more heavenly at D’silva Restaurant in Miramar, which as per me sells the best Cutlet Pao in the world. Priced at fewer than 75 rupees, this tastes best with a bottle of Coca-Cola.

I hate writing posts like these, simply makes me want to eat all these delicacies in one go!

Image Courtesy: Google Images