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Gaga over a Goan platter

Some popular Goan recipes that are worth a try

Get going on a culinary voyage Discover the flavours of Goa

Goan cuisine blends Arabian, Portuguese and local flavours. The Goans are fun-loving and celebrate every festival with fanfare. Here are a few popular recipes that can easily be made at home. Pineapple Cocktail

Ingredients

Coconut cream: 1 cup

Coconut Feni: half cup

Pineapple juice: 1 cup

Ice cubes: 4

Method: Pour the above ingredients in a blender and mix well. Then pour it into a suitable glass quarter filled with ice cubes. Decorate with a wedge of pineapple and cherry. Goan Fish Casserole

Ingredients

Fish, sliced into 6 fillets: 500 gm
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Coriander seeds: 1 tsp
Peppercorns: 1 tsp
Garlic, chopped: 2 cloves
Ginger, chopped: 1-inch piece
Tamarind paste: 25gm
Hot water: three-quarter cup
Oil: 2 tbsp
Onions, sliced lengthwise: 2
Coconut milk: 500 ml
Green chillies: 5
Large prawns: 10
Coriander leaves, chopped: 2 tbsp

Method: In a bowl, mix together turmeric powder and salt. In another bowl, place the fish and sprinkle lemon juice over it and rub it with the turmeric mixture. Cover and chill. Grind cumin seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns in a m ixer and then ginger-garlic to a fine paste. Mix the tamarind paste with hot water and set aside. Heat oil in a frying pan, add the onions and cook until softened and golden. Transfer this to a shallow earthenware dish.

Add fish fillet to the oil remaining in the frying pan and fry over a high heat. Remove the fish from the pan and place on top of the onions. Add the spice mixture to the frying pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the tamarind liquid, coconut milk and chillies (de-seeded and cut into thin strips) and bring to the boil. Pour it into the earthenware dish. Cover the dish and cook for 10 minutes. Add the prawns and cook for five minutes. Do not overcook the prawns. Beef Vindaloo

Ingredients

Beef, cut into 3cm cubes: 1 kg
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Red chillies: 5
Peppercorns: 1 tsp
Cardamom: 4
Fenugreek seeds: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Vinegar: 3 tbsp
Oil: 2 tbsp
Onion, chopped: 1
Ginger, chopped: 1 tsp
Garlic, crushed: 2 cloves
Coriander powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric powder: half tsp

Method: Grind cumin seeds, chillies, peppercorns, cardamom seeds, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds to a fine powder. Mix with vinegar and salt. Sauté the onions in 1 tbsp oil. Put the onions and masala in a blender and grind well . Heat the remaining oil in a pan and fry the beef cubes for about 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the fire. Add ginger and garlic in the remaining oil in the pan and fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the ground coriander and turmeric and fry for another 2 minutes. Add the spice and onion paste and fry for 3 minutes. Add the beef cubes and 1-and-a-half cups of water. Cover and cook till the beef becomes tender. Serve with plain and yellow rice. Bibinca

Ingredients

Nutmeg, powdered: half tsp
Cardamom powder: 2 tsp
Ghee: 1 cup
Egg yolks: 20
Coconut milk: 3 cups
Maida: 10 gm
Castor sugar: 1 kg

Method: Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree C. Mix the castor sugar to the coconut milk and stir till it dissolves. Cream egg yolks till creamy and mix into coconut milk and mix thoroughly. Mix maida into this stirring constantly so that t here are no lumps. Mix in the powdered nutmeg and cardamom. Take a deep pot about 6 inches in diameter and heat a tbsp of ghee in it. When it is hot, pour a cup of batter and bake till brown. Mix in another tbsp of ghee over it, pour another cup of batter and bake till golden brown. Continue in this manner till all the batter is used up. Decorate the last layer with a few toasted almond slices and bake. To serve, cut it into thin slices.

LEENA LEON

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