Goa Food
Variety of Dishes for Food Lovers

Food is a serious business in Goa. The rich fare available here shows a Portuguese influence and the marked impact of cuisines from various parts of India and abroad. It is this fusion of East and West in Goan cuisine that makes it irresistible to tourists who flock to the state throughout the year.

What makes Goan food unique is the liberal use of fish and coconut.

The staple dish of Goa is fish curry and rice. This is available almost everywhere in Goa, be it in cheap shacks lined up on beaches or in luxurious hotels. Seafood is another big draw and the typical Seafood Platter offered in Goa includes kingfish, pomfrets, sharks, tunas, mackerels, crabs, tiger prawns, lobsters, squids and mussels.

GOA CUISINE

Seafood

Ambot tik: It is one of the most popular dishes and has a slightly sour curry. The dish is prepared with fish or meat, with fish being the preferred option.

Caldeirada: Mildly flavoured with wine, it is made with fish or prawns. It is cooked into a stew with vegetables.

Reicheado: The fish is slit in the centre and then stuffed with a spicy red sauce following which it is cooked. Usually, mackerel or pomfret is used.

Rissois: Generally, it is served as a snack or a starter. Prawns are fried in pastry shells and are scrumptious.

Meats: Interestingly, nothing is wasted while cooking, whether it is a pig or a coconut. The pig’s belly is used in vindaloos and pork assado, its organs in sorpotel and bones for aad maas. The rest (including fat) is rubbed with masala (spice) and stuffed and hung in the sun to make the famed Goan sausages.

Sorpotel: This is one of Goa’s most famous pork dishes with vinegar and spices. Pork meat is tossed and cooked into a thick and spicy sauce. To this concoction, feni is added to give it that extra zing.

Chouricos: Full of spices and flavours, the pork sausages is delicious. Cubes of pork are tossed in spices. Once cooked, they are hung in the sun and then gradually smoked over a fire. Chouricos is prepared usually in monsoons, when fish is scarce.

Balchao: It is a dish made of either prawns or fish. The dish is cooked after marinating prawns or fish in vinegar, sugar and spices for a day or two.

Cabidela: It is a rich and spicy pork dish.

Xhacuti: It is a delicious, traditional curry. The meat, usually chicken, is cooked in coconut milk. To this, grated coconut is added along with other spices.

Breads: Apart from meat and seafood, there are various traditional Goan breads that you can relish.

Uned: These are small crusty balls that taste best when served fresh from the bakery. They form an ideal alternative to rice while relishing dishes like sorpotel.

Sanna: These are small breads made from rice flour, ground coconut and coconut toddy.

Sweets

Bebinca: It is a delicious coconut pancake, made in layers, by using almost a dozen eggs.

Dodol: Prepared mainly from jaggery, cashew nuts, coconut milk and rice flour, it is a Goan sweet that is traditionally eaten at Christmas.

Doce: Made with chickpeas and coconut, it is tasty.

Piangre: These are small, sweet balls made with Goan palm jaggery.

INDIAN CUISINES

A typical North Indian fare includes chapatti (flat bread) and dal. Dal is either used as an accompaniment to a curry or eaten with chapattis or rice. For the non-vegetarians, there are a variety of dishes: Chicken Tandoori, Saag Gosht (spinach and meat) and Navratan Korma. For the diehard vegetarians, there is Matar Paneer (peas and cheese in gravy), Aloo Dum (potato curry), Palak Paneer (spinach and cheese), Aloo Choley (diced potatoes with spicy, sour chickpeas), Malai Kofta (cream-based dish), Pulao (flavoured rice), cheese Pav Bhaji and Potato Puri Bhaji.

Punjabi: Among the many Punjabi dishes, Chole Bhature wins hands down among vegetarians, and Butter Chicken is a favourite among those who like meat dishes. Punjabi food, with its tempting aroma, is widely available in Dona Paula and Panaji.

South Indian: Rice-based South Indian cuisine that blends flavours, colours fragrance and taste has many takers here. Among the favourites are: Dosa (paper-thin pancakes made from lentil and rice flour), idli (kind of South Indian rice dumpling), rasam (a South Indian soup prepared with juice of tamarind and tomato, with pepper and other spices) and Pappadams (crispy, deep-fried lentil-flour wafers).

Malvani: Among the dishes worth trying are the scrumptious Malvani Fish Curry and Malvani Chicken.

Gujarati: With its distinctive dishes, pickles and sweets, Gujarati food is a delight. While in Panaji, you can taste the delectable Gujarati thali. Gujarati cuisine is invariably a vegetarian’s delight.

INTERNATIONAL CUISINES

Burmese: Authentic Burmese food is available at only one popular celeb joint, Bomra’s.

Thai: Thai Green Curry is good for those who love spicy food. But if you like food to be mildly flavoured, you can sample the Red Curry. To reduce the hot, spicy flavour, Thai food is often served with steamed rice. You can get Thai food in Candolim, Vagator, Sinquerim and Calangute.

Japanese: You can get sushi and Teppanyakis in Pan Asian at Vainguinim Valley Resort. Fiesta in Baga has introduced sushi this year.

Russian: With the rise in the number of Russian tourists visiting Goa every year, a large number of Russian restaurants have opened up here. These are open mostly during the tourist season.

Israeli: The influx of Israeli tourists in Goa has increased appreciably. To cater to them, many Israeli-run restaurants have come up. One good place for Israeli food is Arambol. Shawarmas are available at Club Cubana and Ingo’s Saturday Night Market.

Turkish: Turkish grills, stews and meat dishes are available at Arpora.

Mediterranean: Mezze platters are available at several places. Baba ghanoush, hummus and falafels are available at Miguel Arcanjo at Taj Exotic.

French: The most popular place for French fine dining are Le Restaurant Francais, Le Poisson Range, Le Terrasse and Le Bluebird.

English: English breakfast can be found at many shacks in almost every beach. The quality varies from place to place. Among the fare on offer are: fish and chips, apple pies, steaks, Beef Stroganoff, Shepherd’s Pie, bacon and eggs and sausages. For vegetarians, one can get a breakfast of sandwiches and toasts, cereals and breads and grilled vegetables.

Italian: Pizzas, pastas, lasagnas and ravioli are readily available and popular with tourists.

Mexican: Nachos, tacos and fajitas are popular among tourists.

German: Those who like German food can opt for German bread, cakes and goulash. There are German bakeries in Anjuna.

Greek: Marikaty serves the best souvlaki in Chapora.