Be a part of Aurvi Sharma's delicious accounts as she voices her thoughts, opinions and taste bud tingling experiences while plunging head first into the hedonistic world of food and wine satisfaction in Goa.
So you've heard it all before - that Goa's cuisine is 'different'. That it comes from a mingling of Indian, Portuguese and Arabian styles. That there is loads of rice and fish. That the seafood is heavenly. That alcohol flows. That vegetarians get, pardon the expression, a raw deal.
What do we have to tell you that is any different, you may ask. One, the fact that vegetarians in fact do not get foster treatment in Goa anymore. Two, how to tell your Xacutti from your Balchao. And three, recipes.
So it's true - Goa is all about living the good life. Goans like their food, they like their drink, and they like their afternoon siesta. The spirit of Sossegade - take it easy - pervades everything in Goa. But not the food. Because for the real thing, the ingredients have to be ground, pounded, marinated, deep fried, baked and roasted to produce dishes that are light on your stomach yet bursting with flavours, spices that you recognise, but not quite. And then by three in the afternoon all restaurants are shut (unless it's 'season'), the streets deserted, the shutters of houses boarded up against the tropical sun, the inhabitants dreaming the crabmeat away.
The paradox of a state that Goa is, it combines the Indian zest for life with a Portuguese laidback attitude, and this outlook is reflected in Goa's food the strongest. Typical Indian spices - turmeric, cumin, cloves and whole red chillies - combine with Portuguese palm vinegar, loads of garlic and taboo meats such as pork and beef to produce some sensational dishes.
And the alcohol. It's cheap and it's abundant. Goa must be the only place in India where a restaurant serves copious 'King' beer (a local brand) but does not allow smoking since it is a 'family' place. Goan Port wine is a bit inferior version of the famous Portuguese Port wine. But it is strong and sweet and with a price to rival at Rs. 70 a bottle. Feni is another famous Goan drink but usually unpalatable for non Goans with its strong pungent odour. Once you get a hang of it, however, connoisseurs claim there is nothing like a Feni high. Other locally produced liquor is abundant in the wine shops, as is a wide range of liqueurs. At restaurants you might get a shock seeing a shot of Old Monk being sold for Rs. 10. But remember, it's Goa. Sossegade.
Teetotaller? Wonderful fresh fruit juices greet you at all shacks as well as high-end restaurants. And not just the usual sweet lime and orange - watermelon, pineapple, papaya, even carrot. The mothers will approve.
Goa also solves the inevitable problem of ambience most eating places in India suffer from. When you have a meal with the sea roaring in front, starstwinkling above, sand under your feet and a candle on your table, even mundane Indian-Chinese tastes divine. And then when you have the option to choose from Pork Vindaloo to Caldinha, from Prawn Curry to Fish Recheiado, from Baby Shark to Balchaow, eating becomes an entire experience in itself.
Balchao is shrimps ground with salt, peppercorns, palm Feni and whole red chillies. Viindaloo is super hot and tangy, made with Portuguese vinegar, a variety of spices and lots of dried red chillies. Caldinha (pronounced kaal-deen) has a coconut base and is fragrant with peppercorns, turmeric, cumin and tamarind. Recheiado is a red masala that fish are usually stuffed with and fried. The masala is typically made with turmeric, peppercorns, coriander, cumin, tamarind and some sugar. Ambit-tik is usually made with baby shark in a hot and tangy curry flavoured with kokum berries, Xacutti is a sauce of coconut, cloves, garlic, peanuts, chillies and lemon juice.
In a nutshell, if you are a seafood lover, Goa is the stuff your garlic-crab dreams are made of. If you are vegetarian, do not despair, Goans have started improvising on their largely-meat based dishes now and all places have incongruous - but delicious - 'Vegetable Vindaloo' and 'Cabbage Xacutti'.
Try Souza Lobo at Calangute for some great Vindaloo, prawn curry, tiger prawns, or grilled lobster. Souza Lobo is an institution in Goa when it comes to seafood. In Panjim, a must visit is the Ritz Classic, the self proclaimed 'family' restaurant which has large groups of locals digging into larger thalis. Order a simple fish curry with rice here and what you will get is Shell Fish, Amvati, Taamso (Red Snapper), Tisri (Rock Fish), Fried Mudso, Ambolic and Prawn Curry, all for Rs. 80! When at Candolim, do visit Bob's Inn, the oldest bar in the area. Check out the owner's collection of liquor bottles that he has picked up from all over the world. Bob's Inn is funky and hippy-ish, a residual child of the flower power days, still attractive for its ambience and friendly service. Try the Pork Vindaloo and Fish Recheido here.
Britto's at Baga is the famous shack, quite upmarket compared to most. Their Sea food platter is sensational and comes with mussels, crab, prawn, king fish, French fries and salad. Cavela's pub at Baga is very popular on weekends for live music. It's all dim lights, chatty people and cheap beer. Its great ambience is matched by the piquant Goan sausage chilli served here.
Goans usually laugh when you tell them you ate 'Vegetable Vindaloo' but most restaurants have vegetarian approximations of all famous Goan dishes that are usually synonymous with non vegetarianism. So cauliflower replaces pork and gourd is used instead of chicken to make Caldinha. Some experiments turn into travesties; others, thankfully, are successful.
Though the best place to have authentic Goan fare is at a Goan's house. So make some friends, invite yourself over, do anything, by hook or by crook, but stooge a home cooked meal. However, do put off all other plans for the evening. Because Goans are generous and hospitable with their food and their alcohol. The table will creak under the dishes they will have cooked for you. They will be informal and charming. There will be laughter and great conversation. Maybe someone will take out a guitar, and there will be music. You will inevitably stay much longer than expected and depart with hugs and promises to return, and maybe a souvenir bottle of caju, as Goans fondly call their Feni. And the next day when you try to shake off that hangover, do not wonder what struck you. Remember. Sossegade.
About the author
Aurvi Sharma looks for stories in everyday life, unabashedly people-watching and eavesdropping on conversations. She is interested in books, people and food.
So you've heard it all before - that Goa's cuisine is 'different'. That it comes from a mingling of Indian, Portuguese and Arabian styles. That there is loads of rice and fish. That the seafood is heavenly. That alcohol flows. That vegetarians get, pardon the expression, a raw deal. 
lies. Caldinha (pronounced kaal-deen) has a coconut base and is fragrant with peppercorns, turmeric, cumin and tamarind. Recheiado is a red masala that fish are usually stuffed with and fried. The masala is typically made with turmeric, peppercorns, coriander, cumin, tamarind and some sugar. Ambit-tik is usually made with baby shark in a hot and tangy curry flavoured with kokum berries, Xacutti is a sauce of coconut, cloves, garlic, peanuts, chillies and lemon juice. 
