Category: Goa

Sorpotel is a dish served at festivals. It is served with sannas, a type of rice
bread. I have included the recipe for sannas, even though you will not be able to make it – it uses the sap of the coconut palm (toddy) as the source of yeast.

Ingredients
1kg pork
1/2kg pork liver and heart
1 cup pork blood mixed with 1/2 cup coconut vinegar
1/4 bottle of coconut vinegar small ball of tamarind, soaked in a cup of water 1
whole head of
garlic, finely chopped 2 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped 3 onions, finely
chopped 4 green
chilies, finely chopped
salt to taste
Masala – grind the following into a paste with a little vinegar 20 dry chilies
1 teaspoon cumin seeds 6 cloves 1 tsp tumeric 10 peppercorns 1 inch piece cinammon bark

Method
Wash and boil the uncut pork, liver and heart.

Cool and cube into small pieces then brown in a little pork fat, remove and set aside. Add ginger, garlic and onions and fry until onions change colour.

Add masala and stir and fry for a minute or so then return meat to pan along
with the tamarind and some of the vinegar if more liquid is required. Cook on a low heat for 1- 1 1/2 hours until meat is tender.

Add the chilies and blood (which may require a good stir prior to adding T.H.), cook for another ten minutes or so. Better eaten the next day re-heated!

Ingredients
1 lb. red tomatoes
1 inch piece turmeric (1tsp ground)
8 peppercorns
3 cloves
1/2 tsp cumin
1 lb. fresh uncooked prawns, cleaned and shelled
1 coconut
2 large onions, finely sliced
1 inch piece of ginger, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 green chilies, finely sliced

Method
Skin and chop the tomatoes then pass through a sieve to remove seeds. Grind
together the turmeric, peppercorns, cloves and cumin. Extract a thick
and thin milk from the coconut. Fry the onion, ginger, garlic and chilies
in a little oil until onions are slightly brown. Add spice mix and fry
for 30 second or so. Add the prawns (if using cooked prawns add at the
end of the cooking) and fry for a few minutes. Add the tomato juice and
cook for 5 minutes. Add the thin coconut milk and cook for 5 minutes. Add
the thick coconut milk and cook until the sauce is thick. Serve with rice.

Note : I was told this may be served with roasted dried prawns, never got
to try them though.

Ingredients
30 limes
4 Tsp dried red Kashmiri chilies
2 Tsp turmeric
2 Tsp cumin seeds
handful curry leaves
2 1/2 cups vinegar
2 Tsp mustard seeds
4 whole heads garlic
5 inch piece ginger
10 green chilies
4 Tsp sugar
2 Tsp salt
2 cups oil

Method
Cut the limes into quarters, salt and keep, covered for 3-4 days.

Grind together the chilies, turmeric, cumin and mustard.

Peel the garlic but keep cloves whole.

Slice the ginger.

Heat the oil in a large pan.

Add the garlic, ginger and curry leaves and cook until the garlic has browned slightly.

Add the ground spices and chopped green chilies. Cook for a minute or so and
then add the vinegar.

Wash the limes in a little vinegar and add to the pan along with the
sugar. Bring to the boil and cook for 15-20 minutes over a low heat. Cool and bottle. Eat after 3-4 weeks.

Ingredients
Pork Vindaloo IV
Servings: 6
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
2 Hot, dried red chilies
1 tsp black pepper corns
1 tsp cardamom seeds
3 In stick cinnamon
1 1/2 ts black mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
5 Tsp white wine vinegar
1 1/2 ts salt
1 Tsp brown sugar
5 Tsp vegetable oil
2 Medium onions cut into rings
1 1/3 c water
2 lb pork cut into 1″ cubes
1 One in cube ginger chopped
8 Cloves garlic peeled
1 Tsp ground coriander seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric

Method
Grind cumin seeds, red chilies, peppercorns, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, black
mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds in a coffee-grinder or other spice grinder. Put the ground spices in a bowl.

Add the vinegar, salt and sugar. Mix and set aside. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pot over a medium flame.

Put in the onions. Fry, stirring frequently, until the onions turn brown and
crisp. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and put them into the container of an electric blender or food processor. (Turn off the heat.)

Add 2-3 Tsp. of water to the blender and puree the onions.

Add this puree to the ground spices in the bowl. (This is the vindaloo paste. It may be made ahead of time and frozen.)

Dry off the meat cubes with a paper towel and remove large pieces of
fat, if any.

Put the ginger and garlic into the container of an electric blender.

Ingredients
1/4 kg uncooked shelled prawns
20 dried Kashmiri chilies
10 peppercorns
1 Tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
25 tomatoes, peeled and chopped milk from
1/2 a coconut
2 onions, sliced
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 inch piece ginger, chopped
4 green chilies
a few curry leaves
handful of freah coriander leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Grind the chilies, coriander, cumin and peppercorns. Fry the onions, garlic
and ginger until the onions have browned. Add the masala, fry for a minute
then add the tomatoes and curry leaves and green chilies. Cook for a minute
or so and then add the prawns and coconut milk and fresh coriander. Cook
on a low heat until sauce has thickened.

Ingredients
1 lb. fleshy fish steaks (prawns may be substituted)
1 coconut
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
6 peppercorns
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 inch piece turmeric (or
1 tsp ground)
2 onions, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
2 Tsp oil
2 green chilies sliced lengthways (or more if desired)
salt and vinegar to taste

Method
Clean and wash the fish. Cut into small steaks, rub in salt and
vinegar and set aside. Grind the spices. Extract a thick milk from the
coconut (see intro). Add the ground spices to the coconut and pass through
the blender again to extract a thin milk. Fry the onions and tomato in
the oil, add the thin coconut milk. Bring to the boil and add the chilies,
fish and thick coconut milk. Simmer until fish is cooked.

Caldine is also prepared using hard boiled eggs or bhindi (okra/ladies’ fingers). Serve with plain boiled rice.

Ingredients
4-5 jalapeno or serrano chilies, stems removed, sliced
25 dried red New Mexico chilies, seeds and stems removed
1 head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled
2 separate 1/2-inch cubes ginger root, sliced
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 medium onion, diced
1-inch stick of cinnamon
3-4 cloves
1 C oil
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 lbs lean pork, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 C vinegar
2 tsp salt

Method
Mix the dried chilies, garlic, half the ginger, cumin, mustard seeds, onion,
cinnamon and cloves together and grind or blend them to a fine consistency.

Heat the oil and fry the fresh green chilies, ground mustard and the rest of the sliced ginger until the ginger turns brown and is dry.

Then add the ground spices and the turmeric and fry for about 5 minutes. Add the meat cubes and fry for 3-5 minutes. Then add the vinegar and salt and simmer very slowly for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the meat is tender and the oil floats on top.

Skim off oil before serving.

Serves: 4-6 brave people.

Meat dishes in India are always regarded as special treats to be served on special occasions such as festival days or arrival of a special guest. They would be served with vegetable dishes, rice, and
breads. Heat scale: Extremely hot.

Ingredients
1/4 kg uncooked shelled prawns

8 dried Kashmiri chilies
1/2tsp cumin seeds
12 peppercorns
3 cloves garlic
1/2 inch piece ginger
1tsp ground turmeric
2 onions, chopped
2 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped
salt to taste
small amount of tamarind dissolved in a litle water
vinegar to taste

Method
Grind together the chilies, cumin, peppercorns, garlic and ginger.
Mix in the turmeric. Fry the onions in a little oil until golden brown.
Add the tomato and prawns. Fry for a minute. Add the masala, tamarind and
vinegar. Cover and cook until prawns are done.

Ingredients
1 lb. lean lamb
1 lb. pork

Thin slices fresh ginger
2 Tabl. ghee or oil
1 lg. onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 fresh red or green chilies, seeded
1 Tabl. ground cumin
2 Tabl. black mustard seed, ground
2 tsp. chili powder or to taste

2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 Cup vinegar
1/2 Cup water
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Method
Cut both meats into cubes and thread on bamboo skewers alternately with thin
slices of tender ginger.

Heat ghee or oil in a saucepan and fry the onion, garlic, chilies until
onion is soft and golden brown. Add the ground spices and continue stirring and frying for 1 minute.

Add vinegar, water, salt and pepper. Let the mixture come to the boil, then put in skewers of meat, turn to coat in the spice mixture, cover and cook on very low heat until meat is tender.

Stir and turn kebabs once or twice during cooking. When meat is tender, cook, uncovered, until gravy is thickened and dark.

Serve with white rice and accompaniments.

Yield: 6 servings

Caldeirada is a well known Portuguese dish which, I seem to remember,
uses a lot of shellfish. Here is a Goan version.

Ingredients
10 large mackerel or sardines, cleaned and head removed
4 large onions, sliced
2 large tomatoes, sliced
1 head of garlic, finely sliced
1 inch piece of ginger, finely sliced
3 Tsp light oil
1 Tsp vinegar
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
4 bell peppers (red/green) and or green chilies
salt to taste

Method
Layer a few slices of onion and tomato in a pan. Place 1/2 the fish over onions and tomato.

Add another layer of onion/tomato and then another layer of fish. Sprinkle with the garlic and ginger.

Scatter over the remaining onion and tomato. Pour the oil, vinegar and about 6-7 Tsp water over the fish. add salt is desired.

Cook on a low heat until fish is half done. Sprinkle turmeric over fish. Add
peppers/chilies.

Cook until fish is tender.