Category: Goa

Many Asian countries have a balchao type preserve. It is used either
in the preparation of other dishes ;- see Balchao de peixe (fish balchao)
and Balchao de porco (pork balchao), or served as an accompaniment to other
dishes. For a fresh balchao, i.e. one you are not going to bottle

Ingredients
:
1/4 Kg prawns (shelled)
1tsp cumin seeds
1tsp peppercorns
10 Kashmiri chilies
vinegar to taste
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 cups oil
4 medium onions, minced
handful of curry leaves
1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
3 heads of garlic, finely chopped
4 green chilies, seeded and chopped
salt to taste

Method
Grind together the cumin, peppercorns and chilies with the vinegar.
Mix in the turmeric. Fry the onions in the oil until all the water have
gone. Add the prawns, masala, curry leaves, garlic, ginger and green chilies.
Simmer for 10 minutes or so.

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.

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 tbls 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 an 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.

Goan Machi All along the Konkan coast, a variety of fish and shellfish
are cooked in a hot sweet and sour coconut sauce. ‘Kokum’ fruit is used
with tamarind to produce a sour effect, but the curry can be made successfully
with limes or lemons as a replacement. I find the flavor improved if the
fish is prepared a day in advance.
1
Ingredients
3/4 lbs firm white fish fillets
1 tsp turmeric salt
2 tsp lemon juice
3 dried hot chili peppers
1 tsp cumin seed
2 tbls coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
6 cloves garlic
1 1/4 inch piece peeled fresh gingerroot
2 1/2 cups freshly grated coconut
1 large onion
2 tbls veg. oil
5 fl. oz. tamarind juice
5 kokums or chopped
flesh from 1/2 lime or lemon
7 oz. peeled tomatoes
3 fresh hot green chili peppers

Method
Sprinkle the fish fillets with the turmeric, a little salt, and
the lemon juice. Leave for several hours. Grind the seeded red chili peppers,
cumin and coriander seeds, and peppercorns to a fine powder, then work
with the garlic, ginger and coconut in a food processor to form a smooth
paste. Chop the onion and fry in the heated oil until golden brown. Add
the spice paste and cook gently for 10 minutes. Pour in 1 quart of boiling
water and simmer for 20 minutes. Now put in the fish and it’s liquid, together
with the tamarind juice and the kokums. Cook gently for 10 minutes. Just
at the very end, add the chopped tomatoes and seeded green chili peppers.
from Favorite Indian Food by Diane Seed.

A delicious shellfish recipe from Goa, using spices and fresh coconut.

Ingredients
2 1/4 lbs. mussels
4 Tbl. veg. oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 medium onion
6 cloves garlic
1 1/4 inch piece fresh ginger root
2 fresh hot chili peppers
1 tsp. turmeric
2 cups freshly grated coconut
1 tsp. salt

Method
Heat the oil and let the cumin seeds begin to spatter before adding
the finely chopped onion. Cook until it is soft. Grind the garlic and ginger
to a paste with a little water. Add the paste to the onion and, after a
few minutes, stir in the seeded and chopped chilies and turmeric. Add the
coconut, salt and about 10 fl. ozs. water. Simmer for about 5 minutes,
then add the scrubbed mussels, still in their shells. Mix well and simmer
for another 5 minutes or so, when all the shells should be open.

From Favorite Indian Food by Dianne Seed

Chicken Chicken Shakuti I (chicken cooked in coconut)
Chicken Shakuti II (chicken cooked in coconut)
Chicken Moelho
Chicken Cafreal
Chicken Gizad
Chicken Baffad
Chicken chili fry
Goanese Fiery Duck Curry in Vindaloo Sauce

Ingredients
1Kg chicken, cut into desired pieces (or or off the bone)
6 Tsp ghee
10 onions
2 coconuts – thick and thin milk extracted from one, the other grated
and roasted in a large pan with two of the onions (sliced) and a little
ghee. This should be roated until the coconut has gone a pale brown. Grind
this roasted coconut/onion mixture.
2 Tsp coriander seeds
5 peppercorns
15 dried red chilies dry roast the above and grind into a paste with a little water and add 1tsp turmeric.

Dry roast the following and grind into a paste with a little water:
6 cloves
1/2 inch piece cinnamon
1/2 nutmeg
3/4 Tsp aniseed
1 Tsp poppy seeds
2 limes

Method
Chop four of the onions and fry until light brown. Add the chicken and brown.
Add the coriander etc. paste, fry for a minute and then add the thin coconut
milk. Cook until chicken is tender. Cut the remaining onions into quarters and
add to the chicken, along with the roated coconut and cinnnamon etc, paste.
Simmer for a few minutes then add the thick coconut milk. Add salt if required.
Simmer for 10 minutes or so until sauce has thickened. Sprinkle over some
lime juice prior to serving.

Another traditional Goan Christmas treat.
Ingredients
1 lb. flour
2 Tsp. ghee
a pinch of salt
For the filling:
1 lb. sugar
1/2 cup water
1 half ripe coconut grated fine
100 g. cashew nuts (chopped very fine)
100 g. raisins
2 Tsp. ghee
6 cardamons (powdered)
oil for frying

Method
Mix flour, salt and ghee well, add just enough water to knead into a small
dough. Keep aside.

Heat sugar and water till a syrup is formed. Add the grated coconut, ghee and nuts. When the mixture has thickened, add raisins and cardamon powder. Remove from fire after the mixture turns quite dry. Cool and keep aside. Divide the dough into small balls, roll out into thin rounds, put a spoonful of the coconut filling on each round, wet the edges, press down to form half-moon shapes. Trim
edges preferably with a cutter and deep fry in hot oil.

In India, a paper back edition of this recipe book is available for about 30
rupees (~ US $ 1).

You can contact the author the following address: Joyce Fernandes D/5 Kundaikar
Nagar, Dada Vaidya Rd., Panjim, Goa. India. 403001