A Konkan-coast cuisine where Portuguese, Hindu and Muslim traditions collided over 450 years of colonial rule. Coconut (milk, oil and grated flesh), tamarind, kokum, jaggery and a strong line of vinegar mark the kitchen; chouriço, sorpotel, bebinca and alle belle carry the Portuguese inheritance, while xacuti, cafreal, vindaloo and the daily fish curry-rice belong to the local Catholic and Hindu tables. Roasted spice pastes (kashmiri chillies, coriander, peppercorns, cloves), feni-spiked marinades and the use of vinegar as a souring agent (rather than tamarind alone) distinguish Goan cooking from its Maharashtran and Karnatakan neighbours.
A vivid green masala is ground from coriander leaves, mint, green chilli, garlic, ginger, cumin, peppercorns and clove with palm vinegar. Chicken pieces are slashed and marinated for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight). The pieces are pan-fried in the marinade-paste over high heat until the herb crust dries out and chars at the edges, with a small splash of water added halfway through to keep the chicken juicy. Served with a wedge of lime and a salad of onion and tomato.
A xacuti masala is built by dry-roasting fresh coconut to a deep mahogany brown alongside a long list of whole spices (Kashmiri and byadgi chillies, coriander, cumin, fennel, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, mace) and grinding them with onion, garlic and ginger into a black-brown paste. The chicken is browned briefly, the paste added, water poured in to cook the chicken through, and tamarind stirred in to finish. The trick is in the roast: the coconut should be almost-burnt, with the bitterness offset by the tamarind.
A Goan coconut masala paste is ground from soaked Kashmiri chillies, coriander seeds, cumin, peppercorns, garlic and ginger with fresh coconut and tamarind. Onion is softened in coconut oil with green chilli and curry leaves, the masala is fried until the oil separates, water and salt are added for a brief simmer, and the fish is slid into the gravy for a gentle poach. The dish is sharply acidic, deeply red and just hot enough.
Pork shoulder and liver are par-boiled with whole spices, then diced. A masala paste of roasted Kashmiri chillies, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves and cumin is ground with garlic, ginger and a generous splash of palm vinegar. The diced meat is browned in pork fat, the paste fried until the oil separates, and the cooking stock added for a slow simmer. The dish improves dramatically after 24-48 hours in the fridge; Goans traditionally make it the day before serving.
Prawns are seasoned briefly with turmeric and salt. A balchão masala is built from soaked dried Kashmiri chillies, garlic, ginger, cumin, peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon ground with palm vinegar. Onions are caramelised in oil to deep gold, tomato is added, the masala paste fried until the oil separates, then sugar and a second hit of vinegar make this a pickle rather than a curry. The prawns go in late so they stay juicy. The dish thickens to a jam-like consistency.
