BM # 39Day : 7State : Goa
Goa is the smallest state of india and has a strong influence of Portugese. Rice with fish curry is the staple diet in Goa. Goan food could be divided into two categories.Goan Catholic and Goan Hindu cuisine.Each of them has a distinct taste, characteristic and cooking style.The catholic cooking has Vindaloos, Xacutis , whereas the Goan stew, khatkhates are the Goan Hindu specialities.
The basic ingredients used in their cooking are their local products and they say that they use every part of coconut. They use lot of kokum for making curries and drinks.Talking of drinks Feni is the most popular Goan alcoholic beverage, which is made from the fermentation of the fruit of cashew tree, they even have coconut feni which is made from sap of toddy palms.
Everyone knows that Goa is one of the most sought after tourist destination, and recently it has become a favorite wedding destination. I have attended some beautiful weddings here . Infact I attended one wedding very recently and it is truly amazing the way these wedding are planned. The beaches, music, wine all make the wedding a dream . There was a beach party where a variety of cocktails and mock tails were served. Well since I do not take any cocktails I was keen to taste some of the mock tails. Besides the regular meal they maintained the beach mela by serving corn cobs, the Indian golas ( crushed ice with syrups). I clicked some pics to get you some glimpses. The pheras took place while the sun was setting and this was a mesmerizing sight.
Amidst all the wedding rituals and functions Archana ( my co blogger , and a very good friend , who stays in Goa) came to pick me to take me around the city. We planned a early breakfast to savor at a local Goan restaurant called Tato’s .some of the dishes that we ordered were Tondak Pav, patal bhaji, suki bhaji, mixed bhaji with pav and buns. Now when Archana ordered buns I assumed them to be like the burger buns, but these were different. These were like big flat pooris and tasted like krack jack biscuits, a little salty, a little sweet. I am not a person of this combo taste so Archana ordered a katraco pav, which was a total treat. Absolutely hard shelled with a wonderful soft interior.It reminded me of my trip to Europe, where these buns are very popular.
After breakfast we went to Archana’s house where she had made preps for teaching me Tondak , a true Goan dish. I had carried my plates , bowls and mats since we had planned to work on this..so this is a post which was cooked in Goa itself. Archana packed some Tondak for my hubby , and I must tell you that he totally loved this dish.
The same evening we were served some Goan food at the wedding. This was five star category food but trust me the Tondak made by Archana tasted hundred times better than what these guys served us.
Archana gave me a nice gift hamper which included local Goan delicacies among which was Bibinca, which is a seven layered desert and a treat by itself, though I could not eat as it is loaded with eggs , the hamper included a local sweet called Doce and Pitha ke ladoos which were a delicious . At the wedding I tried dodol , which is a Christmas sweet but I guess one has to acquire taste for some of these local desserts.
For today I have the recipe for the ever popular Goan Tondak , which is served with Pav or rice .
1 ½ cups freshly grated coconut
1 onion chopped, lengthwise
6 cloves garlic
1-2 onions, chopped fine
250 grams Beans
A small ball of tamarind
Pinch turmeric
Salt to Taste
A few springs of coriander
For the masala:
1 tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp jeera
¼ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp poppy seeds
3-4 red chillies
1 inch piece of cinnamon
4 cloves
4-5 black pepper
1 petal of star anise
A small piece of nutmeg
In a tsp of oil fry the red chillies, keep aside. Fry the other ingredients for the masala individually add oil if necessary. Keep aside.
In the same pan fry the coconut, onion chopped lengthwise and garlic, on low flame till the coconut is reddish brown in colour, use oil if needed. Cool.
Grind to a fine paste the fried masala and coconut mixture with the tamarind and coriander.
In another pan with another tsp or two of oil fry the onions till soft then add the boiled beans.
Add the ground masala paste, turmeric, salt.
Serve hot.
step by step pics for cooking Tonak
Goan breakfast at Tato’s
The beach treats…ice gola / lolly
Peach and Orange mocktail
corn roasted on charcoal
The beach wedding!!
bye bye Goa
a view of Goa from the aircraft
Ice gola, omg i miss it here.. Tondak pav looks absolutely nutritious and very filling..Satisfying food definitely.
trust you to use the camera most efficiently in places unheard of 🙂 you are simply amazing in capturing the minutest details…and although i expected tonak to be the recipe of the day, you have used it well with rajmas, love visiting your space
Vaishali I have no words except come back.
lovely post ! and as always captured as a foodie-tourist :-))
Tondak pav looks fabulous and must have been tatsty ! Enjoyed reading your memories …
Lovely post, enjoyed reading about your trip. The tonak looks delicious.
Such a flavorful curry. I can imagine how wonderful the wedding might have been by the beach. Last year one of my niece's pre-wedding celebrations were in Goa and they exchanged rings by the beach just before sunset. It was such a beautiful scene.
Tondak Pav is looking so delicious and yumm!!! and the beach wedding photos and details are so good!!
Nice write up and cooking the Goan special in Goa, its amazing. The dish look so flavourful…
you made the goan dish in goa. how cool is that! looks yummy.. enjoyed reading the post..
awwww thats one fantastic post dear 🙂 love the clicks from your trip and lovely reading it.. tonak pav looks fabulous dear , perfectly baked 🙂
Your memories of Goa sure inspire us to attend a wedding in Goa! Lovely Tondak.
That is a delicious Goan dish.
I absolutely loved this post for so many reasons. Loved that you and Archana got to cook this together. Sounds like you guys had such a nice outing and I was there having that breakfast with you as you shared the photos. What is so funny also is that bottle of syrup used to make the mocktials is in my cabinet right now…same Italian brand travels the whole world:)
Vaishali, love this post!..what an awesome treat to be in the place and cooking it..enjoyed reading it so much..I enjoyed Archana's company so much, and can imagine how interesting it must have been to cook together..those pav are homemade or store bought, looks fantastic as well..
Tondak pav sounds healthy and delicious,nice write up and enjoyed reading..
I envy all of you who get to meet each other. I also had made this previously and loved it.
Very tempting dish & the pics you have shared are speaking much more for this beautiful place.
Seems like you had a wonderful time! the dish looks great besides being nutritious.
Destination wedding with sunset as the backdrop, sounds so dreamy vaishali!!! Tondak looks yum too, you carried your props too wit you to capture this, awesome great spirit!!! 🙂