The Goan Catholic Cuisine is the cuisine of the Goan Catholic

Goan Catholics

The Goan Catholics are an ethno-religious community of Roman Catholics and their descendants from the state of Goa, located on the west coast of India. They are Konkani people and speak the Konkani language...

 community and is largely influenced by the Saraswat

Saraswat cuisine

Saraswat cuisine is the cuisine of the Saraswat Brahmins from the Konkan region on the western coast of India. Saraswat cuisine differs from sub-Saraswat brahmin sects and region. Saraswat cuisine originally hails from Goa, India. Goan Saraswat cuisine is known throughout the western coast of India...

, Konkani

Konkani people

Konkani people , form a group of people mainly found in the Konkan Coast of western India whose mother-tongue is the Konkani language....

, Portuguese

Portuguese cuisine

Portuguese cuisine is characterised by rich, filling and full-flavored dishes and is closely related to Mediterranean cuisine. The influence of Portugal's former colonial possessions is also notable, especially in the wide variety of spices used. These spices include piri piri and black pepper, as...

, South Indian

South Indian cuisine

South Indian Cuisine is a term used to refer to the cuisines found in the four southern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.-Similarities and differences in "Four states' cuisines":...

, and British cuisine

British cuisine

English cuisine encompasses the cooking styles, traditions and recipes associated with England. It has distinctive attributes of its own, but also shares much with wider British cuisine, largely due to the importation of ingredients and ideas from places such as North America, China, and India...

s.

Goan Catholics are Roman Catholics

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 from the state of Goa

Goa

Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...

, a region on the west coast of India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. Most of the Goan Catholics, are descended from Saraswat Brahmin

Saraswat Brahmin

The Saraswats are a Brahmin caste of India.- History :According to the legend, Saraswat Brahmins are Brahmins who lived on the banks of the former Saraswati River that once flowed in northern India. Although it is said that at Prayag the three rivers meet or met.the fact is that the Saraswati never...

s, Kshatriya and Vaishya natives of Goa. The rest of the locals of Goa who were converted to Christianity

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

 during the Portuguese

Portuguese Empire

The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...

 rule. Their culture is a blend of Indian and Portuguese cultures.

Non-Vegetarian

Goan Catholic cuisine has distinct Portuguese influence as can be seen in the Roast Maas, the famous pork roast crackling served as the Pièce de résistance

Pièce de résistance

Pièce de résistance is a French term , translated into English literally as "piece of resistance," referring to the best part or feature of something , a showpiece, or highlight. It can be thought of as the portion of a creation which defies Pièce de résistance is a French term (circa 1839),...

at wedding dinners, or the Pork Sorpotel

Sorpotel

Sarapatel, also called Sorpotel, is a dish of Portuguese origin now commonly cooked in the coastal Konkan region of India primarily Goa and Mangalore and in northeastern Brazil. Ingredients include meat and offal, which varies depending on region from pork to lamb and even beef...

with slight variations, Cabidela

Cabidela

Cabidela or arroz de cabidela is a Portuguese dish made with chicken or rabbit. After the chicken or rabbit is killed, they are hung up upside-down, so the blood may be captured as it drains out...

, where fresh blood is stirred into the pork delicacy. The Mainstay of the Ros dinner is Pork Bafad. Their curries use a lot of coconut

Coconut

The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...

, coconut oil

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm . Throughout the tropical world, it has provided the primary source of fat in the diets of millions of people for generations. It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry...

, and spices along with vinegar

Vinegar

Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...

. Xit Kodi (Xit – par-boiled or red rice; Kodi – fish curry) forms the staple food

Staple food

A staple food is one that is eaten regularly and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a diet, and that supplies a high proportion of energy and nutrient needs. Most people live on a diet based on one or more staples...

 of the community. Other popular Portuguese influenced delicacies are Chouriço (pork sausage

Sausage

A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...

), Vindaloo

Vindaloo

Vindaloo is an Indian curry dish from the region of Goa. It is popular globally in its Anglo-Indian form as a staple of curry house menus, often renowned as a particularly spicy dish, though it is not necessarily always the hottest available. The name Vindaloo is derived from the Portuguese dish...

, Fish Rechad and Xacuti

Xacuti

Xacuti is a curry prepared in Goa, India with complex spicing, including white poppy seeds, sliced/grated coconut and large dried red chilies. It is usually prepared with chicken or lamb...

.

Chamuças is a Goan derivative of samosa

Samosa

A samosa is a stuffed, deep fried,snack that is very popular in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Southwest Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean, the Horn of Africa, North Africa and South Africa...

, which is usually filled with beef

Beef

Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...

 or pork is well known snack. Croquettes, beef cutlets and beef potato chops are common snacks. Roast beef and beef tongue are popular entrees at Goan celebrations.The traditional, Mol De Peixe (Fish pickle) and Balchão (prawn pickle sauce, originally from Macau

Macau

Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...

).

Vegetarian

Patoleo

Patoleo

Patoleo is a dish made in the Indian state Goa and natives of Goa settled elsewhere. It is made of grated coconut, rice and jaggery, and cooked by wrapping and steaming in turmeric or banana leaves. Goan Hindus prepare patolyos on the second Sunday of Shravan, on Nag Panchami and on Hartalika, the...

, a dish of turmeric leaves stuffed with rice, dal, jaggery, and coconut is mainly prepared on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Assumption of Mary

According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...

, especially by the Goan Catholics settled in Mumbai

Mumbai

Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

. The Pez (a type of Congee

Congee

Congee is a type of rice porridge popular in many Asian countries. It can be eaten alone or served with a side dish. Names for congee are as varied as the style of its preparation...

), Koiloris and Podecho (variants of dosa

Dosa

Dosa or Dhosai is a fermented crepe or pancake made from rice batter and black lentils. It is indigenous to and is a staple dish in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, as well as being popular in Sri Lanka...

), Sanna (a variant of idli) are a popular delicacy made of soaked rice, water and salt.

Sweets like Guava cheese (perad), Kadio bodio (tiny stick made of Maida flour

Maida flour

Maida is a finely milled and refined flour of wheat, closely resembling cake flour, and used extensively in making Indian fast food and Indian bakery products such as pastries and breadand sometimes in making traditional Indian breads such as paratha and naan. It is made from the endosperm of the...

 dipped in sugar syrup and dried) are well-known. The Cashew

Cashew

The cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew nuts and cashew apples.-Etymology:The...

nut laddu

Laddu

Laddu or Laddoo is a ball-shaped sweet popular in South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh as well as countries with immigrants from South Asia. Laddu is made of flour and sugar with other ingredients that vary by recipe...

s, Khaje

Kakinada Khaja

Kakinada Khaja is a sweet delicacy of Andhra Pradesh, India. Since Kakinada, a coastal city in Andhra Pradesh, is popular for Khajas, hence the name....

, Revdyo, Peda

Peda

Peda, Pheda or Pera is a sweet from the Indian subcontinent, usually prepared in thick, semi-soft pieces. The main ingredients are khoa, sugar and traditional flavorings, including cardamom seeds, pistachio nuts and saffron. The color varies from a creamy white to a caramel colour...

, Tizan, Godshem, Puran Poli

Puran Poli

Puran Poli is a traditional type of sweet flatbread made in India in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Goa.-Ingredients:*300 gm - Channa dal or split yellow gram*300 gm - Jaggery...

and Sakhar Bhat are well known sweet dishes. Filoz

Filoz

Filoz are a type of pancake prepared using jaggery and bananas. It native to the Goan Catholics of the Indian state of Goa....

(a jaggery and banana pancake

Pancake

A pancake is a thin, flat, round cake prepared from a batter, and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Most pancakes are quick breads; some use a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Most pancakes are cooked one side on a griddle and flipped partway through to cook the other side...

), and Arroz doce (rice pudding) a Portuguese derivative of kheer

Kheer

Kheer also known as Payasam or Payesh is a rice pudding, which is a traditional South Asian sweet dish...

 (sweetened rice) of India is also popular.

The feni; Cashew feni is made from the fermentation of the fruit of the cashew tree, while coconut feni is made from the sap of toddy palms is popular alcholholic beverage.

Kuswar

Kuswar

Kuswar is a term often used to mention a set of unique Christmas goodies which are part of the cuisine of the Goan Catholic community of Goa and the Mangalorean Catholic community of Karnataka, India. There are as many as 22 different traditional recipes that form this distinct flavour of Christmas...

 is a term often used to mention a set of unique Christmas

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

 goodies which are part of the cuisine of the Goan Catholic community There are as many as 22 different traditional recipes that form this distinct flavour of Christmas celebration in Goa. Neuries are mince puffs stuffed with plums, nuts, and fried theel and sugar. Kidyo

Kidyo

Kidyo or Kulkuls is a food preparation that forms a part of the Kuswar. It forms a part of the goodies prepared for the Christmas festival celebrated in Goa and in and around the city of Mangalore, in the South West coast of India.-External links:***...

 or Kulkuls are curly concoctions dipped in sugar treacle, bolinhas are small cakes also known as coconut cookies, perad are savoury of guava

Guava

Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...

s, Nankatais resembling snow balls are made from a batter of sugar, butter, and flour, Baath is a moist rich coconut tart baked in a large round shape with pastry lattice work on top, Marzipan

Marzipan

Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar and almond meal. Persipan is a similar, yet less expensive product, in which the almonds are replaced by apricot or peach kernels...

 a confection consisting primarily of sugar and cashew

Cashew

The cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew nuts and cashew apples.-Etymology:The...

 or almond meal

Almond meal

Almond meal, almond flour or ground almond is made from ground sweet almonds. Almond flour is usually made with blanched almonds , whereas almond meal can be made both with whole or blanched almonds...

 and Doce

Doce (sweet)

Doce is a popular sweet prepared during various ceremonies in Goa. It is a part of the Kuswar and is a popular sweet prepared during Christmas. The word doce means sweet in Portuguese, the colonial language of Goa....

 a sweet made using chickpeas and coconut. Bebinca

Bebinca

Bebinca, also known as bibik or bebinka, is a type of pudding and a traditional Goan dessert. The ingredients include plain flour, sugar, ghee and coconut milk....

, a rich egg-based multi-layered sweet dish, is what Goa is famous for and the subtle flavoured rose cookies are a hot favourite. But it is the Rich Plum Cake which takes the better part of a week to make. Candied fruit, plums, currents, raisins are dexterously cut and soaked in rum. Flour sieved and gently warmed in the sun. Nuts pealed and chopped and the whole family comes together to make the cake. Jobs are allotted, one to whip up the eggs, while another creams the butter and sugar, cake tins are lined, and a strong pair of arms requisitioned to do the final mixing and stirring.

External links

• Recipes from EnchantingGoa.com