When in Goa, eat as the Goans do! Visitors to Goa often have a challenging time ordering the right stuff off the Goan menu, there is so much choice and you just can’t figure what is what.  If your menu makes no sense to you and you are dying to try the famed Goan cuisine then this should help. Below is a list of items you are most likely to encounter on your menu card, now you’re equipped to impress everyone with your knowledge of Goan culinary delights.

A

Alebele: Pancakes stuffed with greed fresh coconut

Ambot Tik: A sour curry dish made with meat or fish and flavored with tamarind

Apa de camarao: Prawn pie with a crisp rice flour crust

Arroz doce: A Portuguese derivative of kheer (sweetened rice)

B

Bacalhau: Portuguese salt cord with a dressing of olive oil and other boiled accompaniments

Balchao: Fish or prawns cooked in a rich, spicy tomato sauce; balchao de peixe is made with fish, balchao de porco is made with pork

Batega: Coconut Cake

Bebinca: A richly layered, pancake like Goan desert made from egg yolk and coconut

Bibo upkari: Cashews cooked with spices

Bolinhas: Small, round and syrupy rice-flour cakes

C

Cabidela: A rich pork dish

Cafreal: Method of preparation in which the meat, usually chicken, is marinated in a sauce, comprising of chilies, garlic and ginger and then deep fried

Caldeirada: A mild curry of fish or prawns layered in a vegetable stew

Caldinha: A meat or vegetable dish cooked in spices and coconut milk

Canja de galinha: A type of chicken broth served with rice and chicken, and is originally a Goan recipe.

Chamuça: A Goan derivative of the samosa

Chanyacho ros: Dried peas prepared with Dry-roasted coconut and whole spices

Caril de caranguejos: Crab curry

Chourico: Spicy pork sausages, dried and smoked then cooked in hot sauce

Cocada: A traditional Christmas treat made out of coconut, jaggery and rulao (rawa)

Coconut ice: A toffee made of scrapped coconut milk and sugar reduced gradually over a flame

Croquettes: Beef cutlets and beef potato chops that are common snacks

Cordeal: Almond toffee

Coscoroes: Sweet and crunchy fried dough Christmas sweet

Coyloyeo: Although made in different variations they are essentially ‘griddle cakes’ made out of rice flour

D

Doce: A sweet made with chickpeas and coconut

Dodol: Traditional Christmas sweet made with rice flour, coconut milk, jaggery and cashew nuts

E

Empadinhas: small pies with spicy pork filling

F

Feni: Goa’s most famous drink, feni is liquor distilled from coconut toddy or the juice of cashew apples

Feijoada : A stew brought by the Portuguese

Fish curry rice: Goa’s staple dish, a simple mixture of fish or prawns in a mild to hot curry and served with steamed rice

Fish Suke or Dhabdhabit: Dry spicy preparation of fish, eaten as a side dish

Fish Udid Methi or Uddamethi: Type of curry consisting of fenugreek and mackerel. A vegetarian version of this dish is also prepared using hog plums (or anything sour and tangy such as pieces of raw mango) and fenugreek

Fofos: Fish rolls, spiced and fried in bread crumbs

K

Kalputi: It is a dish prepared normally from the head of a large fish, onions and coconut

Kismur: A type of side dish normally consisting of dried fish (mostly mackerel or shrimp), onions and coconut

Kokum: Dried fruit used as spice

Kulkuls: Tiny shell shaped biscuits

M

Mackarel Racheado: Mackarel fish stuffed with a red hot chili masala which includes, red chili, spices, ginger, garlic, ground with malt vinegar called Racheado

Mangada: Mango jam

Mergolho: A vegetable dish made with coconut, cashews and raisins

Molho: A preserve made out of authentic Goan spices usually made with prawns or other seafood

N

Neuros: Half-moon-shaped stuffed pastries

O

Odde: A Goan type poori traditionally made with toddy

P

Patoleo or Patoli – A dish of turmeric leaves stuffed with rice, dal, jaggery, and coconut

Perada: Guava jam

Para: Preserve made of dry Mackarel, condiments and vinegar

Pinaca: a traditional Goan sweet made of rice flour, coconut and jaggery

R

Racheado: A reddish paste of spices ground together and used to flavour curries

Rawa: A mix of spices and suji used to coat fish for a crunchy texture

Ros Omlette: Spicy omlette served in a rich chicken or chickpea gravy served with pao

S

Sanna: Steamed rolls or cakes made with rice flour, ground coconut, and toddy

Seradura: A creamy Goan dessert topped with biscuit crumbs to mimic the appearance of Serradura (saw dust)

Solachi kadi: A spicy coconut and kokum curry

Sorpotel: Pork liver, heart or kidney cooked in a thick, slightly sour, spicy sauce and flavored with Feni

T

Tondak: A preparation of beans and cashews

U

Uned: Small, round, crusty rolls

Upid: Similar to dosa

V

Vindaloo: A very hot curry, usually using pork, spiced with chilies, vinegar and garlic

X

Xacuti: The method of cooking, where a very hot sauce of spices and coconut milk is used to marinate meat (usually chicken) until quite dry

Xec Xec: A fragrant curry that seamlessly blends the rich spices and coconut flavours of Goan cuisine