Vibrant, like the setting sun, speckled with mustard seeds and fragrant with the aroma of coconut, the ambadyache sasav/ross is a revelation, a sweet and sour mixture of coconut, hog plum and mustard seeds. It is easily one of the most interesting dishes in the Goan culinary repertoire—often broadly categorised into Goan Hindu and Goan Catholic; the latter bearing more of a Portuguese influence in terms of ingredients and cooking techniques. The food of Goa’s Hindu community reflects the state’s deep and rich history, traditional methods of cooking and an emphasis on eating local and seasonal food. Today, the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) community’s food is used as a catch-all for Goan Hindu food. But the Goa of today is digging deeper into her roots and is eager to share her food, beyond the stereotypes.
Shubhra Shankwalker has been championing GSB cuisine through her venture, Aai’s. She began Aai’s with her mother, and they sold pickles. Today, Aai’s does an elaborate lunch at her farm in Camurlim, featuring dishes that are seasonal. “There are a few misconceptions about our food. Most people think that the community eats only vegetarian food. But, we eat meat (no beef or pork) and fish. We are very particular about the kind of ingredients we use, from the freshness of the fish to the purity of the hing,” she says. As accompaniments, she also feeds visitors with information—how there isn’t just one variety of sol kadhi, and why eating seasonal is the best. Her venture is also a chance for her to preserve the recipes and knowledge of her community, which she one day hopes to bring out in the form of a book. “How many people know the recipes for these dishes? It’s only cooked at home,” she says.
This thought is what drove Sapna Sardessai to launch Kokum Curry—as a way to showcase food she grew up eating. At her two restaurants, in Panaji and Candolim, the menu features a list of nostalgic comfort favourites, and some gems. Among the former are foddni fov (savoury flattened rice preparation) and godachi chappati (literally, chapati with ghee, jaggery and coconut). The latter includes moogachi gaati (sprouted moong dish), biyanche tondak (cashew nut curry), and karela kismoor. Over in Assagao, Avo’s Kitchen is serving familiar favourites but with slight tweaks. It is the place to find nirphanas (breadfruit) fry, stuffed crab, that street food favourite ros omelette, sasav (sour mustard-based curry) and udda methi (urad dal and methi). Many dishes on the menu are “to educate people about Goa’s lesser known dishes”, says Amey Naik, partner at Avo’s Kitchen.