Win-win Vindaloo

The most striking aspect of Goan food — seafood such as fish and prawns prepared with a freshly ground paste of spices such as pepper, coconut, kokum and toddy vinegar — was amply evident at the recent Goan food festival at the Taj Clubhouse, Chennai.

The highlight of Chef Urbano De Rego's offering was Camarao Frito (skewered prawns marinated with spices, dusted in semolina and fried), served with a chilli-mango dip. The dip perfectly balanced the sour and pungent elements so essential to Goan cuisine. The prawns were soft and extra-crunchy with the semolina.

The dip, said Chef Rego, the consultant on Goan food to Taj Hotels, who is posted at the Taj Holiday Village in Goa, was made from semi-ripe mangoes and mango pickle. Along with pork and beef, the incredibly fresh seafood forms the staple of this cuisine. Freshly ground pastes, that too on stone, complete the magic.

The fish curry served with Goan rice, which followed the starter, was delicious, and no oil was used in its preparation. “Our curry is very different from others… in Kerala they use curry patta , tomatoes, etc. We don't use any of that, nor any oil in the fish curry!”

For this curry, fresh fish is important, as also the freshly prepared paste of coconut, coriander seeds, red chillies, ginger and garlic, cumin seeds, pepper corns and fresh turmeric. The paste is cooked with sliced onion and green chillies, and the fish is then allowed to cook in this mixture. Though any fish will do, the pomfret would be the best for this curry, says Chef Rego. The curry is finally seasoned with tamarind and salt and served with parboiled rice. The combination was highly delectable.

Next on my menu was Galinha Cafreal, a boneless chicken marinated in a fiery combination of chilli, pepper, green herbs and toddy vinegar, and then grilled in a pan. It was scrumptious, and the green masala used here was a total contrast to the fish with its tangy red masala.

Aloo Banastarim — baby potatoes tossed in mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilli and cooked in coconut milk — was delicious.

For dessert the Chef served Bolo Chocolate Con Caju, a hot mud pie with nuts, made more sinful with servings of hot chocolate sauce and ice cream. By the time I came to Bebinca, a coconut cake, baked in layers and flavoured with nutmeg and served, again, with ice cream, barely a spoon was manageable.

The disappointment of the evening was Goan Sangria, a drink made from red wine, fruit juice, etc. But then, ample sampling of the Sangria in Barcelona and the rest of Spain spoils the experience elsewhere!

Chef Rego has been with the Taj group for 42 years, “but actually I am a good Continental cook, and started my career specialising in cold meats, cold salad, etc”, he says. He was transferred to Goa after the Taj hotels opened there and “found that many American and European guests were going to local restaurants to sample Goan food.”

A Goan who had learnt his food from his mother, he was the natural choice for a Goa posting, and he sharpened his skills in local cuisine by learning more from several Portuguese and Hindu families as well as local restaurants.

My bit of gnan , gleaned from Chef Rego, was on the Goan speciality Vindaloo. This is a Portuguese word; “ Vin means wine, and ailho means garlic; we use wine vinegar in grinding the masala used for Vindaloo. Many Indians think Vindaloo is aloo and put lot of potatoes in the dish,” he laughs.

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