Nearly every Goan meal contains items made from rice, fish, and coconut. Rice is the stable food and has been cultivated for over five thousand years; it is eaten at almost every meal and is the basis of both sweet and savoury snacks. This diet proves to be extremely healthy.

Goan food is simple consisting of a few stable ingredients which make up various concoctions. Hindus believe that some food has a warming effect on the body, whilst others have a cooling one. This theory originates from tridosha (a Hindu concept of medicine and diet). Most dishes consist of chilli which adds colour to goan recipes as well as heat and colour. Unlike most other ingredients which are best bought whole, it is better to buy ready ground chillies to prevent irritation to eyes, nose and throat.

1.  Goan Mussel Pulao
2.  Fried Rice
3.  Prawn Pulao
4.  Sakharbhat
5.  Arroz Refogado
6.  Chicken Biryani
7.  Vegetable Pulao
8.  Plain Pulao
9.  Mutton Biryani
10.  Goan Sausage Pulao
11.  Plain Rice
12.  Peas Pulao
13.  Rice Croquettes

Have a look at one of the above rice Recipe

Prepare Arroz Refogado

Ingredients :

Fine white rice 6 cups
Chicken 500g
Chicken stock 12 cups
Chicken stock cubes 6 (optional)
Onion 6
Tomatoes 2
Garlic 6 flakes
Oil 5 tbsp.
Cloves 6
Cocktail sausages 4-6
French beans 6-8
Carrot 1
Peas 50g
Hard-boiled eggs 2
Salt to taste

Preparation :

Wash and soak the rice in water for half an hour.

To prepare stock, simmer the chicken bones in 20 cups of water. To improve the taste of the stock, you can add a roughly cut carrot, onion, a few peppercorns, a bay leaf, and a couple of garlic flakes (do not add salt).

Cut the chicken into cubes. Slice the onions, tomatoes (remove seeds) and the garlic finely.

Heat oil in a pan, fry all the sliced ingredients till the onions are slightly browned. Add the rice, chicken and cloves and fry for a while till the rice begins to stick slightly to the pan.

Stir the stock (about 12 cups) into the pan as well as salt and cook on a low fire with the lid on. Alternatively, if using chicken stock cubes, add water to the fried ingredients and the cubes. Add more salt if necessary.

When the stock is almost dry and the rice is cooked, remove from the fire.

Garnish with sliced boiled sausages, French beans, carrots, peas and quartered hard-boiled eggs.

Posted By: Victor Soares, Harrow, London.
04/12/2005