A burst of flavours, a melt in the mouth sensation – the taste of good fish is unmatched – especially in Goa! Try it and you’ll be wanting more.
Right from being rava fried to being generously tossed into a simmering curry to being dried and stored for a rainy day, the pages of Goan recipe books have tons of different ways for you to relish your fish.
FISH CURRY
A staple in every Goan's diet, the Goan fish curry reveals its main ingredient in its name itself – fish!
Paired perfectly with steaming hot rice and other dishes that make up the Goan thali, fish curry has the power to make or break the thali that everybody knows and loves.
FRIED FISH
Generously coated with rava (semolina) and fried over just the right heat, fried fish can be savoured either as a fish filet or a whole fish that has been liberally smeared with red masala and semolina, or simply fried plain.
Garnished with a generous squeeze of lime juice, this preparation will have your mouth watering for just one more slice until the plate runs out of fish and you have to summon the waiter for more!
STUFFED FISH
Let the spice of the Goan rechado masala hit you right in the spot when you dig into the Goan preparation of rechado or stuffed fish.
But, if your spice tolerance is lower than your bank account after this Goa trip, then the salad-stuffed fish is your next best bet.
SALTED DRY FISH
Ever wondered why there’s fish randomly lying on a mat on the floor or road? Well, it’s all part of the recipe for making Goa's monsoon specialty – dried salt fish.
Generally made to be stored and consumed during the rainy season, the fish is first washed and coated with salt before it is left to dry in the scorching heat of the summer sun, generally in April and May.
Once dry, it is stored away, and later eaten along with rice and curry, as and when fresh fish is unavailable.
FISH PICKLE
You read that right! Locally known as para, fish pickle is relished by Goans.
Made using fresh or dried fish and a special Goan masala, para is finger-licking goodness stored in a glass jar or container that sizzles when fried and tickles the nose buds long before it is served.
FISH CUTLETS
Hours of ensuring that there are no fish bones left behind, is part of the process of making fish cutlets.
Locally known as almona, fish cutlets are a Goan favourite and are made using the flesh of cooked fish, which is taken off the fish bone, and then carefully shaped into a cutlet and fried. And, it is only a couple of minutes before these snacks disappear off of the serving plate at parties!
