VASCO CITY
You can begin with the Municipal Garden, then move on to Pilot Point, where you can see the entire Mormugao Port before your eyes, further up the hill is the fascinating descending Japanese Garden which leads down a stone stairway down to the beach. Along the way to the beach you pass the sun-baked stones of the ruins of the Fortaleza Santa Catarina.Further down is a small jewel like temple Shri Durgamata Shiv Mandir. Vasco has one of Goa's best known beaches Bogmalo Beach. On the way to this beach one passes Dabolim airport and one of the most interesting museums for all ages - the Naval Aviation Museum
MAPUSA CITY
Mapusa is the hub which can connect you to all the prime beach locations in North Goa with a network of buses and mini-buses plying routes to the most far-flung beaches in the North. The bus terminus is just a short stroll away from the Residency.
The St. Jerome Church, also known as the Milagres Church, built in 1674 is sacred to the Christians and the Hindus as well. Bogdeshwar Temple is another must see destination fascinating by day or by night. The Swiss Chapel off St Jerome Road is also interesting to see, a quiet space of peace in a busy, bustling market town.
The traditional Mapusa market has silks, textiles, jewellery and handicraft shops along with vendors selling spices, fruits and vegetables. If you want a riot of colour and a whole new experience in sight, sound and smell as a backdrop to the fine art of haggling, then the famed Friday Market of Mapusa is the place for you, where farmers and common folk of Goa come to sell their produce.
The St. Jerome Church, also known as the Milagres Church, built in 1674 is sacred to the Christians and the Hindus as well. Bogdeshwar Temple is another must see destination fascinating by day or by night. The Swiss Chapel off St Jerome Road is also interesting to see, a quiet space of peace in a busy, bustling market town.
The traditional Mapusa market has silks, textiles, jewellery and handicraft shops along with vendors selling spices, fruits and vegetables. If you want a riot of colour and a whole new experience in sight, sound and smell as a backdrop to the fine art of haggling, then the famed Friday Market of Mapusa is the place for you, where farmers and common folk of Goa come to sell their produce.
MARGAO CITY
Take a trip to the Church of Holy Spirit built in 1564 over the ruins of a Hindu temple. Walk along the beautiful 18th century houses such as Joao De Figuereido house – having splendid collection of antique Goan furniture and the De Silva’s house – an impressive mansion built in 1790 having a façade with a roof once made up of 7 gables known as “Saat Burzan Ghor”. The owners demolished four gables since maintenance costs were too high.
There are buses and taxis and motorcycle pilots who can take you to beaches like Majorda, Colva, Betalbatim, Colva, Benaulim, Varca are closer to Margao, if you wish to go further afield, you have the entire south Goa coastal belt at your disposal.
The Menezes Braganza House at Chandor with its treasures and antiques affords one a glimpse of the levels of gracious living prevailing in Goa in days gone by.As does the elegant heritage home of ace cartoonist Mario Miranda and his wife Habiba, at Loutolim. While at Loutolim, don’t forget to keep at least half a day free to explore Ancestral Goa.
A visit to the market greets you with a riot of colours and a very Goan experience of a lifetime. The market place has variety of shops, textiles, handicrafts and readymade garments.
And then there’s the mad bustle of the city itself, walk to the green centre of the Municipal Garden and suddenly, even though the movement of vehicles and humanity continues unabated, you are enveloped in silence broken only by the chirping of little birds.
There are buses and taxis and motorcycle pilots who can take you to beaches like Majorda, Colva, Betalbatim, Colva, Benaulim, Varca are closer to Margao, if you wish to go further afield, you have the entire south Goa coastal belt at your disposal.
The Menezes Braganza House at Chandor with its treasures and antiques affords one a glimpse of the levels of gracious living prevailing in Goa in days gone by.As does the elegant heritage home of ace cartoonist Mario Miranda and his wife Habiba, at Loutolim. While at Loutolim, don’t forget to keep at least half a day free to explore Ancestral Goa.
A visit to the market greets you with a riot of colours and a very Goan experience of a lifetime. The market place has variety of shops, textiles, handicrafts and readymade garments.
And then there’s the mad bustle of the city itself, walk to the green centre of the Municipal Garden and suddenly, even though the movement of vehicles and humanity continues unabated, you are enveloped in silence broken only by the chirping of little birds.
Goa's Seafood Special
Prawn Balchao
Ingredients :
1 kg. Praws(shelled and deveined)
2 tsps. Salt
2 tsps. Tumeric powder
300 ml. Oil
1 onion (cut fine)
8 curry leaves
1 garlic pod paste
5 inch ginger
4 or 5 tbsps Galmbo Balchao (shrimp preserve)
3 tsps. Sugar
Preparation :
Wash the prawns well and drain out the water completely. Apply salt and turmeric powder and allow to stand for 2 hours. Drain out any water that collects.
Heat the oil in a large pan, fry the onions till tender, add prawns and fry them well.
In another pan, heat the remaining oil, add curry leaves, ginger-garlic paste and Galmbo Balchao (shrimp preserve).
Stir-fry on slow fire for a few seconds. Mix the fried prawns and sugar. Simmer for 2 minutes and keep the pan down from the fire.
Cool and bottle. Please do not use water at all.
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Ambot Tik
Ingredients :
½ kg fish preferably skate, shark or catfish
10 dry red chillies
¼ tsp cumin seeds
4 peppercorns
¼ inch piece turmeric
4 flakes garlic
½ inch piece ginger
a small (marble size) tamarind
1 onion (sliced fine)
2 tbsp oil
Preparation :
Clean and wash the fish. Cut into desired pieces, apply salt and keep aside. In the meantime grind the above ingredients in a little water.
Fry the onion in oil till it turns brown. Add the masala and fry a bit. Add a cup of water, allow to boil and then add the fish pieces. Cook till tender on slow fire. Add salt and vinegar if necessary.
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Crab Curry
Ingredients :
Chilies 25-30 nos.
Coriander seeds 2 tbsps.
Cummin seeds 1 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp.
Pepper 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp.
Garlic 6-8 flakes
Tamarind Lime size
Coconut, grated 1 no.
Onion, chopped 1 no.
Salt To taste
For Seasoning:
Onion, chopped 1 no.
Coconut oil 2 tbsps.
Preparation :
Fry the chilies, grated coconut, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and pepper in a little oil.
Grind together the chilies, grated coconut, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, pepper, turmeric powder, garlic and tamarind to a fine paste.
Saute the onions in oil, till slightly brown.
Then add the crabs, mix well & keep for a while till they change colour.
Next add the roasted ground masala and cook for a while.
Now add the tamarind water and simmer on low heat.If you require gravy then add water or else keep it dry.
Serve hot with rice.
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Fish Reacheado
Ingredients :
1 pomfret
½ a lemon
salt to taste
20 red chillies
6-7 pc cloves
2 pc cinnamon
5 pc green cardamoms
¼ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp black pepper corns
2 pc ginger
1 pod of garlic
2 tsp oil
1 large chopped onion
1 tsp sugar
Preparation :
Soak red chillies, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamoms, cumin seeds, black pepper corns, ginger and garlic in toddy vinegar for 12 hours. Then grind to a paste.
Sauté onions in 1 tsp oil on low flame till brown. Add sugar. Now add the sautéed onions to the prepared paste. The recheado masala is now ready.
Clean and cut fish, then stuff it with reacheado paste. Add salt and lime juice. Refrigerate below 5 degrees centigrade 1 hour. Then shallow fry fish in 1 tsp oil for 7-8 minutes each side.
Fish reacheado is ready. It's best served hot with goan bread. Mackerels can also be used in place of pomfret.
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Goan Fish Head Curry
Ingredients :
500 gm fish head
50 gm oil
100 gm tomatoes
05 gm curry leaves
10 gm turmeric
15 gm chilli powder
100 ml coconut milk
salt to taste
Paste
100 gm onions
50 gm coconut
20 gm coriander seeds
10 gm cumin seeds
20 gm peppercorns
30 gm green chillies
40 gm garlic
20 gm ginger
200 ml vinegar
Preparation :
Clean the fish head and cut into pieces of required size. Grind the ingredients for the paste with the vinegar.
Chop the tomatoes. Heat oil and add paste, sauté on a slow fire for 15 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients except the coconut milk and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the fish head and 100 ml of water. Bring to a boil. After the fish heads are cooked mix in the coconut milk and boil for 5 minutes.
Serve hot with rice.
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Fish Caldine
Ingredients :
1/2 Kg fleshy fish steaks (prawns may be substituted)
1 coconut
1/4 tsp cummin seeds
6 peppercorns
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 inch piece turmeric (or 1 tsp ground)
2 onions, sliced
1 tomato , sliced
2 tblsp oil
2 green chillies sliced lengthways (or more if desired)
salt and vinegar to taste
Preparation :
Clean and wash the fish. Cut into small steaks, rub in salt and vinegar and
set aside.
Grind the spices. Extract a thick milk from the coconut (see intro).
Add the ground spices to the coconut and pass through the blender again to extract a thin milk.
Fry the onions and tomato in the oil, add the thin coconut milk. Bring to
the boil and add the chillies, fish and thick coconut milk.
Simmer until fish is cooked.
Caldine is also prepared using hard boiled eggs or bhindi (okra/ladies
fingers).
Serve with plain boiled rice.
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Fish Mayonnaise
Ingredients :
Ingredients for poaching
1 Kingfish
½ onion sliced
½ tomato sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt & Pepper to taste
Ingredients
3 tbsps minced celery
½ tsp minced onion
1 tsp parsley
1 finely chopped green chilli
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp fish stalk
Chilli powder, mustard powder to taste
Ingredients for garnishing
Cabbage, Capsicum, Carrot
Ingredients for white sauce
1 leveled tbsp butter
1 ½ tbsp flour
½ cup stock
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preparation :
Clean the fish keeping it whole. Poach it lightly with little water, ½ sliced onion, ½ sliced tomato, juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper.
When cooked, retain the head and the tail. Remove the skin, bones and the flesh. Flake the fish and grind it to a very smooth paste.
Mix the flesh with 3 tbsp white sauce (see method below), 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tbsp fish stalk, minced celery, parsley, chilli and onion seasoned with chilli powder and a pinch of mustard powder.
Position the head and tail on a serving dish and place the seasoned mixture in position. Add the remaining white sauce, mayonnaise and lime juice.
Make fine strips of carrot and decorate with shredded cabbage, carrot and capsicum.
To prepare White sauce
Melt the butter, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes without browning, stirring throughout.
Remove from the heat and gradually add the ½ cup stock. Mix until well blended.
Return to heat and cook slowly, stirring throughout until the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper and mix well.
***************************************************
Ingredients :
1 kg. Praws(shelled and deveined)
2 tsps. Salt
2 tsps. Tumeric powder
300 ml. Oil
1 onion (cut fine)
8 curry leaves
1 garlic pod paste
5 inch ginger
4 or 5 tbsps Galmbo Balchao (shrimp preserve)
3 tsps. Sugar
Preparation :
Wash the prawns well and drain out the water completely. Apply salt and turmeric powder and allow to stand for 2 hours. Drain out any water that collects.
Heat the oil in a large pan, fry the onions till tender, add prawns and fry them well.
In another pan, heat the remaining oil, add curry leaves, ginger-garlic paste and Galmbo Balchao (shrimp preserve).
Stir-fry on slow fire for a few seconds. Mix the fried prawns and sugar. Simmer for 2 minutes and keep the pan down from the fire.
Cool and bottle. Please do not use water at all.
***************************************************
Ambot Tik
Ingredients :
½ kg fish preferably skate, shark or catfish
10 dry red chillies
¼ tsp cumin seeds
4 peppercorns
¼ inch piece turmeric
4 flakes garlic
½ inch piece ginger
a small (marble size) tamarind
1 onion (sliced fine)
2 tbsp oil
Preparation :
Clean and wash the fish. Cut into desired pieces, apply salt and keep aside. In the meantime grind the above ingredients in a little water.
Fry the onion in oil till it turns brown. Add the masala and fry a bit. Add a cup of water, allow to boil and then add the fish pieces. Cook till tender on slow fire. Add salt and vinegar if necessary.
***************************************************
Crab Curry
Ingredients :
Chilies 25-30 nos.
Coriander seeds 2 tbsps.
Cummin seeds 1 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp.
Pepper 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp.
Garlic 6-8 flakes
Tamarind Lime size
Coconut, grated 1 no.
Onion, chopped 1 no.
Salt To taste
For Seasoning:
Onion, chopped 1 no.
Coconut oil 2 tbsps.
Preparation :
Fry the chilies, grated coconut, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and pepper in a little oil.
Grind together the chilies, grated coconut, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, pepper, turmeric powder, garlic and tamarind to a fine paste.
Saute the onions in oil, till slightly brown.
Then add the crabs, mix well & keep for a while till they change colour.
Next add the roasted ground masala and cook for a while.
Now add the tamarind water and simmer on low heat.If you require gravy then add water or else keep it dry.
Serve hot with rice.
***************************************************
Fish Reacheado
Ingredients :
1 pomfret
½ a lemon
salt to taste
20 red chillies
6-7 pc cloves
2 pc cinnamon
5 pc green cardamoms
¼ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp black pepper corns
2 pc ginger
1 pod of garlic
2 tsp oil
1 large chopped onion
1 tsp sugar
Preparation :
Soak red chillies, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamoms, cumin seeds, black pepper corns, ginger and garlic in toddy vinegar for 12 hours. Then grind to a paste.
Sauté onions in 1 tsp oil on low flame till brown. Add sugar. Now add the sautéed onions to the prepared paste. The recheado masala is now ready.
Clean and cut fish, then stuff it with reacheado paste. Add salt and lime juice. Refrigerate below 5 degrees centigrade 1 hour. Then shallow fry fish in 1 tsp oil for 7-8 minutes each side.
Fish reacheado is ready. It's best served hot with goan bread. Mackerels can also be used in place of pomfret.
***************************************************
Goan Fish Head Curry
Ingredients :
500 gm fish head
50 gm oil
100 gm tomatoes
05 gm curry leaves
10 gm turmeric
15 gm chilli powder
100 ml coconut milk
salt to taste
Paste
100 gm onions
50 gm coconut
20 gm coriander seeds
10 gm cumin seeds
20 gm peppercorns
30 gm green chillies
40 gm garlic
20 gm ginger
200 ml vinegar
Preparation :
Clean the fish head and cut into pieces of required size. Grind the ingredients for the paste with the vinegar.
Chop the tomatoes. Heat oil and add paste, sauté on a slow fire for 15 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients except the coconut milk and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the fish head and 100 ml of water. Bring to a boil. After the fish heads are cooked mix in the coconut milk and boil for 5 minutes.
Serve hot with rice.
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Fish Caldine
Ingredients :
1/2 Kg fleshy fish steaks (prawns may be substituted)
1 coconut
1/4 tsp cummin seeds
6 peppercorns
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 inch piece turmeric (or 1 tsp ground)
2 onions, sliced
1 tomato , sliced
2 tblsp oil
2 green chillies sliced lengthways (or more if desired)
salt and vinegar to taste
Preparation :
Clean and wash the fish. Cut into small steaks, rub in salt and vinegar and
set aside.
Grind the spices. Extract a thick milk from the coconut (see intro).
Add the ground spices to the coconut and pass through the blender again to extract a thin milk.
Fry the onions and tomato in the oil, add the thin coconut milk. Bring to
the boil and add the chillies, fish and thick coconut milk.
Simmer until fish is cooked.
Caldine is also prepared using hard boiled eggs or bhindi (okra/ladies
fingers).
Serve with plain boiled rice.
***************************************************
Fish Mayonnaise
Ingredients :
Ingredients for poaching
1 Kingfish
½ onion sliced
½ tomato sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt & Pepper to taste
Ingredients
3 tbsps minced celery
½ tsp minced onion
1 tsp parsley
1 finely chopped green chilli
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp fish stalk
Chilli powder, mustard powder to taste
Ingredients for garnishing
Cabbage, Capsicum, Carrot
Ingredients for white sauce
1 leveled tbsp butter
1 ½ tbsp flour
½ cup stock
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preparation :
Clean the fish keeping it whole. Poach it lightly with little water, ½ sliced onion, ½ sliced tomato, juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper.
When cooked, retain the head and the tail. Remove the skin, bones and the flesh. Flake the fish and grind it to a very smooth paste.
Mix the flesh with 3 tbsp white sauce (see method below), 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tbsp fish stalk, minced celery, parsley, chilli and onion seasoned with chilli powder and a pinch of mustard powder.
Position the head and tail on a serving dish and place the seasoned mixture in position. Add the remaining white sauce, mayonnaise and lime juice.
Make fine strips of carrot and decorate with shredded cabbage, carrot and capsicum.
To prepare White sauce
Melt the butter, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes without browning, stirring throughout.
Remove from the heat and gradually add the ½ cup stock. Mix until well blended.
Return to heat and cook slowly, stirring throughout until the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper and mix well.
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Bringing you some specialites of Goa at your finger tips...
Neureos
Ingredients :
1/2 kg flour
2 tablespoons ghee (or hydrogenated oil)
a pinch of salt
For the filling:
1/2 kg. sugar
1/2 cup water
1 half ripe coconut grated fine
100 g. cashew nuts (chopped very fine)
100 g. raisins
2 tablespoons ghee
6 cardamoms (powdered)
oil for frying
Preparation :
Mix flour, salt and ghee well, add just enough water to knead into a small dough. Keep aside.
Heat sugar and water till a syrup is formed. Add the grated coconut, ghee and nuts. When the mixture has thickened, add raisins and cardamom powder.
Remove from fire after the mixture turns quite dry. Cool and keep aside. Divide the dough into small balls, roll out into thin rounds, put a spoonful of the coconut filling on each round, wet the edges, press down to form half-moon shapes. Trim edges preferably with a cutter and deep fry in hot oil.
Dodol
Ingredients :
750 gm raw Goa rice
10 large coconuts
2 ½ kg coconut jaggery
2 tbsp sugar
Salt to taste
200 gm cashew nuts, chopped
Preparation :
Grate coconuts and extract coconut milk. To do this, grind the coconut with warm water. Strain this, squeezing the coconut as much as possible to extract the maximum amount of liquid. Discard the coconut leaving only the coconut milk.
Chop the cashew nuts and jaggery.
Sieve the rice flour. Add to the coconut milk. Stir well to avoid lumps.
Place on a slow fire and stir continuously in a deep pan.
After the mixture thickens slightly, add the chopped jaggery and stir. After about 5 minutes, add the chopped nuts.
Keep on stirring till the whole mixture is well thickened and begins to leave the sides of the vessel.
Pour into a greased dish. Leave to cool. Cut and serve.
Sannas
Ingredients :
(Toddy Fermented Rice Cakes)
250 gm rice
1 coconut
500 ml toddy
salt to taste
20 gm sugar
Preparation :
Wash and soak the rice overnight. Drain and grind the rice finely with toddy. Add grated coconut and make a thick batter.
Add sugar, cover and keep in a warm place for about 3 hours or until the batter ferments.
Add salt to the batter and mix thoroughly. Pour the batter into shallow round moulds and steam for 15 minutes.
Bolinhons
Ingredients :
1 ½ lb sugar
1 coconut, grated
15 egg yolks
1 ½ lb semolina
2 tbsp butter
Preparation :
Bolinhons is also know as Coconut Cookies
Make a syrup of the sugar. Add to it grated coconut and stir well. Remove form the fire.
Add to the mixture egg yolks and semolina, stir thoroughly, and return to the fire. On a very low flame bring to the boil and allow mixture to thicken, adding butter while still on fire.
Remove the mixture, form into small cakes, lay out on a greased and floured baking tray and bake.
Ingredients :
1/2 kg flour
2 tablespoons ghee (or hydrogenated oil)
a pinch of salt
For the filling:
1/2 kg. sugar
1/2 cup water
1 half ripe coconut grated fine
100 g. cashew nuts (chopped very fine)
100 g. raisins
2 tablespoons ghee
6 cardamoms (powdered)
oil for frying
Preparation :
Mix flour, salt and ghee well, add just enough water to knead into a small dough. Keep aside.
Heat sugar and water till a syrup is formed. Add the grated coconut, ghee and nuts. When the mixture has thickened, add raisins and cardamom powder.
Remove from fire after the mixture turns quite dry. Cool and keep aside. Divide the dough into small balls, roll out into thin rounds, put a spoonful of the coconut filling on each round, wet the edges, press down to form half-moon shapes. Trim edges preferably with a cutter and deep fry in hot oil.
Dodol
Ingredients :
750 gm raw Goa rice
10 large coconuts
2 ½ kg coconut jaggery
2 tbsp sugar
Salt to taste
200 gm cashew nuts, chopped
Preparation :
Grate coconuts and extract coconut milk. To do this, grind the coconut with warm water. Strain this, squeezing the coconut as much as possible to extract the maximum amount of liquid. Discard the coconut leaving only the coconut milk.
Chop the cashew nuts and jaggery.
Sieve the rice flour. Add to the coconut milk. Stir well to avoid lumps.
Place on a slow fire and stir continuously in a deep pan.
After the mixture thickens slightly, add the chopped jaggery and stir. After about 5 minutes, add the chopped nuts.
Keep on stirring till the whole mixture is well thickened and begins to leave the sides of the vessel.
Pour into a greased dish. Leave to cool. Cut and serve.
Sannas
Ingredients :
(Toddy Fermented Rice Cakes)
250 gm rice
1 coconut
500 ml toddy
salt to taste
20 gm sugar
Preparation :
Wash and soak the rice overnight. Drain and grind the rice finely with toddy. Add grated coconut and make a thick batter.
Add sugar, cover and keep in a warm place for about 3 hours or until the batter ferments.
Add salt to the batter and mix thoroughly. Pour the batter into shallow round moulds and steam for 15 minutes.
Bolinhons
Ingredients :
1 ½ lb sugar
1 coconut, grated
15 egg yolks
1 ½ lb semolina
2 tbsp butter
Preparation :
Bolinhons is also know as Coconut Cookies
Make a syrup of the sugar. Add to it grated coconut and stir well. Remove form the fire.
Add to the mixture egg yolks and semolina, stir thoroughly, and return to the fire. On a very low flame bring to the boil and allow mixture to thicken, adding butter while still on fire.
Remove the mixture, form into small cakes, lay out on a greased and floured baking tray and bake.
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