Top 10 Best Goan Food Dishes That One Must Try In Goa | Best Goa Cuisine

Life without tasty and fresh food is incomplete. Every state or country has its traditional cuisine with different tastes, and one of the states with delicious traditional food in Goa.

Goa is a beautiful state in India with lovely people around. When it comes to Goan cuisine, no one can say no to the authentic traditional dishes served in Goa.

The Goan cuisine was influenced by the Portuguese. Most of the food of Goan catholic people follow the Portuguese styles of cooking. The most loved food of Goa is fish curry rice, and the cuisine of Goa is mainly seafood, which is Shark, Pomfret, Mackerels, etc.

Most of the Goan dishes include grated coconut or coconut milk to make the food delicious. Here is the list of the top 10 best Goan food dishes that one must try in Goa:

10. Fish Curry Rice

Fish Curry Rice is an authentic and famous cuisine of Goa which is also known as Xitt Kodi. Most of the houses in Goa prepare fish curry rice daily as it is a staple food of Goans.

Fish curry masala is mainly made by different types of spices like grated coconut. You may also use only the milk of the grated coconut, kokum, red chilies, tamarind, turmeric powder, dried coriander, jeera, and garlic pods (Grind and masala ready). 

How To Make Fish Curry Rice?

To make the fish curry, You have to take a vessel, put the grinded masala in the vessel, Pour some required water in the masala and mix it nicely with a spoon.

Keep the mixed masala on the gas on low flame, now add 1-2 green chilies, you may also add raw mango (Do medium slices of the same), or you may add 2-3 kokum and salt as per your taste.

In this, you may add fish like Mackerels, Lepo, Prawns, Kingfish, etc. (Preferably mackerels). Give the curry a good boil, and it is ready to be served.

9. Ambot Tik

Ambot tik is another traditional Portuguese cuisine that all the Goan love to eat. Many visitors who visit Goa for a tour will never miss having Ambot tik with Goan Local Red Rice, known as Ukdem Xit.

Ambot tik is made using specific fishes like Shark Fish, Lepo Fish, Kingfish, Mackerels, Red Snapper, and Sardine Fish.

How To Make Ambot Tik?

Ambot tik is one of the famous dishes of Goa, and one must try having this cuisine with local Goan red rice. Many spices are added to make it like; Red Chilies, jeera, onion, Vinegar, spices like cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, garlic, ginger, turmeric, tamarind, tomato.

Add 10-12 Red Chilies, 10-12 peppercorns, 1/2 piece of ginger, 3-4 pods of garlic, 1/4 turmeric powder, one marble-sized tamarind, one small-sized tomato, six cloves, 1-inch cinnamon, 1/2tsp jeera, or cumin seeds, and one medium-sized onion, and grind all the ingredients in the mixer, and it is ready.

8. Chicken Xacuti

Chicken Xacuti is another popular dish in Goa that can be had from the start of the day, breakfast to the end of the day. In short, it can be all day meal from breakfast with Goan Poi or bread (Which is made explicitly in Goan bakery) to lunch with rice or dinner. 

Chicken Xacuti is a sauce that is an exceptionally thick sauce made with wholly ground coconut with every one of the flavors, which carries an incredible character to the whole dish.

How To Make Chicken Xacuti?

First, marinate the chicken with 1½ tsp. Salt, juice of the lime, and the green freshly chopped coriander marinade and keep aside for at least 1 hour.

To make Xacuti masala, all you need is dry Red Chilies, 1½ tbsp. Coriander Seeds, 14-16 Cloves, 1½ inch Cinnamon, Green Cardamom, 2 Black Peppercorns,  ½ tsp. Mace, 1 full flower Star Anise, 1 tbsp Fennel Seeds, 1 tsp Nutmeg, ¼Tamarind (A small marble-sized ball), 1 grated Coconut, 1½ big Onion, 2-3 Peeled Potatoes (Cubed) this is an optional ingredient. 1kg Chicken, Coriander leaves, Lime, oil, salt as per taste.

Add 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and cook the sliced onion till light golden brown on medium flame. Add the grated coconut and stir on low flame until it turns light golden brown. Remove the same on a plate after it is cooked.

Add1 tbsp. Oil in that same pan and sauté each spice listed above for Xacuti masala. Add one by one spice and sauté the spices on low flame until it leaves a pleasing aroma. Then transfer the same into the cooked lightly golden brown onions along with the grated coconut and keep it aside to cool down. 

When it gets cooled, add the onion & coconut to a mixer and grind it using water as required until it gets a good and smooth xacuti paste. 

Heat 3tbsp oil in a vessel and sauté some cubed onion till it gets golden brown; add the marinated chicken and cook it till the juices are released.

7. Pork Vindaloo

Pork Vindaloo is an extraordinary dish cooked by mainly Christians in India. The dish is gotten from Portuguese impact and is cooked in various styles by Indian Christians.

To truly get the flavor and the taste of the Pork Vindaloo, I would suggest that you do it two days before you serve it to your guests.

How To Make Pork Vindaloo?

The ingredients to make:

• 15 Kashmiri Red Chilies (Remove the seeds), 
• 1tsp Cumin Seeds,
• 1tsp Turmeric Powder,
• 10 Cloves,
• 1-inch Cinnamon,
• ½ tsp Pepper Corns, 
• 1tsp Mustard Seeds, 
• Garlic,
• 15 cloves,
• 3-inch Chopped Ginger,
• 200ml Vinegar.

Nicely wash the pork, and add 1 tbsp salt and keep the same in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Add all the spices to the mixer and grind all the ingredients to make a smooth paste. Add the masala & sugar to the pork and keep it to marinate overnight.

Add oil to a vessel to cook the pork. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and sauté till light brown on low flame. Add the pork and blend, then Cook on soft warmth for 10 minutes, blending incidentally. Add 1 cup warm water, 1 tsp. Salt and cook covered on low heat for 30 minutes. Mix 4 to multiple times in the middle.

Add the tamarind water and heat to the point of boiling. Lower the warmth and cook covered on low warmth for a further 15 minutes till the meat is cooked. Toward the end, you will see the oil gliding. Try not to dispose of it and present it with pulao.

6. Bebinca

Bebinca is a popular and most famous sweet dessert of Goa. Many tourists or guests visiting Goa will never miss having Bebinca, and it is specially prepared during Christmas. It is the most authentic dish and the best dessert that anyone can have.

There is a lot of preparation required for Bebinca, which makes it time-consuming; however, the outcome of the desert is best.

Bebinca is available at many places, and you may get it in stores, in other states, in hotels, but the best and the traditional Bebinca with full of flavors, is only made by the Goan Catholic people.

Bebinca is also served at weddings and other occasions in Goa. It is, of course, high in calories, but a try is a must, as once you have it, you will not regret it.

It is a mixture of Egg yolks, Coconut Milk, Sugar, Nutmeg Powder, Water, Ghee & Maida. You may check out this delicious Goan dessert on many of the YouTube Channels.

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5. Beef Roast

It is the variation of the Goan Roast Beef, and it utilizes tomato, and the meat turns out more yummy and juicier. This dish cannot be kept for or consumed after two or more days like other dishes as it has a lot of tomatoes in it and tends to get spoiled soon.

It must be burned a little while cooking to get those roasted flavors. You can utilize this to make sandwiches or fill in as a starter, and you can also use the meat to make a  Beef Chilly Fry.

How To Make Beef Roast?

The ingredients to make:

• 1.5kg Boneless Beef,
• 50gms Beef Fat (optional),
• 3 medium Onions (sliced),
• 3 medium Tomatoes (chopped),
• 6 Kashmiri Red Chilies (broken),
• 8-10 Black Pepper Corns,
• 6 Cloves,
• 2-inch Cinnamon,
• 2 inch Ginger (Crushed).

To marinate the Beef, you require:

• 1 tsp Black Pepper Corns,
• 12 Cloves, 1 ½ inch Cinnamon,
• ¾ tsp Cumin,
• ¾ tsp Turmeric Powder,
• Vinegar,
• 5-6 tbsp Garlic,
• 15 cloves,
• 2 small Limes,
• 1 ½ tsp Sugar to taste,
• 3 tbsp Oil,
• 2tsp Salt as per taste.

Wash the meat nicely, and add salt and lime juice and keep the same in the refrigerator for an hour. Grind the ingredients mentioned above using Vinegar to make a smooth paste.

With a fork, pierce the meat. Use the paste made and marinate the Beef well. Keep the same overnight for the best results and flavors.

Heat 3 tbsp. Oil in a pan, and add the cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns and sauté for a few seconds on low flame. Then add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes until the color changes, and add the ginger, and then put the tomatoes and cook until it turns soft.

Add only the chunks of cooked meat in a vessel and cook on low flame. Whilst the meat for 8-10 minutes. Then, at that point, add the fluid of the marinated meat, sugar, and the messed up red chilies and cook covered on low warmth for 2 hours till the meat is around 80% done. Please switch off the heat and permit it to cool a little.

4. Goan Kanji (PEJ)

A Goan Kanji, also known as Pej in Goa, is a very healthy and filling dish. In the olden times, the Goan farmers working in the fields used to consume the same during the daytime when they took breaks in the middle, and their time to have the Kanji was at noon.

This dish is meant to be one of the most traditional and local dishes of Goa. It is intended to be suitable for people who fall sick and cannot consume food due to some medical issues, and it helps them digest it well. 

Kanji or Pej is very simple and easy to do. Many locals in Goa do the same in a Mud Pot on a Chula.

How To Make Goan Kanji (PEJ)?

First and foremost, you should take the Goan Local Red Rice ( Soak something very similar for no less than 1-2 hours). Keep the water in a thick vessel and pour the water according to the amount of rice.

Put the absorbed rice and the water prior to bubbling, close the vessel and delay until it mellow. Ensure the water doesn’t get splashed alongside the rice as it should be liquid.

After 20-25mins it will be fit to be served, and it tends to be made with pickles or dried fish, and it tastes stunning.

3. Fish Balchao

Fish Balchao is a well known Goan dish that is sweet, and it is impacted by the Portuguese like most Goan dishes. It cannot be made by any fish available in the market, and it is best to make Fish Balchao with Prawns and not with any other fish.

This dish contains compulsory ingredients like prawns, bunches of onion and tomato, and sugar adds pleasantness and Vinegar to the sharpness.

This dish is intended for sure-fire utilization; however, it remains longer if kept in a refrigerator.

2. Pork Sorpotel

Goan Pork Sorpotel is customarily made with pork and liver as well as another significant innards of the pig. This dish likewise has numerous varieties, it is high in fat and very heavy but tasty when served with bread or Goan poi.

Goan Pork Sorpotel is said to be prepared one day before any occasion, as it tastes more delicious the next day. This dish is a must for every Goan occasion without Sorpotel Goan occasions being incomplete.

Different people have different ways of doing it like my mother does it deliciously. I would recommend you to search for the best Goan cooks on YouTube Channel so that you can prepare the best Pork Sorpotel and enjoy it as it is a little difficult and tricky dish to do.

1. Recheado Masala Fish Fry

Recheado Masala is a stuffing made mainly of fish namely, Mackerels, Pomfret, Squids. It is a yummy tasty masala which can be yet times used when nothing to cook in homes. You can store this masala for a good long time in the refrigerator. 

The ingredients to marinating for Mackerels [Bangda]: 

• ½ tbsp Red Chili Powder,
• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder,
• 1 small Lime, Salt as per taste.

The ingredients to make Recheado Masala are:

• 15 Kashmiri Red Chilies,
• Garlic,
• 6 cloves,
• 7-8 Cloves,
• 1-inch Cinnamon,
• ½ tsp Cumin Seeds,
• 15 Black Peppercorns,
• ½ tsp Turmeric,
• 1 medium Onion chopped,
• 100ml Vinegar,
• ½ tsp Salt,
• 1 tsp Sugar,
• 2 ½ to 3 tbsp Oil.

Grind all the ingredients and make a paste, and it’s ready for stuffing.

For Stuffing: Slit the mackerels, put the masala into the mackerels, and fry the same in the pan and serve them hot. 

So these are the top 10 best Goan food dishes that one must try in Goa. There are very good old restaurants which serve you with these tremendous authentic Goan Food.

Trust me once you taste these dishes you will always want to have them again and again and you will definitely visit Goa on your every vacation.