Goan Catholic Cuisine - Vegetarian

Vegetarian

Patoleo, a dish of turmeric leaves stuffed with rice, dal, jaggery, and coconut is mainly prepared on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially by the Goan Catholics settled in Mumbai. The Pez (a type of Congee), Koiloris and Podecho (variants of dosa), Sanna (a variant of idli) are a popular delicacy made of soaked rice, water and salt.

Sweets like Guava cheese (perad), Kadio bodio (tiny stick made of Maida flour dipped in sugar syrup and dried) are well-known. The Cashewnut laddus, Khaje, Revdyo, Peda, Tizan, Godshem, Puran Poli and Sakhar Bhat are well known sweet dishes. Filoz (a jaggery and banana pancake), and Arroz doce (rice pudding) a Portuguese derivative of kheer (sweetened rice) of India is also popular.

The feni; Cashew feni is made from the fermentation of the fruit of the cashew tree, while coconut feni is made from the sap of toddy palms is popular alcoholic beverage.

Kuswar is a term often used to mention a set of unique Christmas goodies which are part of the cuisine of the Goan Catholic community There are as many as 22 different traditional recipes that form this distinct flavour of Christmas celebration in Goa. Neuries are mince puffs stuffed with plums, nuts, and fried theel and sugar. Kidyo or Kulkuls are curly concoctions dipped in sugar treacle, bolinhas are small cakes also known as coconut cookies, perad are savoury of guavas, Nankatais resembling snow balls are made from a batter of sugar, butter, and flour, Baath is a moist rich coconut tart baked in a large round shape with pastry lattice work on top, Marzipan a confection consisting primarily of sugar and cashew or almond meal and Doce a sweet made using chickpeas and coconut. Bebinca, a rich egg-based multi-layered sweet dish, is what Goa is famous for and the subtle flavoured rose cookies are a hot favourite. But it is the Rich Plum Cake which takes the better part of a week to make. Candied fruit, plums, currents, raisins are dexterously cut and soaked in rum. Flour sieved and gently warmed in the sun. Nuts pealed and chopped and the whole family comes together to make the cake. Jobs are allotted, one to whip up the eggs, while another creams the butter and sugar, cake tins are lined, and a strong pair of arms requisitioned to do the final mixing and stirring.