I tasted these 5 Goan recipes in an Anjuna home, from feni prawns and ros omelette to bebinca

Two Goan dishes made with Cezar in Anjuna, plus three family recipes, reveal the spicy, sweet and refreshing flavours of Goa.

Cezar and I made Goan prawns and ros omelette, while his wife prepared bebinca, batica and kokum soda for our table. (Hindustan Times)

When I wrote about my stay at Cezar Pinto’s cottage in Anjuna, I mentioned the meal we shared at his home. What I did not get into then was the food itself, especially the two dishes we actually made together. Cezar and I were in the kitchen making prawn peri peri with feni and chicken ros omelette. There was plenty of talking in between chopping, stirring and checking the pan, which made the cooking feel like part of the conversation rather than a formal cooking session.

The other dishes were already prepared. Cezar’s wife loves to bake, so there was bebinca and batica waiting for us, along with chilled kokum soda. That worked rather well because by the time we sat down, there was a full spread to taste without spending the entire afternoon cooking. I particularly liked that the food covered such different sides of Goan cooking. The prawns were fiery and garlicky, the ros omelette was rich and comforting, the two cakes had completely different textures, and the kokum soda brought in a sharp, refreshing sweetness.

Here are the five recipes from that table.

1. Goan prawn peri peri with feni

The prawns were the first thing we made, and this is not a dish for anyone who thinks chilli should merely sit quietly in the background. The Thai chillies and garlic flavour the oil first. The prawns then cook in that mixture before the feni goes into the pan towards the end. A squeeze of lime brings everything together. I loved the heat, but what really worked for me was the oil left in the pan. Warm poee alongside it is almost compulsory because you want to soak up every bit.

Ingredients

500 g medium prawns, cleaned and deveined

8 to 12 Thai bird's eye chillies, finely chopped

8 to 10 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ tsp crushed black pepper

4 tbsp oil

1 to 2 tbsp feni

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander or parsley, optional

Method

1. Pat the prawns dry and season with salt and black pepper.
2. Heat oil on low and gently cook the garlic and chillies without browning the garlic.
3. Increase the heat, add the prawns and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the feni and let it simmer briefly.
5. Finish with lime juice and adjust the seasoning.
6. Serve immediately with warm poee or crusty bread.

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2. Goan chicken ros omelette

We made the ros omelette next, and this was the dish that made me understand why it has such a strong place in Goa's street food culture. The omelette itself is simple, with eggs, onion, green chilli and coriander. Then comes the ros, a coconut-based chicken gravy with spices, and that changes everything. The curry is rich without making the omelette disappear underneath it. With Goan pav, chopped onion and lime on the side, it is the kind of food that feels casual but is properly satisfying.

For the omelette

4 to 6 eggs

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 green chillies, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh coriander

Salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

For the chicken ros

300 g chicken, preferably bone-in

1 cup freshly grated coconut

1 large onion, sliced

1 medium tomato, chopped

4 garlic cloves

½ inch ginger

3 to 4 dried red chillies

1 tsp coriander seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp garam masala

1 small cinnamon stick

2 cloves

2 tbsp oil

Salt and water as required

Method

1. Dry roast coconut, coriander seeds, cumin, red chillies, cinnamon and cloves. Grind with a little water.
2. Heat oil and cook the onion, ginger and garlic until golden.
3. Add tomato and turmeric and cook until soft.
4. Add chicken and cook for a few minutes.
5. Add the coconut spice paste and enough water for a pourable gravy.
6. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.
7. Whisk eggs with onion, chilli, coriander and salt. Cook individual omelettes.
8. Place each omelette on a plate and spoon the hot chicken ros over it.
9. Serve with Goan pav, chopped onion and lime.

The trick, at least for me, is not to hold back on the ros. You want enough gravy to soak into the omelette.

3. Goan bebinca

The bebinca and batica were already waiting when we finished cooking. Cezar's wife loves to bake, and it showed in the sweets on the table. Bebinca is one of those desserts where you can appreciate the work involved just by looking at it. Those layers are baked one at a time, with ghee brushed between them before the next layer goes in. The taste is rich and distinctly coconutty, with egg yolks, ghee and sugar giving it plenty of richness. The browned layers add a caramelised flavour that keeps each bite interesting.

Ingredients

400 ml thick coconut milk

8 to 10 egg yolks

250 g sugar

125 g plain flour

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

A pinch of salt

80 to 100 g ghee

Caramelised sugar, optional

Method

1. Whisk egg yolks and sugar together.
2. Add coconut milk gradually and mix.
3. Add sifted flour, nutmeg and salt. Whisk until smooth and strain.
4. Grease a baking tin generously with ghee.
5. Pour a thin layer of batter and bake using top heat until set and lightly browned.
6. Brush with ghee, add another layer and bake again.
7. Repeat until all the batter is used, usually making 7 to 10 layers.
8. Cool completely before slicing.

Bebinca can be served at room temperature, slightly warm or with vanilla ice cream. I liked it just as it was.

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4. Goan batica

Batica was a very different cake. It has coconut and semolina, giving it a firmer, slightly crumbly texture compared with the soft richness of bebinca. It is traditionally made during Christmas and other celebrations and is often part of the Goan festive sweet spread known as kuswar.

The batter needs to rest for several hours before baking. That gives the semolina time to absorb the moisture and helps create the texture of the finished cake.

Ingredients

250 g fine semolina

250 g freshly grated coconut

250 g sugar

150 g softened butter

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

½ tsp cardamom powder or freshly grated nutmeg

½ tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

Method

1. Dry roast semolina on low heat for 5 to 8 minutes without browning. Cool.
2. Pulse the coconut briefly, keeping some texture.
3. Cream butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
4. Add vanilla and cardamom or nutmeg.
5. Fold in coconut and cooled semolina.
6. Cover and refrigerate for around 8 hours or overnight.
7. Add baking powder to the rested batter.
8. Transfer to a greased and lined 8-inch tin.
9. Bake at 160°C for 50 to 65 minutes.
10. Cool before slicing.

With tea or coffee, this is the sort of cake that can disappear rather quickly.

5. Goan kokum soda

The kokum soda was already chilled by the time we sat down. After the chilli in the prawns and the richness of the ros omelette, it was exactly what I wanted.

Kokum has a distinctive tartness, which gets balanced with sugar or jaggery. Soda makes it lighter, while a little roasted cumin can add another layer of flavour.

For the concentrate

12 to 15 pieces of dried kokum

500 ml water

4 to 5 tbsp sugar or jaggery

A pinch of salt

¼ tsp roasted cumin powder, optional

For serving

600 to 800 ml chilled soda water

Ice cubes

Fresh lime juice, optional

Mint leaves, optional

Method

1. Soak rinsed kokum in warm water for 30 to 45 minutes.
2. Squeeze gently and strain the liquid.
3. Add sugar or jaggery and warm until dissolved.
4. Add salt and roasted cumin, if using.
5. Cool completely and refrigerate.
6. Add 40 to 60 ml concentrate to each glass.
7. Add ice and 150 to 200 ml chilled soda.
8. Adjust sweetness or tartness and serve.

What I tasted at Cezar's table

The best part of the meal was the contrast. The prawns were hot, garlicky and full of flavour from the feni. The ros omelette was softer and richer, with the coconut gravy doing most of the heavy lifting. Then came the sweets, where bebinca was dense and layered while batica had a more crumbly texture. The kokum soda was the reset button between bites.

It was also nice to see how naturally everything came together. Two dishes were made while we talked in the kitchen, while the cakes reflected Cezar's wife's love of baking and the kokum soda was ready to pour.

For me, that is what made the meal feel personal. It was not a menu put together just for a food experience. It felt much closer to being welcomed into someone's home and eating what the family enjoys making.

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