Have you ever spent Christmas in Goa? Undoubtedly, it's one of those things you must experience at least once in your entire life. With carols, beach parties, and delicious traditional sweets like cookies, Christmas in the party capital of India appears almost unreal. Ultimately, a Goan celebration would not be complete without its traditional desserts.
Goa has a lavish Christmas celebration. The Goan Christmas desserts are among the truly unique features of the celebration. Households typically begin preparing their desserts a few days ahead of time. A lot of thought goes into what people make and when. This is all about how long it takes to make sweets and how long they last on the shelf.
As they have a shorter shelf life, coconut-infused sweets are typically made closer to Christmas Day. Occasionally, you'll discover that neighbours, family, and friends get together to assist one another in making these sweets. It definitely makes the work of preparing the Goan Christmas sweets easier and more enjoyable.
These uniquely Goan Christmas cookies and sweets, from Bolinyas to Serradura, are a must-try!
Video Credit: YouTube/Cooking Addiction
1. Bebinca
The queen of all Goan Christmas desserts is Bebinca. This might look like a layered cake but it is not. This cake was traditionally made around Christmas. These days, Bebinca is well-liked by both locals and tourists.
But this is a difficult-to-master Goan Christmas confection is bebinca. The bebinca needs to be baked in individual layers. It is very easy to burn the lower layers, so you have to be very careful when adding new layers.
2. Nevris
Without neureos, goan Christmas sweets would not be complete. Another name for this classic treat is nevris. It's a fried dumpling filled with besan flour, raisins, cashewnuts, and coconut. Every household makes their own version of the recipe, but for some reason, the variation with coconut are the most popular around Christmas. Neuris are arguably one of the most well-liked desserts of the season, and a sweets exchange wouldn't be complete without them on the plate.
3. Doce De Grao
In Portuguese, the words doce means "sweet" and grao "grain" make sense because that is precisely what this delicious treat is made of. The fudge is made with fresh coconut, split Bengal Gramme (chana dal), and delicate hints of aromatic cardamom. This sweet has added health benefits because it is made with chana dal as the base. The final result is well worth the effort and time required for making this dish!
4. Serradura
Serradura, also known as sawdust pudding or Macau pudding, is a popular Portuguese dessert that is consumed in Portugal, Goa, and Macau. By putting whipped cream and crushed Marie biscuits in alternate layers they make it look layered. Because the biscuits have been perfectly crushed into crumbs, the word serradura, which has been derived from the Portuguese term for "sawdust," indicates how the biscuits look in the pudding.
5. Bolinhas
Whatever time of year they are made, bolinhas will always be the beloved little Goan Christmas treat. This dessert is made with sugar and semolina. Although they are sometimes referred to as cookies, bolinhas have a very distinct texture from cookies. The best bolinhas typically have a soft interior and a slightly crisp exterior. You will fall in love if you have the good fortune to taste this treat fresh from the oven.
6. Rose Cookies
A delightful Goan Christmas treat. Making rose cookies is actually quite simple. You simple require dough, hot oil, and moulds. The moulds are unique. You can dip them into the heated oil thanks to the long handle that is attached. The mould is dipped in oil, then in batter, and again in oil. They remain in the oil until the cookies in the shape of roses detach from the mould.
7. Gons
This is a coconut-based delicacy. Choosing the right coconut is the key to creating excellent gons. It shouldn't be overly soft or tender, unlike the ordinary coconut we use for everyday cooking. Cut the coconut into thin strips. After that, sugar syrup is applied to these thin strips. Gons made to perfection are slightly sweet and chewy. The gons usually have a hard texture if the coconut is overripe. The type of sugar used is also crucial. Gons tastes bad if there are excessive sugar crystals in it