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There is more to Goa than the majestic beaches, cool shacks and never-ending parties. The smallest state of India is replete with history that goes back thousands of years. Unlike most of India, Goa was a Portuguese colony. It was in December 1961 that Goa officially became a part of the Indian state. Even if you are not a local, you can easily spot the strong Portuguese influence on Goa and Goa’s culture. The colonial remnants are prominent even in Goa’s cuisine. Most of Goa’s traditional cuisine is brimming with dishes that were introduced by the Portuguese or uses ingredients that only showed up on Indian shores upon the entry of Portuguese; like potatoes, wine and many kinds of vinegar. You may have tried and relished Pork Vindaloo or Bebinca, but here we are raising our toast to another Goan delicacy that has ruled our hearts ever since we first tried it, the Alle Belle.
Alle Belle are traditional Goan rice pancakes that are stuffed with palm jaggery and coconut shavings, further accentuated with the flavour of cardamom. You may compare it with Madakassan from Kerala or Patishapta from Bengal. Essentially all these desserts are thin crepes filled with jaggery, coconut and few spices, but the difference lies in texture and consistency of filling.
Here is a toothsome recipe of Alle Belle by Rishi Manucha, Executive chef- Taj Fort Aguada Resort And Spa, Goa.
Ingredients:
½ cup Rice
1 Egg
½ tsp Salt
2 drops Vanilla Essence
100 grams Palm Jaggery
100 grams Grated Coconut
50 grams Cashew Nuts
½ tsp Cardamom Powder
Butter for frying
Recipe:
1. Soak rice in water for an hour
2. Grind rice along with salt , water, egg until you get a thin batter.
3. Add vanilla essence to the batter.
4. Heat a non-stick pan, apply butter and pour a thin layer of the batter to get thin crepes.
5. For the filling, mix grated jaggery, coconut, cashew nuts and cardamom powder.
7. Add the filling to the pancakes, roll them up and serve.
So, when are you trying this recipe?
