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Most people have tried heavier, spicier dishes like fish in recheado masala, vindaloo, sorpotel and xacuti with rice or sannas, but few know that snacks contribute to the cuisine of Goa, too. While ros omelette is one of Goa’s most popular street snacks, there are other tasty snacks that deserve equal attention. These range from savoury to sweet and can be enjoyed at any time of the day. Six Goan snacks that you must try are:
Prawn rissois
Prawn rissois is a Portuguese-influenced snack that is made by encasing a prawn filling (made with prawns, cheese and spices) in dough (made with flour, butter, water and salt), which is then coated with egg and breadcrumbs and deep-fried. The prawn filling is cheesy and creamy, and the outer covering is crisp. The snack is usually half-moon shaped and, being hot and crispy, is ideal for a rainy day.
Empadinhas
Empadinhas are miniature savoury pies stuffed with spicy pork. The outer covering is sweet and crusty. The snack has a Portuguese influence and is also eaten in Brazil. To make empadinhas, the dough and filling are prepared separately. The outer pastry uses flour, semolina, eggs, sugar butter and baking powder, while the filling is made with pork, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, cornflour and salt.
Choriz pao
Found across Goa as street food, choriz pao is also served at beach shacks and restaurants. It uses chorizo, which are traditional Goan sausages. The sausages are smoked and then dried in the sun, before being sold at food markets. Choriz pao may be eaten for breakfast, a quick meal, or as a snack. It is essentially pao or local bread stuffed with spiced pork sausages and onions.
Beef cutlet pao
Beef cutlets may be eaten as a snack on their own with pao. Cutlet pao is a popular Goan street snack, sold at hole-in-the-wall establishments and street food carts. To make beef cutlets, thin slices of beef are marinated in spices, coated with semolina and then deep-fried. Along with the beef cutlets, the pao may also be stuffed with salad. Beef cutlet pao is best enjoyed with some ketchup.
Onion bhakri
Onion bhakri is a quintessential Goan breakfast that can also be enjoyed as a snack. It is essentially like a round flatbread made with semolina or rice flour and onions. After a batter has been made with rice flour and water, salt and chillies are added to it. Then, the batter is spread on a pan with heated oil in it, and chopped onions are spread evenly over it. It is cooked until crispy and eaten on its own.
Neuris
A traditional sweet treat, neuris is to Goa what gujiya is to Uttar Pradesh and karanji is to Maharashtra.They are fried pastries stuffed with coconut and jaggery, and are especially popular during Christmas. The outer covering ends up being flaky and crunchy, while the filling remains moist and gooey. For a nutty flavour, almonds, cashews and even poppy seeds may be added to the filling.
