And we are in Goa today.
I visited Archana’s space for recipe ideas. And I based this thali (though the okra recipe has garlic) from this post of hers. She mentions about “shivrak”(vegetarian) days, where the diet is “chanyacho ras”, a vegetable, rice, batat kapa and toi. Toi can be made with and without coconut. This version has coconut in it.
I found that there are some similarities between Goan and Kerala cuisine. It’s not that they are alike, it’s just that when you say Goa, the image is that of Portuguese influenced Catholic cooking. So when you find recipes that strike a chord somewhere with your comfort food even if it is distant by a mile, all of a sudden it’s not foreign any more. That feeling is actually comforting.
For example, this dal has a ground coconut mix added to it, just like the Kerala Parippu Curry. It’s just that I hadn’t expected ground coconut in Goan dishes.
This payasam is another example. This is very similar to our Kadala Parippu payasam. The Kerala recipe is also a blend of Chana dal (split chickpea), jaggery and coconut milk. I didn’t have the sabudana/sago pearls with me, so went ahead and made the payasam without it.
Now coming to the bhindi/okra recipe here, this one is a bit different from how it’s usually prepared at home. There is a little bit of ginger and garlic that makes a whole lot of difference to the dish.
Yummy!
Futi kadhi is something I have tried before, again from Archana’s space. I used kokum gifted by Pradnya then. I have been holding on to that batch of kokum and finally realized that life won’t end if I use up the rest of it.
So I have put the last of the kokum to some good use. Made another batch of futi kadhi and my man was a happy man that day!
And coming to the batata kapa (fried potatoes), I don’t think I need to say anything. As long as potatoes feature in the menu, you are safe. If you fry it, then you are double safe.
The semolina(rava) coating is a new thing for me, but somehow with the rava that fell into the oil from the potatoes left a real bad mess in the pan. I don’t think I will be trying the coating again until I am more comfortable with deep frying.
Anyway, the man was happy with it and that compensates the messy dishes.
The Menu:
- Rice : Plain rice, cooked with water in 1:3 ratio. Yes, we like it a bit overcooked on a regular basis.
- Futi Kadhi : A drink made with kokum. Spicy, sour, sweet, salty….a burst of flavours in there.
- Goan Dal with drumsticks : A dal made with ground coconuts and wonderful home-grown drumsticks that my husband’s friend gave.
- Batata Kapa : Deep fried potatoes with a semolina (rava) coating…need I say more?
- Okra – Goan style : A different version with chopped ginger and garlic in it.
- Mangane : Chana dal payasam with jaggery. Not too different from the Kerala version.
My Kitchen Trials 
Aw how could I have missed this wonderful spread…really cant understand..love everything on the platter and specially found the footi Kadhi interesting!
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Lovely blue bg!!!! oh yes, Potatoes on plate, makes my people happy!!!! Awesome thali!!!
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Lovely spread of dishes.. Yum.
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What a lovely spread! Each and every dish is so well captured :)
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Those batata kapas is what caught my attention though everything there looked yummy. :) I thought it was some kind of dessert looking at the pictures.
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Yet another simple, but amazing plate of food Rajani. Clicks are awesome.
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Mouthwatering spread,looks fabulous…
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interesting to coat the potatoes. photos all look amazing as usual
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Lovely spread Rajani. The blue background is stunning. I never thought blue can be used effectively until I saw the payasam picture with the blue background!!
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Very delicious spread Rajani. And i am in love with your board. The colour is amazing. Did you paint it??
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love your pictures.. very pretty
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oh my such an mouthwatering spread there :) every dish looks so yummy and so very neatly presented dear :) looks fabulous, You are doing an great job :)
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Coconut is added to everything. Nice thali. All dishes came out great.
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Once again, a lovely thali. This nice to read the comparisons and similarities in two cuisines.
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lovely spread!!! and Goan cooking and Kerala cooking – both have coconut usage and both have similar seafood dishes!!! love that last click!!!
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Rajani awesome spread. Love it. Thanks for the mention too. As for the kappa after you coat with rava shallow fry it.
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That is indeed a delicious lunch thali ..loved all the dishes !
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I can have this futi kadhi happily anytime too, another beautiful thali to enjoy.. You blue bg is just eye pleasing.
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that was a good idea….to pick tips from archana’s corner, though i think she is more kannadiga or maharashtrian than goan but trust her goan konkani to stir up authentic recipes…this one thali is such a doable one..loved it especially the pictures of the curry
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Oh my! Such a beautiful picture Rajani…the blue makes everything come live. And each picture speaks volumn. Very lovely..gues u have unseemingly ended up putting thalis! So good :)
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