a popular food in goa kept in a bowl on the table with cutlery next to it

GORGE ON THE LOCAL FOOD OF GOA

A blend of spices and flavours, Goan food is a must try that leaves your palette craving for more. The rich aroma of this city’s irresistible cuisine stimulates your soul and fills you with a desire to bring the foodie inside you to life. Being a Portuguese colony until 1961, Goan food incorporates many shades of the Portuguese cuisine which makes the food so special. The food is predominantly spicy and comprises coconut, meat, fish and pork among other things. Treat your taste buds with some delicacies of this beautiful city that will leave your mouth watering.

Goan Fish Curry

Locally known as Xitti Kodi, Goan Fish Curry is a widely eaten delicacy around Goa that happens to be a part of everybody’s diet. The dish is full of spices, and coconut to balance it out. It comprises fresh Pomfret and raw mango as the essential ingredients and is served with rice. The abundance of rich flavours makes for a perfect meal that will surely satiate you to the core.

a zoomed image of a local goan dish served with rice
overview of chicken xacuti - a popular Goan dish kept in four bowls

Chicken Cafreal

Another delicacy of Goa that never fails to amaze is the Chicken Cafreal. A delicious recipe that is prepared with marinating chicken overnight in cafreal, a green paste made from spices. This dish is a gift of the Portuguese influence on Goan cuisine. A trip to Goa is incomplete without this lip-smacking preparation. For chicken lovers, it is heaven. Taste the flavour of cafreal oozed into the chicken. Don’t miss out on one of the best traditional dishes of Goa.

Goan Pork Vindaloo

When in Goa, feast on the delightful Pork Vindaloo that will make you pump with satisfaction. The dish gets its name from ‘vin’, that is short for vinegar and ‘ahlo’, which means garlic in Portuguese. The prominence of potato in Indian dishes transformed the word ahlo into aloo, hence the name Vindaloo. The dish is made from spices and vinegar mixed with pork, onions, chilies and other ingredients.

A popular local Goan food kept in a copper bowl in a restaurant
Biryani served in a plate with curd and curry in small bowls

Chicken Xacuti

Chicken Xacuti is the fusion of Kashmiri chilies with chicken that results in an irresistible dish that is part of most Goan households. So much so, that it has even made its way into festivities as a delicacy. Coconut is also a dominant ingredient of this dish and adds a beautiful flavour. This is a popular food in Goa and definitely a must have for tourists.

Ambot Tik

This spicy and tangy Konkani delicacy uses shark meat because of its relatively large body and a single bone. The name of this dish comes from ‘ambot’, which means sour and ‘tik’, which means spicy. Coconut, which is used in most of the Goan food, is not used here at all. What is interesting about Ambot tik is, its even tastier the next day. Enjoy this preparation for breakfast the next day and you will not be disappointed.

a local goan dish ambot tik kept in a bowl with dry chillies on the side

A vacation to Goa is nothing but waste if one misses out on the local Goan food. The city is not just beaches, but the culture it has to offer that makes your visit worthwhile. Caravela Beach Resort in Goa houses multiple dining options where these local Goan dishes are made by expert chefs. Spend some time with us, and take back a bag of memories.