GOAN SPICES: FROM ADDING FLAVOUR TO HEALTH-GIVING PROPERTIES By Alda Figueiredo alda_juli...@yahoo.co.uk
Delights of Goa is the new edition to my cookery book 'Fusion Flavours' which was published only in the UK in 2005. It was my ambition to publish this book in Goa, and this became a reality recently. To give a brief about this book. Delights of Goa covers 210 recipes from Africa, Asia and Europe and provides a fusion of many styles of cuisine but the Goan style a major influence. This book is simple and easy-to-follow instructions ensure success every time you attempt to cook a recipe from the book. Each recipe is tried and tested. There are dishes for all occasions, including starters, main courses of meat, fish, sea food, fresh vegetables, various salads, selected preserves, pickles and luscious desserts and cakes from three continents that I have lived in. My advice to anyone who has never cooked before is to try first an easy recipe before attempting difficult ones. In this book I have listed 15 different commonly used spices in curries (pg 13). Spices and seasoning perks recipes up. Spices are not only used to give flavour to curries, but each spice has its own health-giving properties. I will explain a few of them that I use in my cooking very liberally. In Indian and Goan recipes garlic is used a lot and also in this cookery book. Garlic was prized by Greeks, Romans and Egyptians for its health-giving properties. It is rich in minerals and is thought to strengthen the body against illness. It has antibacterial, antiviral and blood-clotting qualities, in other words it thins the blood. In the West garlic is not appreciated because of the powerful smell on the breath. Another spice I often use is Cinnamon. It is an aromatic, warm and sweet spice used in curries, desserts and cakes. It is also highly antiseptic and useful for a cold and flu remedy and can be used as a very effective mouth wash. There are other therapeutic properties such as it improves blood circulation and digestive system. Cumin is another popular spice used in curries a lot. It helps to improve digestive system. Another spice I used extensively is cloves. It has wonderfully warm and comforting spicy taste and aroma. When we use spices in our cooking we do not think of any nutritional value. In fact cloves have an amazing list of health benefits, including vitamin A and C and minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorous, sodium and potassium. In addition to the health benefits they have other therapeutic properties and they can be used for treating a variety of disorders e.g. toothache, mouth sores, for coughs and colds. Ginger, asafoetida and turmeric are all considered digestives and are therefore thrown into pots of beans or split peas or other pulses to fight of their hard-to-digest stubbornness. Food, music, love and life go hand in glove. If you love food you will love life and trying to cook a dish of any nationality is not a big issue, but a challenge. One important point I would like to stress is that eating healthy food is vital in this day-and-age, where refined and processed foods are the cause of modern ailments. In the West there is growing recognition that the way we eat is not good for our health. Generally we eat too much sugar, salt and fat and too little fibre. Measures for salt, fat and sugar in this book are given as guide amounts only. If you want to use less or no sugar, that is up to you. Most recipes call simply for margarine or oil. It is best to use unsaturated varieties such as corn, sunflower, soybean or vegetable oils. Coconut oil or ghee are saturated fats and normally best avoided as they can contribute to cholesterol build-up in the body. Incidentally, in the book I have added a special section for the preparation of ground spices, masala and pastes, which we use on daily basis. Ready-made spices are not fresh and can lose it flavour because they have been sitting on the shelves for some time. It is better to grind your own whole spices whenever you can. Firstly, you can be sure of the quality and contents and secondly, they will be fresher and tastier. Lastly you can save a lot of time and money by preparing in advance and storing them in dry and airtight jars. The true skill of any cooking is to learn to be flexible. The wonder of Goan or Indian cookery is its flexibility. In the beginning cooking can be apprehensive just like anything new we attempt first time. We should not be afraid if the results of the first and second attempt are not what you expect. Once you have had a few trial runs I am sure you will be inventing your own dishes and enjoy cooking with complete easy. I hope this book will open up a great deal of ideas for cooking and that you will have as much fun with the recipes as I did. I received a request by email for the recipe of batika (semolina cake) from Juliet De Souza from Los Angeles, which I append below. Bulinas - Semolina Biscuits Ingredients 450g / 1/2 kg semolina 6 egg yolks 2 coconuts grated or 2 cups of desiccated coconut 450g / 1/2 kg sugar (according to your taste) 1/2 cup water 1 tsp vanilla essence Method 1. Grind the grated coconuts finely. 2. Mix the sugar and water and cook until smooth syrup is formed. 3. Add the ground coconut and stir well. 4. Cook for 3-4 minutes then set aside to cool. 5. Add the egg yolks and mix thoroughly. 6. Add the semolina and essence and mix well. Form the mixture into small balls. 7. Place the bulinas in the prepared greased tins and bake in the pre-heated oven at Gas Mark 4/ 180C/350F for 30-40 minutes or until they are golden brown. 8. Remove from the tins and cool. Store in airtight jars. -- Alda Figueiredo is the author of 'Delights of Goa', recently published in Goa by Broadway and Goa,1556. The earlier edition is published available from Waterstones bookshops throughout the United Kingdom too.