Enchant yourself in the ethnic charm of Goan food by relishing this Sorak Curry served in Moltulem(traditional earthrnware) and you would realize simplicity at its best embedded with Goan flavor. This plain and simple coconut curry tastes yummy with hot steamed rice and tastes divine with a fantastic plum fruit juice along...
Table Of Contents:
1. Goan Sorak Curry
2. A Glimpse Of Goan Culture
3. A Glance Into Goan Cuisine
4. Goan Sorak Curry - A Foreword
5. A Special Note On Cudnem
6. A Hint On Kokum
7. Ingredients Needed To Make Goan Sorak Curry
8. Directions To Make Traditional Goan Sorak Curry
9. Nutritional Value
10. Things To Remember
11. Suitable Pairings
12. Little Ways To Plan A Goan Lunch
13. Taste And Nature Of Goan Sorak Curry
14. Faqs
Monsoon and Sorak curry are inseparable in Goa, and Goan Sorak Curry, fondly called as Goenchem Ankwar Kodi (which means the spinster curry) is a plain coconut based dish, much adored for its tantalizing taste and alluring aroma. It is a versatile dish that goes extremely well with chapathi, rice, roti or bread and just can be taken at any part of the day.
A Glimpse Of Goan Culture:
Goan Cuisine has particular palate of flavor to offer and has carved out its own niche. It is one of the great examples to show the zenith of food fusion in India. It is a delightful amalgamation of varied cuisines that could enthrall us with its blend of flavors and food heritage. If we study the history of Goa, we could stumble upon some interesting facts that arouse our curiosity.
Goan heritage is a concurrence of many cultures that has emerged and developed over the centuries and this includes the influence of the Portugese, Chinese, Malaysian, Konkani, French, Arabian, Brazilian and the Malabari. The merge begins from the way of life, tradition, attire, language, custom, rituals, business and leads to food subsequently, that has the confluence of all these cuisines.
During the 16th century, ports became a huge business hub which facilitated the trade with the above mentioned countries. This paved way for the entry of new goods that included clothes, articles, food items, commercial goods, medicinal herbs, cosmetics and perishable fruits, vegetables and beverages. Eventually, this led to the onset of food amalgamation among other emergence, where numerous dishes evolved out of fusion of varied cuisines that finally came out with roaring success as the outstanding Goan cuisine.
A Glance Into Goan Cuisine:
Goan cuisine largely includes sea foods like fish, pork, shrimps, lobsters, oysters, prawns, mussels, crabs, clams, squid and sharks. Apart from the Sun, sand and beach, Goa's tropical climate calls for a hot and spicy food which in turn becomes a huge factor for a large tourist attraction. Its deep fried, dried, marinated, salt-cured sea food is quite famous and attracts tourists from all over the world.
It is one of the sensational food hub where you could see the blend of varied food cultures in one spot cooked with specifications and authenticity which is really stunning and awe inspiring. There is no compromise when it comes to the taste of food and there is no end to the pleasure you get for your palates. You can never miss out a travel to Goa if you are a food explorer and you will end up with boundless surprises. Goan cuisine is a deep well of joy where you can dive deep into the well of flavors but will never sink, instead will afloat with abundant glee and thrill.
Goan Sorak Curry:- A Foreword
A humble yet delicious curry from the fascinating Goan Cuisine, this Goan sorak curry is an indispensable dish in the Goan household. With coconut paste and a melange of spices, this spicy tangy curry would slick up any main course dish like rice or roti to a different level. The red curry made of kokum, coconut and byadagi chili or kashmiri mirch is sure to tickle your taste buds with its spicy tangy medley.
This is a chosen dish in Goa during the monsoons, where fishing shuts down for some days until the season sets in. Dried fish, salt treated prawns and tuna comes for rescue, and this is the time where rice, roti and this Goan Sorak Curry come as a divine delicacy. This is the regular go to dish during the "stay indoors" period, where people would love to relish Goan Sorak Curry with hot steamed rice and chapathi generally.
A Special Note On Cudnem:
This fascinating word cudnem, kundlem or khundem refers to the clay pot used to make sorak curry and other fish curries. It gives a unique flavor to the dish that would elevate the overall taste of the seafood a notch higher. It just lends its own flavor to the dish that makes it exotic. It gives an authentic feel and takes you close to nature, and anyone would become nostalgic after having a sumptuous meal of seafood made in earthen clay pot like cudnem. Moreover, it always retains the nutrition, flavor and heat for a longer period of time which is quite beneficial.
A Hint On Kokum:
Kokum, a small deep red fruit resembling like cherry tomato, originated in India, and it is cultivated widely in the western coasts of the country and also in some parts of the eastern states. Apart from being used widely in cooking, this dried kokum is used to make medicine, cosmetics and beverages. The contribution of kokum in Ayurveda is remarkable and the products made out of kokum comes in various forms like fruit, powder, paste and pulp. It is a natural antacid that protects the liver and aids in digestion. Apart from being anti inflammatory and analgesic, it is also anti-dermatitis and antiperspirant and thus supports skin health. It reduces free radicals in the body and aids in preventing cancer. Moreover, it is astringent and anti-bacterial and helps in curing gastric ulcers.
Let us make use of this miracle herb kokum in our day today cooking by trying out recipes from regional cuisines that use this wonderful ingredient. Check out this recipe of Goan Sorak Curry that has kokum as the key ingredient that would surprise you with its simple deliciousness..
Ingredients Needed To Make Goan Sorak Curry:
1. For the masala- Blend coconut, red chili, kokum, garlic, peppercorns and coriander seeds to make a smooth paste.
2. To saute - Saute sliced onion in coconut oil and add the blended masala paste and boil in low flame.
3. Serve hot - Serve it hot with sizzling steamed rice or roti.
Step wise Directions To Make Goan Sorak Curry:
1. Make The Masala Paste - Blend the above mentioned ingredients and make a fine paste out of it.
2. Saute The Onion - Slice some onion and saute it in coconut oil and plop in the masala paste and simmer.
3. Serve Hot - Serve it hot with rice.
Drop all the above mentioned ingredients given to make the masala in a blender and splash in a little water. Blitz for a few pulses and make a smooth paste out of it and keep aside.
Heat s wok skillet and tip in two tablespoons of coconut oil and spill some cumin seeds. When it crackles, add the sliced onion and saute for a few seconds. When it becomes translucent, plop in the masala paste and lower the flame. Let it get cooked for about two to three minutes approximately.
Add the required amount of salt and pour in one and a half cups of water . Stir well and let it get cooked in low flame for about ten minutes approximately. Finally when it gets done and turn aromatic, turn off the flame.
Transfer it to a serving bowl and serve hot with steamed rice and fishy fry.
Things To Remember:
1. Kashmiri mirch or byadagi chili gives you the desired deep red color.
2. Fresh kokum is the key ingredient here and as much as possible do not try to replace it with tamarind as it may change the nature of the sorak curry.
3. You can add one or two red or green chilies or even both while sauteing for a fiery punch and it is optional.
4. Addition of ginger, urad dal, turmeric powder, jaggery and tomatoes are there in other versions and it is up to your choice and preference to include or exclude either of these ingredients.
4. This is the traditional method of making sorak curry and you also have versions that include veggies, fresh and dry fish as well.
5. Goan Sorak Curry tastes the best when it is slightly watery, i.e. one step below from being absolutely thick.
Suitable Pairings:
1. Plain steamed rice
2. Ghee rice
3. red rice
4. salted fish
5. prawn pickle bachao
6. sauteed vegetables
7. fish fry
8.kulcha
Little Ways To Plan a lunch With Goan's Native Touch::
If you are planning to host a Goan dinner, then your kitchen needs to have rice, soft bread, a variety of seafood, coconut and vegetables in plenty. Fishes are a must, and cook more than one appetizer, stews, curries and bhakris along with the sorak, and a minimum of two Goan desserts to make it complete. You can make exotic juices and smoothies with fresh fruits like plum, pomegranate, lemon and orange. Some juicy prawn starters, semolina yam crust, spicy mushroom will be a great way to start and flat bread with sorak curry, chicken stew and mackerles will suffice for main course and the grand finale would be mnganem or nendram ghee roast.
Goan Sorak Curry Is:
1. Tangy and mildly spiced
2. shimmery red color
3. plain curry with coconut base
4, versatile
5. flavorful and delicious
Faqs:
1. In what way Goan sorak curry is different from other coconut based curries?
Goan curry has the essence of kokum, which is unique and the combination of kokum with coconut, peppercorns and red chili gives an exclusive taste to the curry which is delectable.
2. What are the other versions of Goan Sorak Curry?
This is the basic, plain traditional version of sorak curry. And the other non vegetarian types include egg, fish, prawn curries in the coconut based sorak curry.
Ingredients
Directions
Drop all the above mentioned ingredients given to make the masala in a blender and splash in a little water. Blitz for a few pulses and make a smooth paste out of it and keep aside.
Heat s wok skillet and tip in two tablespoons of coconut oil and spill some cumin seeds. When it crackles, add the sliced onion and saute for a few seconds. When it becomes translucent, plop in the masala paste and lower the flame. Let it get cooked for about two to three minutes approximately.
Add the required amount of salt and pour in one and a half cups of water . Stir well and let it get cooked in low flame for about ten minutes approximately. Finally when it gets done and turn aromatic, turn off the flame.
Transfer it to a serving bowl and serve hot with steamed rice and fishy fry.
I appreciate that this recipe uses simple, wholesome ingredients like fresh ginger, garlic, and tomatoes. It’s a great reminder that sometimes the simplest dishes can be the most delicious.