Taste of Goa - Must have goan foods

When his way to heart is through food, instead of planning a travel itinerary, you plan a detailed food itinerary. I charted out  a rough travel plan in such a way that we get to experience the best gastronomical delight in our three days.

Goa, being a treasure trove of spices, cocunut, fresh fish and prawns, you would find a perfect blend of these ingredients in Goan cuisine.

Ok! Let me get you straight to the palatable food we had relished.

Rava fried fish
Rava fried fish is a perfect accompaniment to the Goan fish curry. This spicy fish fry has a thin layer of rava(semolina) coating to make it crisp and crunchy. People say that no Goan meal is complete without this fish fry.

Restaurant - Mum's Kitchen

Goan Prawn fry
As the rain drizzles outside, just embrace the cold savoring the spicy deep fried goan prawns. Spice level was just perfect and we loved eating it.

Restaurant - Starlight 

Fish Recheado
Recheado is nothing but kashmiri red chillies grounded along with vinegar and coriander to form a paste. This spicy tangy paste is stuffed in Mackreal or Pomfret fish and stir fried in a pan to give you a delicious fish recheado. Lip-smacking indeed!

Restaurant - Viva Panjim

Rava fried prawn
As I said earlier, no goan thali is complete without rava fried delicacies. Though this dish is crispy outside, when you bite it, you will feel the perfect blend of masala soothing your taste buds.

Restaurant - Viva Panjim, Mum's Kitchen

Poi
Poi is usually used as a substitute to rice. You can either use goan curry or home made jam as an accompaniment.

Restaurant -Mum's Kitchen

Fish Thali
If you want to try Fish Thali, I would highly recommend Starlight, Arpora. Their thali offers five different variety of curries ranging from fish to crab to clams(Yes you read it right! Clams!). Rava fried fish and a fusion dish of cabbage and small prawns are two more feathers to its crown.

Restaurant - Starlight

Goan Fish curry
In the Thali we had ordered, two varieties of Goan fish curries were there. And both were exceptionally good.

Restaurant - Starlight.

Chicken Xacutti
I had tried this dish in Aldona, Mapusa and Panjim. But the chicken xacuti I had in Cancio's homestay, Aldona still wins my heart. All credits to Raquel's cooking skill.

Restaurant - Viva Panjim & Cancio's Homestay

Goan Prawn curry 
Like Kerala cuisine, the use of cocunut is more in Goan curries and this prawn curry is no different. Pair this curry with a fish recheado for a scrumptious combo.

Restaurant - Viva Panjim

Chicken Cafreal 
Grilled chicken served Portuguese style with ground paste of spicy green chillies, peppercorns, garlic and ginger. Though the look wasn't appealing, the cafreal was tasting really delicious.

Restaurant - Starlight.

Squid Goan curry
As we had already tasted all the other curries, we wanted something new to end the Goan trip. So we ended up ordering Squid Goan curry in Mum's kitchen. Squid was cooked in a cocunut based curry to give you a palatable gravy for rice as well as poi.

Restaurant - Mum's Kitchen

Prawns Orly
I tasted a different version of Prawns Orly in Route 66 three years back. Beer battered Prawns! Prawns coated with beer batter are golden fried and served. Yummy treat!

Restaurant - Route 66

Goan dishes I want to try on my next trip

Tandoori crab
Grilled crab rubbed with local masala at Laxmi family restaurant, Morjim

Crab curries
Though we tasted one version of crab curry in Starlight, I am so tempted to try other versions of goan crab curries.

Bebinca
This traditional rich, layered cake made from coconut milk, sugar and egg yolks is definitely on my food bucket list.

Thali at Bhatti Village
You get to eat what they get to catch. Interesting isn't it? The idea of no menu card and fresh food had made me want to visit this place.

Recommended restaurants
1) Viva Panjim, Fontainhas
Viva Panjim, located inside a heritage house in Fontainhas, offers an ethnic Goan food at a reasonable price.

2) Starlight, Arpora
Starlight is a famous restaurant among locals. Food was tasting good. Thali in starlight comes with five varieties of curries and a rava fried fish. But they need to improve the aesthetics of the restaurant.

3) Mums’s Kitchen, Panjim
Mum's Kitchen, located in Panjim, is a fine dining restaurant that offers a splendid view of the garden outside from your table. Price was bit higher but food was all worth the price.

4) Route 66, Fontainhas

Fontainhas has got some best set of food joints and Route 66 is one of it. I remember taking steps to a small food joint three years back to come out with a satisfied tummy. Now the food joint had developed to a bigger restaurant.

So this is all about the culinary experiences we had in our Goa trip.

Is there any interesting Goan food I had missed out to mention? Do drop in your comments.

Monsoon oasis in North Goa

Goa in Monsoon was like a fairytale to me two years back. So when I was looking for a perfect monsoon oasis this year, I was instantly reminded of Goa.

Even after three visits to Goa, this place keeps calling me back and there is always something new to experience.

Read further to know what all Goa had offered me this monsoon!

Influence of Portuguese architecture near Saligao
Panjim to Saligao route is exceptionally beautiful dotted with pretty Portuguese houses. So be ready for a lot of pitstops to take photos of the lovely houses.

Enjoy the cloudy day in Baga Beach
We started our Goa trip with a visit to Baga beach(Blame it on the hotel for not giving us early check-in!). As Baga beach was near our stay, we headed to Baga to kill our time. Surprisingly that day Baga beach was not that crowded. But Parking fee was bit high.

Take yourself down the year in Basilica of Bom Jesus

Located in Old Goa, the basilica of Bom Jesus is one of the oldest churches in India and is declared a Unesco world heritage site. This church holds the mortal remains of St Francis Xavier.

From the ornamented church entrance to baroque styled main altar, this church will sure take you back to the bygone era.

Know Goa's history and culture in Archaelogical museum

Just opposite to the Basilica of Bom Jesus, this archaeological museum is a must visit for those interested in knowing Goa's culture and history. Though small, this museum has got some good piece of information about Old goa.

Surprise yourself in the sleepy Divar Island
Divar Island was a pure surprise to us in all it's way. As we entered this sleepy town welcomed by swaying paddy fields and beautiful backwaters, we assumed it to be yet another beautiful quiet town.

As we headed to the church, we saw the change of scenery from the greener pastures to colourful colonial houses.

Church was closed when we went but we were all the more satisfied with the journey than the destination.

You can take the ferry from Old Goa to Divar Island. There are two ferries which operate every 10 mins transporting people between Old Goa and Divar Island.

Walk the winding streets of Panjim Fontainhas

Fontainhas is an old Latin quarter of Panjim. Even after so many years, it still maintains it's portuguese influence in its architecture. You can walk along the winding streets to find some quaint villas and buildings in traditional European style.

Do check out the restaurants in the fontainhas for a scrumptious Goan food. We had our palatable lunch in Viva Panjim.

Interiors of Viva Panjim

Two failed attempts to Reis Magos Fort!
During my first visit to this fort, as the electrical wires were off the pole and were on the path to the fort, we were restrained from entering the fort.

This time, we went all the way to Reis Magos fort to know that the fort is closed on a Monday. Wow! What a learning?

View of the fort from Church

So after two failed attempts, I am only more tempted to see the fort in all its glory.

Bask yourself in the famed Chapora fort 

Famed after hindi movie 'Dil chahta hai', this fort is a perfect place to see the sunset. Being monsoon season, we couldn't get to see the sunset this time. But the sun played a little hide and seek to offer us some pristine views like this.

Let the dog guide you to the pristine Heart Shaped lake, Chicolna
Meandering through the secluded greener pastures, with butterflies fluttering around us and the dog leading us through the way, when we finally reached this piece of paradise, we were almost out of words to describe the whole thing.

The beauty was one thing that took our heart and the another thing was this dedicated guide who we got along on our way and the final thing was the peace that went synonymous with this place. 

With swaying coconut trees in the edge of the hill; the endless view of ocean; the wind that swept me off my feet, I felt complete serendipity. I could only do half justice to the place by my words.

When you start navigating in Google maps to heart shaped lake, don’t go till the google marked place. Instead take left to JMC Veira nagar and then take right and go straight. You may have to drive off road at the last stretch or you can even park your vehicle and hike to the heart shaped lake.

Take yourself to the western most tip of Goa, Grand Mother Yole beach
As we had two hours in hand, we decided to venture to the western most tip of Goa, Grand Mother Yole beach.

To reach this beach, you have to first go to Japanese garden. And from there, take the steps down to reach a beach devoid of tourists. 

Here you go! Grand Mother Yole beach! Your own private beach!

On your route to this beach from Vasco, you can also pitstop for a good view of Goa Harbour.

Enjoy shopping near Baga beach
From pretty beach wears to flip flops to dream catchers to beautiful souvenirs, you would find many shops near Baga beach.

Treat your taste buds with Goan spices
Rich influence of Portuguese in Goa and the wide availability of cocunut and spices had perfectly complemented each other to offer us one of the exemplary culinary treat. Read a detailed guide on "Must have Goan foods" 

So this is all my monsoon oasis in Goa is all about.

The spirit of Goa lies in it's quaint sleepy villages. You need to go further from the touristy places to truly experience the real vibe of Goa.

If someone asks me to name one reason as to why I love this sunshine state so much, I would sure be baffled to pick one.

What would I choose? The secluded sea shores; the magnificent trekking trails; the sleepy island villages; may be the ruined forts; the colourful portuguese buildings;  the delicious Goan food or the warmest people I met(Ok! The list goes on), Goa had offered me so many surprises that it's pretty hard to pick one.

What had Goa offered you on your trip? Do drop in your comments.

Happy Tanning in goa!

Rajasthan Itinerary

25 Dec 2017

I was sitting in my place reading an article about Rajasthan and thinking how three years back I had nearly missed being made to the land of Maharajas, Rajasthan.

23 Jan 2018
I am sitting in the airport looking at the tripod and backpack, again dreaming about Rajasthan. But this time, I am going to live this dream.

When the land of royalty finally called us to its solace, we couldn't be more happy. That was a music to the long waited ear. Wasn't it?

But there was a constraint! We had only five days in hand and we had planned Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer(I know! I know! It's a hectic plan). But travelling with a full time job would come with this constraint called time right?

Curious to know how I planned my trip to the Land of Maharajas in the measly 5 days. 

Here's the itinerary for you!

Day 0 : Chennai to Jaipur

Fly into Jaipur from Chennai(Night flight to save the day)

Day 1 : Jaipur

Short itinerary for the day : City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Amer fort, Jal Mahal, Hawa Mahal, Johari bazaar

Our trip kick-started with the famed city palace, a photographers paradise and a place to learn more about the culture of Rajasthan. But the special fee of INR 2000 for visiting the second floor was way too much we felt.

Our next stop was Jantar Mantar, which was just opposite to City palace. I would recommend hiring guide to know the astronomical excellence of our ancestors.

We headed next to the famed Amer fort. Timeless beauty of Amer fort can't be described in words.

On our way back from Amer fort, we saw the surreal Jal Mahal basking in it's night glow.

And our final stop for the day was Hawa Mahal and Johari bazaar.

We boarded our train to Jodhpur from Jaipur around 10 pm.

Check here for a detailed post on how Jaipur's magnificence had taken me on a journey to the glorious yester years.

Stay at "Hotel Pearl Palace" was a pleasant one. Room was neat with a touch of Rajasthan. All at a quite reasonable price(INR 1680 for three adults)

Day 2 : Jodhpur

Short Itinerary for the day : Mehrangarh fort, Jaswant Thada, Umaid Bhavan palace, Clock tower market

We started our day with the mighty Mehrangarh fort. Built by the Rajputs, Mehrangarh fort is a testimony of the former times. This fort, being one of the best preserved forts of India, cannot be missed in your Rajasthan itinerary.

Our next stop was Jaswant Thada, The Taj Mahal of Mewar. Away from the hubub of the city, this milky-white marble cenotaph is sure to make any visitor stunned with it's beauty.

We headed next to the spellbinding Umaid Bhavan palace. From the majestic sight of palace to the accomplishments of Umaid Singh mentioned in the musuem, everything was so breathtakingly crafted.

We winded the day walking the bazaar and chilling at the Cafe Royale near clock tower.

We boarded our train from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer around 11 pm.

Read more about my day in Blue city, Jodhpur here!

Stay at "Hare krishna" was really bad. We regretted the decision of booking this. Cab couldn't drop us till the stay as the path to the stay was narrow and also deserted with street dogs chasing us away.  Not to mention the stinky smell of open sewage killing our senses.

When we somehow made it to the stay, we found that there seemed no reception. After a few calls, the owner opened the doors and showed us the room to be again disappointed by the poor maintenance.

Day 3 - Jaisalmer

Short itinerary for the day - Jaisalmer fort, Sunset Desert Safari, Desert camping

Our first stop for the day was Jaisalmer fort. Having seen Amer fort and Mehrangarh fort, we thought of not visiting this fort. Thank goodness we didn't skip this fort.

If not for the fort, where else would we have got to know about the Rajasthani culture?

After exploring the fort premises, we headed to the Desert camping and sunset desert safari.

Want to know what all we did in desert? Head here.

Stay at "Desert gateway resort" was overall good. Food and Folk dance needs to be improved. Price : INR 5100 for 3 adults including a camel safari.

Day 4 : Jaisalmer

Short itinerary for the day : Sunrise camel safari, Patwon ki haveli, Jaisalmer fort, Gadisar lake, Bada bagh

We woke up to a beautiful sunrise from our camp and headed for a camel safari. We spent sometime walking in the endless sand dunes.

After breakfast, we checked out and headed to Patwon ki haveli in fort complex. This haveli indeed stole our hearts with it's intricate carvings.

After shopping in Jaisalmer fort, we went to Gadisar lake and finally ended our day with a nearly missed Sunset in Bada bagh.

Hopped on to our train for a long journey from Jaisalmer to Jaipur.

For knowing detailed things to do in Jaisalmer, head here.

Stay at "Hotel Mehrangarh" was very much good. Loved the extra bed arrangements in the window sill. Price was just 700 INR for three adults.

My fav place!

Day 5 : Jaipur

Short itinerary for the day - Jal Mahal

We have reached Jaipur around 1 pm. We checked into our hotel, refreshed and went to savour the Rajasthani Thali.

Having seen the beauty of Jal Mahal in night on day 1, we headed there in the evening to see the spectacular palace in the day light. Unfortunately plastic covers were floating on the water surface. We were heart broken to see the sad state of it. Hope we Indians become more responsible towards all this.

Stay at "Hotel Vinayak" was good too. The owner would itself act as your guide, giving you a insider's view about Jaipur. 

Whether it is the unflinching beauty of forts or famed havelis or dreamy sunsets in lakes or spectacular Thar desert, Rajasthan has a mixed bag of things which would make your holiday unforgettable.

May be that's why maximum number of foreign tourists like to visit this culturally rich part of India.

What are you waiting for? Go book your flight to Rajasthan!

No of days : 5 
Month of Trip : January'18
Overall cost of trip : INR 18000

Jaipur

Between rugged hills and fortified walls, lies this bustling city full of life, trying to handle the enormous tourists' visit.

Amidst all this, Jaipur's magnificence is something that is going to take you on a journey to the glory of yester years.

How naive I was to think there were not much to see in Jaipur?

City has got lot of touristy and non-touristy places to it. And how badly I wish for another trip to this place.

Admire the quintessential architecture in City palace

City palace indeed is a testament to the royal lifestyles of our erstwhile Maharajas and a must visit for those seeking a culturally rich experience.

City palace houses a museum which exhibits items from royal dresses to arms used in wars.

What left us dumbfounded was the special fee of INR 2000 for visiting the Chandra Mahal of City Palace. We felt that was way too much to demand from the tourist.

Except for this part, we had a good time in city palace.

Get to know Astronomy in Jantar Mantar

In contrary to architechtural excellence of City Palace, this one showcased the scientific instruments which were used to study astronomy in ancient times. 

You can either hire a guide or you can read about this before visiting it to appreciate the crux of it.

Reminsce memories of Jodha Akbar in Amer fort 
Located 7 km from the city, Amer fort is sure a highlight of the day. This majestic fort reminded me of the scenes of "Jodha Akbar" movie.

Amer fort indeed requires a day to explore. From the majestic Ganesh pol to beautiful Sheesh Mahal made of mirrors, every place in Amer fort was breathtakingly crafted.

You can also view the perfectly laid out garden in the lake surrounding the Amer fort from the courtyard near Ganesh pol.

Witness a surreal Jal Mahal basking in it's night glow

While we were returning from Amer fort, we saw the surreal Jal Mahal Palace basking in it's night glow reflecting itself on the calm waters. That was a sight to behold.

Later in the day light, when we came to see Jal Mahal, we saw garbages being thrown into the waters where Jal Mahal was sitting with it's charm.

If a sight which gives unparalleled beauty is treated like this, I don't know what else we will take care properly.

Wind up the day seeing Hawa Mahal.

Hawa Mahal also known as Beehive castle, which stands in all it's glory in the heart of pink city is sure to take your breath away both day and night.

It is also called Palace of winds, as the architecture is designed in such a way to circulate cool breeze in the palace.

No doubt that this Beehive castle is an epitome of quintessential Rajput architecture. 

Go shopping in Johari Bazaar
In Johari bazaar, you can get variety of Rajasthani dresses ranging from skirts to shawls.

But please be prepared, in order for the shop keepers to reduce price, you need to be a strong negotiator. Being accustomed to foreigners' visit, the shop keepers stick to the fixed price even during the closing hours.