I have been to Goa numerous times. This time, we decided to do the beach tour again after a gap of many years. Although doing 4-5 beaches in one day robs you of the pleasure to soak in the water and sun, you still get to see the lay of the land. And, of course, try food in different restaurants.
One thing other than the usual Xacuti and Vindaloo that seemed everywhere on the menu was the Goan Sausage Pulao and Sausage Chilli Fry. And I am glad tried the pulao, which had lots of crumbled Goan Sausage and some veggies.
Goan Sausage, based on Chorizo or Portuguese Corico, is much more spicy than the original Chorizo sausage and is also quite pungent. Well, when you find a new ingredient you have to get it.
So on our trip to the local market, I stocked on some Goan Sausage links with a plan to make some new recipes. Here is the first one.
Goan Sausage Pulao Ingredients
6-8 Sausage links
3 Cups cooked rice
2 tbsp oil
1 small Onion, cut in slivers
2 Medium, ripe tomatoes, cut in slivers
1 medium carrot, cut into juliens
1 Bay leaf
1 TSp Paprika
Salt to taste
4-5 Garlic cloves, chopped fine
2 Tbsp sliced black olives
Goan Sausage Pulao Recipe
1 Open the Sausage link thread and remove the sausage from the casing
2 Heat the oil in a wok and add the bay leaf
3 Add the crumbled sausage and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes till the oil separates
4 Add carrots and saute for another minute
5 Add the Onions and salt and fry until the onions are translucent
6 Add the cooked rice and mix well
7 Now add the tomatoes and cover the rice for a couple of minutes on low flame
8 Serve in a bowl and garnish it with chopped black olives
Remo Fernandes no doubt has been the most well-known celebrity from Goa. My earliest memory of Remo’s music is “Dekho Dekho Yeh Hai Jalwa” from the movie Jalwa, starring Naseeruddin Shah.
I think Narcotic Drugs became more of a nuisance in the 80s in India. It was only in 1985 that the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances law was introduced in the Lok Sabha, which became a law in 1988. This increasing problem automatically became the background plot for this Bollywood thriller.
Jalwa
Naseeruddin Shah plays a CID inspector in the thriller. Motivated to enter law enforcement because of his brother’s death to drug overdose, Kapil (Naseeruddin Shah) pledges to curb the drug menace in Goa and bring the culprits to law.
When in Bombay, a friend visiting from Goa is gunned down in front of his eyes. The loss is too much to bear and old wounds open up. Kapil travels to Goa and decides to take on Drug mafia on his own against the wishes of the local law and enforcement. Hunted by his own and the drug dealers, Kapil must squash the head of the snake, before it bites him.
A spicy dish needs some heat and spice in the entertainment to go with it. And don’t forget to open a bottle of Beer to whet your appetite.