When I wrote about my stay at Cezar Pinto’s cottage in Anjuna , I mentioned the meal we shared at his home. What I did not get into then was the food itself, especially the two dishes we actually made together. Cezar and I were in the kitchen making prawn peri peri with feni and chicken ros omelette. There was plenty of talking in between chopping, stirring and checking the pan, which made the cooking feel like part of the conversation rather than a formal cooking session.
The other dishes were already prepared. Cezar’s wife loves to bake, so there was bebinca and batica waiting for us, along with chilled kokum soda. I particularly liked that the food covered such different sides of Goan cooking. The prawns were fiery and garlicky, the ros omelette was rich and comforting, the two cakes had completely different textures, and the kokum soda brought in a sharp, refreshing sweetness.
Because by the time we sat down, there was a full spread to taste without spending the entire afternoon cooking, that worked rather well.
The prawns were the first thing we made, and this is not a dish for anyone who thinks chilli should merely sit quietly in the background. The Thai chillies and garlic flavour the oil first. A squeeze of lime brings everything together. I loved the heat, but what really worked for me was the oil left in the pan. The bebinca and batica were already waiting when we finished cooking. Cezar’s wife loves to bake, and it showed in the sweets on the table. Bebinca is one of those desserts where you can appreciate the work involved just by looking at it. The taste is rich and distinctly coconutty, with egg yolks, ghee and sugar giving it plenty of richness. The browned layers add a caramelised flavour that keeps each bite interesting. For me, that is what made the meal feel personal. It was not a menu put together just for a food experience. It felt much closer to being welcomed into someone’s home and eating what the family enjoys making. Here’s what to know about the Grand Train Tour
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The prawns then cook in that mixture before the feni goes into the pan towards the end. Those layers are baked one at a time, with ghee brushed between them before the next layer goes in.
We made the ros omelette next, and this was the dish that made me understand why it has such a strong place in Goa’s street food culture. The omelette itself is simple, with eggs, onion, green chilli and coriander. Then comes the ros, a coconut-based chicken gravy with spices, and that changes everything. The curry is rich without making the omelette disappear underneath it. With Goan pav, chopped onion and lime on the side, it is the kind of food that feels casual but is properly satisfying.
