Interview: What's Australian import Sarah Todd cooking in Goa?

From being a contestant on a popular Australian TV cooking show, launching her own show and a restaurant in sunny Goa, foodie Sarah Todd is living it up

Q. What made you pick Goa as your second home?
A. Goa reminds me a lot of my hometown. I’m from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, so, it’s very relaxed, tropical, and there is abundance of seafood and summer fruits. This drew me to Goa and I have loved it ever since.

Sarah Todd (left) explores offbeat Goa in a still from Serve It Like Sarah

Q. You are known to work with fresh produce. What are your favourite local ingredients?
A. Spicy Goan sausage, red amaranth, toddy vinegar and fresh fenugreek.

Sarah Todd. Restaurateur

Q. Did you have to make changes to some of the recipes you discovered to make them nutritious as well as tasty?
A. It is not only about healthy cooking but about a holistic lifestyle which you will see in my new show, Serve It Like Sarah. I keep fit by doing yoga, using local produce, healthy ingredients and different styles of cooking — such as Ayurvedic cuisine. My dishes have a perfect balance of affluence and nutrition packed in together.

Q. You also explored Goa’s street food for the show. What was the experience like? Did anything surprise you?
A. I have been living like a local in Goa for a while now. In my new show, viewers will get to witness Goa in its natural, raw beauty while discovering its hidden culinary treasures. I actually have my favourite little roadside cutlet stall near my house and I love that this happens in India because we aren’t allowed to do this kind of thing in Australia. So, I really embrace it while I’m here.

Q. What were the hidden treasures, lesser-explored facets of food of Goa?
A. The inland with its beautiful forests and organic farms, and the land’s sustainability. A lot of people in Goa are embracing this way of living and I love that.

Q. After your Goan experience, what is the one dish that you feel anyone visiting Goa ought to try?
A. It’s got to be the Crab Xacuti with Poi, it’s my all-time favourite that I have created on the show and it will be on my menu at Antares in Goa.

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