Meet the Goan masala maker

In the Goan kitchen the ldquorogddordquo has always had a pride of place The stone grindermdashcomprising a mortar semicircular in shape with a deep varn or bowl at its centre and pestle the rogddeacho fatormdashis what gives the curries from this Western coastal region their flavourful distinction And while the electric mixer may have long replaced it as a quickfix solution memories of watching the matriarch of the home work her hands around it as she crushed and ground hot spices continue to linger in the mind of AbuDhabi resident Perviz De SouzaThe vindalho which is used to prepare meat dishes is made from a paste of Kashmiri chillies turmeric powder cumin seeds black peppercorns cinnamon stick cloves garlic ginger and palm vinegarDe Souza has been fascinated with the kitchen tool since he was a child He remembers being perched on his neighbour Tia Zanitarsquos hip or on her kitchen platform as she rolled out the first chapati and flipped it on to a hot ldquotovordquo He never really left the kitchen after breakfast and would wait to see Zanita grate the coconut into ldquochunrdquo and then mix it with other spices on the rogddo to prepare a thick orange paste for the dayrsquos curryLittle surprise why De Souzarsquos makes the rogddo the protagonist of his delicious new book The Goan Grind The Untold Story of Goarsquos Ground Masalas and Pastes CinnamonTeal Publishing His book is a novella cum cooking guide that tells the story of a young Goan bride Milagrin and her rogddo which she buys from a ldquobustling marketrdquo soon after her wedding The story is told from the perspective of the stone grinder As the pages unfold Milagrin learns to prepare everything from the basic coconut curry to recheado masala sorpotel sannas cafreal and vindalho Most of the magic happens on the stone grinder ldquoI had learnt to use the rogddo quite early on in life My mother would begin her day at the grinding stone And if we kids were at home wersquod help her out too This was typical of every Goan kitchen Nothing really started without grinding unless of course you were making pulao But today the rogddo has become history A decade more and you may not even find it in rural homesrdquo he says of the tool used to make masalas and coconut and rice pastesAlmost every chapter has a tried and tested recipe of a paste prepared on the stone ldquoMost of the recipes have come from my own personal collection There was a time when we would carry these masalas in bottles from Goa to Abu Dhabi But when it was no longer convenient to do so we started making them on our own sourcing ingredients locally My wife Zelmarsquos recipe books came handy She has them scrawled over bits of paper lying in files and folders Thatrsquos how it actually beganrdquoRecipes he shares are like a living being ldquoThey belong to nobody and keep evolving and changingrdquo he says ldquoFor instance you wonrsquot find good toddy vinegar in Mumbai or Abu Dhabi So you need to find another alternativerdquo This doesnrsquot mean that a recipe without it is not authentic Another important aspect that De Souza wanted to explore was the meals cooked in Goan Hindu homes In the book he explains how ldquoevery Goan culinary specialty incorporates four key flavoursmdashheat acidity sweetness and saltrdquo ldquoAlthough Goan Hindu cuisine has its distinct taste these four key flavours remain the samerdquoThe rogddo is a traditional stone grinder comprising a mortarsemicircular in shape with a deep bowl or varn at its centreand pestle known as the rogddeacho fatorIn one of the chapters Milagrinrsquos Hindu neighbour Swati teaches her how to prepare chonya ros a vegetarian dish made with chickpeas Roasted coriander garam masala fennel seeds coconut onions and turmeric powder are ground to make a paste which is then fried in oil with mustard seeds curry leaves tomatoes and green chillies ldquoOur Hindu neighbour who made this delicious sasav made with small ripe mangoes or hog plum during Diwali often traded vegetarian recipes with my mother That connection with Goan Hindu cooking is something I wanted to establish in the book as wellrdquo he saysHis story ends though predictably with the rogddo being consigned to oblivion lying in the home unattended and unused making you feel almost nostalgic ldquoMilagrinrsquos kitchenhellip has felt the influence of technology Since she acquired an electric grinder she finds the need for her rogddo only occasionallymdashusually to grind her recheado masalardquo De Souza writes ldquohellipBut Milagrin will always reminisce about the old days and say with a sigh lsquoTherersquos nothing like a curry ground on my rogddo and cooked on a wood fire in my favourite tizalrsquordquoGalinha cafrealFor the marinadeIngredientsA bunch of fresh coriander leaves chopped coarsely1 tbsp whole black peppercorns810 cloves10 green chillies1 stick of cinnamon about 2 inches1 teaspoon of cumin seeds12 teaspoon turmeric powderA piece of fresh ginger68 cloves garlicPalm vinegar to balance the acidityMethodGrind the masala ingredients into a fine wet paste and set that asideChop chicken into large chunks Season with salt some lemon juice and a little gingergarlic paste Cover these chunks in the rich green paste and set them aside to marinateHeat a large saucepan and when the oil is hot enough arrange the chicken pieces over it Cover the pan and let the meat cook for about eight minutes on low fire Open the pan flip the pieces over placing the cover back on to let them cook evenly on the other sideRecheado masalaIngredients20 Kashmiri chillies broken into small pieces34 teaspoon turmeric powder1 teaspoon cumin seeds15 peppercorns6 cloves1 inch piece of cinnamon10 garlic cloves peeled1 inch piece of gingerA small ball of tamarindMethodMix all the spices Pour half a cup of palm vinegar into this mix and keep it aside for about 30 minutes Grind into a paste Throw in about a teaspoon of sugar and a little salt and continue grinding until the seasoning has mixed in wellGoan kitchen terminologyAdollo A curved metal blade fixed to a low wooden stool used for cleaning fish dicing vegetables and meatDhai Wooden ladle for making sweetsKunnllem Mediumsized flat clay vessel used for preparing curryPittachi Mannd A board for rolling chapattis Some would use a table top Tambeachem bhann Large copper pot used for heating water for the entire familyTizal Large flat clay vesselTovo A flat earthen pan used for frying chapatti bakreo or kailoieoXitacho doulo A ladle made of a polished coconut shell with a bamboo stick