FLAVOURS OF TRADITION

MEMORIES OF HOME- COOKED MEALS INSPIRE CHEF AVINASH MARTINS TO REVIVE AND REIMAGINE TRADITIONAL GOAN DISHES

- HIMAKSHI PANWAR

THERE IS AN ONGOING MISSION TO promote and revive local Goan cuisines. With North Indian staples like dal tadka and butter chicken looming large over the coastal food culture of the state, even the state government has instructed beach shacks to offer traditional fare like Goan fish curry instead of abominations of no clear provenance like gobhi manchurian.

While many local chefs and restaurants are doing their bit by reimagining traditional recipes through fusion, celebrated Goan chef Avinash Martins, who runs two restaurants in the state, is not convinced that tweaking traditional recipes to please tourists is the right approach.

"You are neither giving diners the taste of original Goan cuisine nor its authentic flavours," he told OT. Martins' Cavatina Cuchina in Benaulim has become a beacon of innovation, reviving age-old recipes, while C'est Lavi-Table in the Hills in Velim is a farm-to-table dining experience showcasing local and farm-sourced ingredients.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEARTH IS

For someone who grew up eating his Avo's (grandmother's) delicacies, like caldeirada (a seafood stew introduced by the Portuguese), food is all about reliving childhood memories.