Breakfast in Goa

We've been in Goa for a few days now and were ready for a change from the usual breakfasts that we were having in Mysore, mainly the idly in a bowl covered with sambar and coconut chutney, not that we didn't enjoy that but it was time for a change.  Aside from that coconuts are not as big and bountiful in Goa and they are relatively stingy with the chutney compared to Mysore.   We used to live in Goa during the winters running a yoga retreat here and pretty much thought we had a handle on the food scene here, but whoa were we pleasantly surprised to find some new things with our change in perspective and different role here as tourists.

Cafe in Mapusa market and the typical display of breakfast goodies

Firstly we have to say that we have not really had bread at all in the last 3 months, there was some white rolls in Mysore but they weren't like what we have re-found here.  OK they are white here but not sweet and actually have a crust on the outside of the soft centre.  And what they eat them with for breakfast is the exciting part, the typical breakfast seems to be the bhaji with the pav, pav being bread and bhaji being a vegetable kind of curry of which they have a lovely soft chickpea or potato or mixed veg or tomato.  

Sweet bread on left, round potato vada and mirchi - fried green chillies on right

Other fillings include potato vada, a kind of deep fried potato ball which makes a lovely sandwich typical of what we have read about in Mumbai or deep fried green chilies in a chickpea flour batter.  All of this might sound very Indian and spicy for breakfast and it is but it's very addictive in an exotic way.  One of the most unusual of our many new breakfast items is the sweet deep fried roll with cumin seeds, it's kind of an Indian doughnut and is lovely dipped in tea.

Potato vada in pav

Selection of what we tried

Sweet cumin seed bun - great dipped in tea

Our first experience of this meal was in the market in the local town, Mapusa, but since we really dived into it, we have also hit the local street stall on the way to Vagator beach, both of these places we passed many times before but didn't stop in.

Street food on the way to Vagator beach

India never fails to surprise us with regards to food, and to find ourselves surprised even here in Goa was a delight.