4 Traditional Foods
You Have To Try in Panaji

Xacuti is a popular chicken or mutton curry that is heavily spiced with pepper, poppy seeds, coconut, and chiles. The dish is a specialty of the Indian state of Goa, where it was brought over by the Portuguese, who colonised the area in the past. Xacuti is characterized by its vibrant colors, which come from the Kashmiri chiles, and layers upon layers of complex flavors, making it a favorite local dish. It is available at all Goan fast food eateries, where the curry is usually served with poey, a local bread which is crunchy on the exterior, and tender on the interior. There are also varieties of xacuti such as prawn, oyster, and shark xacuti, while the vegetarian version, mushroom xacuti, is available only in selected eateries.Expand

Probably the best known of all Indian dishes, murgh makhani, internationally referred to as butter chicken, is a staple dish at most Indian restaurants. The dish originated in Delhi during the 1950s, when a man named Kundan Lal Gujral opened his restaurant called Moti Mahal. The restaurant's cooks combined leftover marinade juices with tomatoes and butter, and then stewed the tandoor-cooked chicken in it, without even knowing that they have accidentally stumbled upon one of the most loved dishes ever and a future international delicacy. Moti Mahal became one of Delhi's attractions, and soon after, butter chicken spread throughout the world. With a combination of roasted meat, plenty of spices, a rich gravy made with cream, tomatoes, and butter, this dish is best accompanied by naan bread and garnished with even more butter, coriander, or green chilis.Expand

Vindaloo is a flavorful curry dish that is popular in England and the Indian regions of Goa and Konkan. It is typically made with marinated pork, but it can also be made with chicken, beef, mutton, or paneer. The name of the dish stems from the mispronounced Portuguese dish called carne de vinha d'alhos, meaning meat marinated in wine vinegar and garlic. The Portuguese explorers brought the dish to Goa in the 15th century, when it was adjusted to local conditions - since there was no wine vinegar in India, the Franciscan priests made their own version with palm wine. Many Indian spices were incorporated into the dish, such as tamarind, cinnamon, cardamom, and hot chiles. Vindaloo was later brought to England, where it became another hot curry, losing some of the earthy flavors and the balance of numerous spices due to the excessive use of chiles in modern Anglo-Indian cuisine.Expand

Pav bhaji is a popular street snack originating from the Indian state of Maharashtra. It consists of a vegetable curry that is typically served with a soft bread roll known as pav. The dish was invented in the 1850s as a midnight meal by street vendors who prepared it with all the leftover vegetables from the day, which were then mashed and combined with spices and ghee butter. Originally, it was a quick and easy meal for Mumbai's textile mill workers, but today it is a favorite street snack that is also served in some restaurants in Mumbai. There are a lot of varieties of the basic pav bhaji, with added cheese, paneer, mushrooms, plantains, and even dried fruits thrown in the flavorful curry mix.Expand