Nostalgia laced with tradition in Goan Hindu cuisine

Food and festivities cannot be separated in Goan households. A festive occasion calls for cooking up a storm in the kitchen to churn out traditional dishes. Two such traditional, yet popular, delicacies that Goans know and love across communities are mangane and khatkhate.

Traditional preparations are not merely festive meals; rather, they are a firm validation of communion and festivity in Goan culture.

“I first got to taste these two dishes when I visited friends' homes for Chaturthi. Since I enjoyed them so much, I looked forward to trying them at home," says Dorine Fernandes, a marketing executive from Margao.

"For the khatkhate I could never source all 21 veggies at any given time of the year. I managed with whatever available and it worked perfectly. Mangane is a family favourite like tizaan (a typical Goan porridge made of millet, coconut milk and black jaggery),” she adds.

SWEET SYMBOL OF GOAN CELEBRATIONS

Mangane is an exceptionally rich and creamy dessert made with chana dal (Bengal split gram), sago, cashew nuts, coconut milk and jaggery, and sometimes raisins as well. As with everything else in Goan Hindu customs, it finds its place in countless households, especially during ceremonies and festivals. Its popularity has grown so much that you can even find it served as dessert in tiny bowls of a Goan fish thali.

In a Goan household, mangane is generally prepared by the grandmother during festivals. As per custom, she serves the first helping to the deity. Even today, no festival is complete without it.

“Mangane celebrates the elders in our Goan Hindu families. The flavour of the sweet gruel is further enhanced by adding crushed cardamoms. It is a very warming and wholesome recipe that never fails to stir up emotions in the elderly members of the family,” shares Sapna Sardessai, who runs the Kokum Curry restaurant in Panjim and Candolim, that specialises in Saraswat cuisine.

The slow-cooked lentils, infused with subtle sweetness from jaggery and richness of coconut milk, are truly soothing to the soul. Versions with added cashew nuts provide an extra layer of flavour and crunch.

HOW 'MANGANE' IS PREPARED

First cook chana dal until a bit soft. Next, pour in fresh coconut milk for proper creaminess and add the sugarcane jaggery over a low flame so as to combine with milk. Then add the boiled sabudana (tapioca pearls) and powdered cardamom. While some like just adding in cashew nuts, others soak them in some warm water to take off the crunch.

KHATKHATE: THE HEARTY CURRY

Just as mangane satiates the sweet craving, khatkhate, a vegetable curry with distinct flavours, offers a hearty contrast. Prepared during poojas, khatkhate is a curry of seasonal vegetables such as pumpkin, drumsticks and raw bananas. It is combined with well-cooked tur dal and spiced with a special masala.

"My mother always said that no Sathyanarayan pooja or temple feast was complete without khatkhate,” shares Ankita Naik from Ponda. “The curry, with its blend of diverse ingredients, mirrors how festivals bring together a mix of people.”

As Sardessai puts it, khatkhate is a healthy mix of emotions, that translate into vegetables. “Usually, this dish is prepared during the month of Shravan or for Chaturthi when local veggies and tubers are in abundance. I make it at least once a month to use up all the veggies lying in the fridge. It's more like a clean-up drive that results in a hearty meal,” she says smilingly.

Traditionally, this dish is made with 21 vegetables cooked in a mildly-spiced gravy, flavoured with teflam (Schezwan pepper) that gives it a distinctive taste. A few of the must-have vegetables include pumpkin, yam, raw banana, radish, ridge gourd, sweet potato, raw jackfruit, corn. “This, plus whatever else you can get your hands on,” Sardessai mentions.

Home chef, Shubra Shankhwalker, who has been showcasing Saraswat food through her meals and pop-ups, loves cooking khatkhate depending on the availability of local ingredients. “I go looking for the freshest produce to combine with coconut and dal to make khatkhate,” she says.

Local veggies like killah, gadho (kohlrabi), kate kanga (Chinese potatoes), karande, suran, nirphanas (breadfruit), snake bean and ambadde (hog plums) lend a unique taste to the dish, complementing the other seasonal veggies.

“The tang in the dish comes from the hog plums. It is a very balanced dish with wholesome textures which leaves a lasting satiation in your soul—that is to be experienced to be understood,” Shankhwalker adds.

Khatkhate, unlike other typical curries, honours satvik food traditions by not using onions and garlic. Instead, it gathers flavour and depth through mustard seeds, dry red chillies and freshly ground spices. The mellow sweetness of pumpkin, the slight bitterness of the raw banana, and the earthen notes coming from lentils make it an endearing comfort food.

PREPARATION OF KHATKHATE

The preparation of khatkhate begins by boiling chana gram (chickpeas) until they are fully cooked. Once the chana gram is cooked, seasonal vegetables are added to the mix. To reduce any bitterness, kokum can be included at this stage. Finally, salt is added for taste.

Next, a flavorful paste is ground with spices like coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, dry red chillies and grated coconut and added to the pot. When the vegetables start soaking up the masala add in some more salt as per taste and some Sichuan pepper and jaggery. Khatkhate, that literally means boil, should be left on low heat for the veggies to cook thoroughly. This mildly spiced vegetable dish is best eaten with rice or puris.

Both mangane and khatkhate are of primary significance in Goan Hindu culinary traditions. While festivals and occasions come and go, it remains pertinent to keep up with Goan cooking traditions—whether in Goa, abroad or as a tourist. Doing so will help understand the deep-rooted culture and heritage that make Goan cuisine unique.

Dishes like these remind us of a time when food was not just about sustenance, but a cherished ritual. Their preparation goes beyond a simple recipe—it is an art form handed down through generations, ensuring that this cultural legacy will remain alive for many years to come.