Backpacking Through Life

Welcome to the land of the humble Pao...

Goa can be described as the land of beautiful beaches , exotic tourist attractions, holy temples , eye refreshing greenery and gastronomic delights. I could go on an on about this peaceful land and will dedicate some of my upcoming blogs to describe this serene and seriously happening place on Earth.

But for now I would like to concentrate on a peculiar food habits. Anything goes with the fluffy little Pao. Be it the bhaji or the Chicken Xacuti you cannot complete the dish with out the humble Pao. The day starts and ends with this Pao..

Generations of Goan's have been raised on Pao and patal bhaji for breakfast a spicy curry dried peas swimming in ground coconut and special Goan masala. You will find this dish listed on menus of street Gados to small Khanaval's to mid sized  restaurant and even in the shacks and exotic resorts lining the limitless beaches across Goa.

The Pao was the colonial gift from the Portuguese.The fine art of baking may well have been brought to Goa by the Portuguese missionaries but it was fine tuned by the nifty Goan local bakers. They adapted the receipt and gave it a distinct local twist , instead of universally used yeast they started using Toddy for fermenting the flour.It gave the pao a distinct mildly sour taste . Some Goan bakers add a pinch of sugar to the dough which makes the pao a little sweet.

But did you know there are as many variations of this humble Pao as there are different communities in Goa. There is the Poi, Unne and Khatri Pao. These traditional varieties are very popular with the locals but haven't found audience outside the state.  The most commonly available are pao, unddo, katro pao, kankonn and the polli, also pronounced as poyi/poiee. The poyi itself has two varieties, kunddeachi poyi (husk poyi) and the godd poyi (sweet poyi). Interestingly, each of these varieties have their own timing in meal schedules.

Most Goans prefer the light and fluffy pao to the heavy chapattis. The best part of the pao is that it makes for an ideal accompaniment to be dipped and eaten, be it in tea or the Goan favourite ‘kaalchi kodi’ (quite literally, the previous day’scurry, which is cooked out till it thickens) enjoyed as a mid-morning snack, or a bhaaji or the variety of typical Goan gravies,”

Pao

Usually square-shaped and with a golden brown crust, the pao, which is a hugely popular bread variety, is famed for its pillow soft texture. The bread has a fine crumb and a natural spring to it that makes it an ideal accompaniment to soak up all our lipsmacking Goan gravies and curries. It lends itself just as well to being stuffed with meats and veggies of one’s choice. From the popular evening snack of the bhaaji plate to the ros omlette, the pao rules.

Katro pao

This bread, usually a breakfast favourite, is characterized by its distinctive butterfly shape. Interestingly, the bread gets its name from the Konkani word for scissor, ‘kator’ which is used to cut the dough into its shape.

Godd poyi

Unlike the kunddeachi poyi, this one is made with all-purpose flour (maida) thus giving it a soft texture. Bigger in size as compared to the husk variety, this one has an element of sweetness which makes it a top choice on the breakfast table or for evening tea. It is most often sliced open, slathered with butter and then dipped in piping hot tea and enjoyed.

Kankonn

This donut-shaped bread, which gets its name from the Konkani word for bangle, ‘kankonn’, has a crusty exterior and is relished as a tea-time snack. Traditionally the kankonn, which has a slightly dry exterior would be bought and stored during the rainy season to be enjoyed with a hot cup of tea or bowl of soup. The shape of this bread also makes it a top favourite among children.

Poyi

This one’s a top favourite with the health conscious and those told to stay off rice for medical reasons, and rightly so. The poyi has two defining features – its flat, disc-like shape and hollow inside and its wheat bran outer coating. Texture wise, the bread, which is made using a higher proportion of whole wheat flour and less of all-purpose flour (maida) (80:20), is a bit round shape) of the bread, its coarse crumb and its crust. The unddo is usually baked at a low temperature on the floor of the oven and this gives it a crunchy crust which shatters when you bite into the bread, only to reveal its soft insides which can soak up gravies like a sponge while allowing the bread to retain its shape. Little wonder then that this is the choice of bread for the king of Goan street food the cutlet pao

And no need to worry where to get your daily bread . Forget about snazzy alarms, for most Goans, it is the incessant honking of the bread vendor (poder as he is locally called) that is the much-needed early morning wake-up call. He brings in his big wicker basket mounted on his cycle the freshest and the warmest pao in the whole wide world.

Dip it in your early morning hot cuppa of Chai or any of the Goan curries be it Xacuti or Sorpatel and enjoy the tasty affair. That’s how you live the Goan Susegaad lifestyle…