5 Floyd Cardoz Recipes That Truly Highlight His Goan Roots
If you ask anybody from the culinary world about Floyd Cardoz, they'll tell you that he was known for celebrating Indian food in the most, "New Indian cuisine" kind of a way. From his time at 'Tabla', 'The Bombay Bread Company' & Top Chef, he kept changing the way people perceived Indian cuisine & that too with utter conviction. In India, he was the mastermind behind the flavourful menu at The Bombay Canteen, and never did he once forget his Goan roots. It all reflected in what he cooked, how he inspired menus & people and above all, who he was. Let me take you through some dishes he created & recreated at his restaurants that screamed Goa. And, one such example is O Pedro in BKC, Mumbai that has a glimpse fo Goa in every dish, from breads to curries, it's a true paradise.
Spicy Shrimp Curry With Cauliflower
From his book, Flavourwalla, he introduced us to this dish which was a hit amongst his family & friends. "We always eat this with steamed white rice or “Beryl’s Sunday Lunch” Basmati Rice to soak up all the delicious coconut curry broth," he wrote. The mild flavour of the coconut infused within the tender cauliflower and toothsome shrimp fills up the kitchen with aromatic flavors.
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Also Read: Gone Too Soon: Chef Floyd Cardoz Who Redefined Indian Cuisine
Goan Seafood Curry
The name itself has Goa in it and the spices and flavour combinations that jump out are hardcore Goan too. This dish reminded him of his great grandfather's home, of those days when refrigeration was a novel concept. This curry uses everything fresh that you have on your hands- clams, crabs, squids etc. Lockdown is the best time you could cook up this dish as finishing off the fresh produce first sounds like a good idea, like it did to the Cardoz' family.
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Eggs Kejriwal
If you know Goans, you'd know that their love for eggs knows no bound. Be it scrambled, poached, sunny-side ups or old desi version of masala omelette, eggs are the hero of many Goan dishes. Inspired by eggs, & now proudly sold at The Bombay Canteen, is Eggs Kejriwal. Dunked in the green chilli chutney & topped with melted cheese was his take on the famous, sunny-side up egg!
Source: The Bomabay Canteen
Pork Sorpotel
A Christmas tradition in the Cardoz family, Pork Sorpotel was cooked in a huge pot which was then throughly enjoyed with Sanna or a Pao! That's what Christmas meant to him. The main ingredient in this recipe is the pork belly, that is cooked three different ways- par boiled, fried & stewed (and sometimes smoked before being fried). Eating the dish the very same day wasn't something he recommended & reheating on a burner in a pot everyday two to three times before eating was one of the secrets behind his recipe. What this did was, it matured and brought the flavors together, aligning them all for that perfect meal.
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Also Read: How Twitteratis Reacted To Chef Floyd Cardoz' Demise
Goan Choriz and Eggs
Today, you can see an inspired-version at O Pedro under the name, Good Ol’ Choriz Chilli Fry that is served with caramelized onions, tomato & fried egg. He truly enjoyed this particular dish with Brun or Gootli bread, a crusty Portuguese style round roll.
