Vegetarian Xacuti

When I think of Goa, I think of scenic blue seas, beautiful churches and lush greenery. All this from watching a ton of Indian movies because I'm fortunate to visit this paradise on earth yet. Hopefully one day we can make this trip. When I think of Goan cuisine, I think of seafood and meat, because from movies like Saagar of the coast, the Portuguese colonization and the Christian population. But what I didn't know that there are vegetarian dishes that are unique to konkani region.

The dishes I tried are actually made with meat and have fancy names. For the first day I made Xacuti which is usually made with chicken or lamb, but I used meatless meatballs to make it a vegetarian/ vegan dish. I wanted to make seitan but didn't find the time, so opted for meatless meatballs I had in the fridge. Mixed vegetables can also be used instead.

I used Suma's Xacuti masala recipe. It has 11 ingredients and once the masala powder is ready, curry itself takes no time to put together.

Ingredients:

For the Curry:

Meatless Meatballs - 15 (homemade or store bought)

Method:

Make the Masala Powder: Dry roast all the ingredients listed under masala except for coconut, on low flame until they are fragrant and change 2 shades darker. Let cool and grind to a powder along with coconut.

Make the curry: Heat 2tbsp oil in a saute pan, add the onions and cook on medium flame until they turn golden brown. Add the ginger+garlic paste and cook for another minute.

Next add the crushed tomatoes and tamarind paste along with ½cup of water . Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Add the Xacuti masala and cook for 5 more minutes. Finally add the meatballs and cook until heated through. Serve warm with rice or roti.

I served with some simple veggie fried rice.