Breakfast is a meal strongly
advocated for good health.
The Goan Culinary Club has made it an agenda for
this month. Yes starred hotels are promoting the concept of the ‘power
breakfasts’ a good start to begin your day well, so we decided to explore this
aspect in terms of our local Goan food
preparations… do we have preparations to start the day well?
Ms Anita Salatry TV host and
author was invited to share a few ‘old world’ preparations of the days of yore.
And as co founder Odette Mascarenhas with her years of experience in the hotel
industry remembered, the ‘power breakfasts’ at the Shamiana hotel in Mumbai Taj,
she was intrigued to note that we Goans had our very own ‘power breakfasts’
designed in our ancestors kitchens.
So what do power breakfasts
promote….high protein, sugar free and low carbohydrate menus’ through egg white
omelets, muesli, skimmed milk yoghurt with sprouts, channa, lentils, lettuce,
rock salt used in all preparations and steamed or roasted recipes.
Compare that to the recipes
shared by Ms Salatry …Kandyachi bhakri (roasted on tawa great to maintain the
cholesterol preparations), Ukdya Tandlache polle (nutritious – the unpolished
rice giving great fiber content and vitamins), Gavanche polle (wheat dosa for
minerals and vitamins), Nasnyache polle (nutritious and healthy), and sweets to
like Tavsalli (cucumbers great for complexion and a natural cleaner), Purnachi
nevri (stuffed with channa dal) high in protein and vitamin content. No sugar
used...jaggery was king and coconut too.
And it was not only the Hindu
Goan kitchens that made preparations so rich in health.
Participation by Club
members as Ms Sunita Rodrigues project director took over, gave note to the
fact. Says Sylvester D’Souza of Sheela’s a well known Khanavat styled
restaurant...’In our homes the same Tandullache Bhakri was made without using
chilies or spices but with coconut shavings’. Chef Peter Fernandes of O
Coqueiro spoke about his own recollection of a rich type of porridge made of
Nacchni (millet). So one could have a
variety too – the polle or the porridge.
Where have all the
preparations gone, are they slowly dying in the homes too? Our ancestors lived
to a ripe old age often crossing the century mark, they were able to walk great
distances and the doctors were rarely called on ‘visits’ – maybe the social
ones only. Can our starred hotels recreate the richness of the past? The power
that these breakfasts gave to the people… History has its own way of proving
‘lifestyles’ were right.
This meeting was graciously
hosted by our Culinary member Hotel Fidalgo. The spread of goodies ranged from
healthy old time breakfast fare to modern fried delicacies showcased by our
members of the Goan Culinary Club.
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