Simplistic and healthy

It is always remarked that when an individual is healthy, they look good. But often than not home cooked food might be healthy but the presentation on the table would be straight out from the fire into the serving vessels. Can one blame the kids for looking and saying ‘yuch!’

So the Goan Culinary Club whose expertise in the culinary art firmly believes in eating first with your eyes yet retaining the simplistic aspect of Goan cuisine decided to visit Master Chef Urbano Rego in the place where he works…The Fort Aguada Beach Resort.]

We focused on simplistic home made preparations, one that is healthy as well as tasty….Teesroi’s and Bhende. Now these are available in plenty and Chef Rego promised us the healthy way of eating it.

We sat in the St Francis Xavier lounge, that ‘o so comfortable’ lounge waiting for the dishes to arrive. Mind you it is a fantastic experience sitting perched high above the shoreline sipping Bell pepper Mojitos and Margaritas and nostalgic about the fact that some restaurants (even the five star properties) have retained the iconic names of the past like the SFX.

Chef Rego explains why he has selected these two preparations. ‘In the old days lady fingers used to grow in our backyards. Freshly removed bhende were used to prepare this dish. Local lady fingers are larger in size and they have 7 veins on top of it (saat sireamche bhende). These lady fingers used to grow throughout the year in St Estevam village,’ he explains. And then with that smile in his voice he continues ‘Any person who we used to meet from this village we addressed him as ‘Beno’( a sort of slow person)’. Yes people in the past used to have nicknames for people of different villages. The second preparation is simple Steamed clams. 

It is important to see Chef Rego’s presentation of these preparations. Does it take time? We asked. He shakes his head…. simplistic that is his motto.