Whenever you travel, food is one of the most important aspects on your mind. The food in Goa is popular for its spices and flavors. The Goanese cuisine is a beautiful blend of sea, spices and the influence of the cuisine of invaders. They are a mixture of fantastic fish preparations, Indian snacks and other seafood. There are a variety of shellfish that you can enjoy while in Goa ranging from crabs, prawns, lobster, mussels to squids. Sea fish like the pomfret and the tuna are also quite famous amongst the travelers.
Prawns | Image Source : flickr.com
The most famous Goanese dishes are:
All these following dishes are very famous in Goa:
Fish curry and rice: Fish curry and rice is mostly a part of the lunch menu of all the Goanese restaurants. It comprises of a spicy fish curry served with rice.
Fried fish: This particular dish can be part of a lunch thali or is savored as an evening snack and is a simple preparation. The raw fish is marinated in spices and then deep fried until golden brown.
Dangar or fish cutlets: This is another fish preparation which is eaten as a side dish with meals or enjoyed singularly as a snack.
Bhaji or shak made from vegetables: This is basically inspired by the Hindu cuisine and is a typical curry made with vegetables and leafy greens.
Bhaji – Pao: It is the famous Goanese breakfast and comprises of a platter of stewed vegetables with an added taste of coconut and is served with the traditional Goan bread known as the pao.
Bebinca: It is the most famous dessert of the Goanese people. It is a pudding and is made of coconut oil, sugar and egg yolks.
Batica: It is also a pudding and a variation of Bebinca. It is mainly prepared during Christmas and served warm and dodol.
Goan Catholic cuisine: This is basically an admixture of seafood and spices.
Travelling from Mumbai to Goa by train
The time taken to cover the distance from Mumbai to Goa is a total of around 8-12 hours. However the time is dependent on the train service that you select. The trains usually have a pantry service and thus lunch and dinner is not something you need to worry about. The price of the tickets for a one way journey ranges from 180 to 1700 rupees.
The information about Mumbai to Goa trains is easily available from the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation website. Some of the trains that traverse the distance from Mumbai to Goa all through the weekdays are:
Mandovi Express | Image Source : Youtube.com
1. The Mandovi Express (0103) which departs from Mumbai CST
2. The Mangala Lakshadweep Express (2618) which departs from Panvel
3. The Konkan Kanya (0111) which departs from Mumbai CST
4. The Netravati Express (6345) which departs from Mumbai LTT
The website provides you with the train timetables, train routes, train fare, online booking of the train, enquiry about seat availability etc. On the day of the journey you can check the position of the train, number of stations on the course of your journey, the number of bridges that your train will cross the longest bridge and the tallest viaduct, the number of viaducts along your way and a whole lot more.