Street Foods of Goa

Most cities and towns have their own variety of street foods. In Bombay for instance bhel-puri, pani-puri, pao-bhaji, ragda-pattice are common for ages. Only recently Chinese foods have found their way on the Bombay street foods list. In the U.A.E. it is the shawarma, in Indonesia and also in Singapore it’s the nasi goreng.

Goa has its own street food. If you are in Goa for holidays you can try out Goa’s own street food. However such foods are restricted to beef, pork and chicken.

Among the common street foods are the beef croquets, prawn rissois and cutlet pao. The prawn rissois are small dumplings filled with prawns in a creamy sauce. The cutlet pao involves a thin slice of beef soaked in a vinegar based marinade. The beef slice is dipped in egg, semolina (rava) and then fried. This is then stuffed in the local Goan bread called as the poli with some cabbage and onion salad, plus you can get some gravy stuffed inside if you wish to and do not mind your fingers getting messed up.

Another food to try out is the Ros Omlette. Ros is the word for gravy in the local language which is Konkani and omlette is omlette. This dish is known to have originated in the city of Margao in South Goa. The omlette is soiled in the ros i.e in this instance a gravy of chicken and coconut and sprinkled with chopped onions and chillies. If it’s your day you may find some chicken pieces in your ros. The ros omlette is served with the Goan bread pao, in Portuguese its o pao.

Another very common and very popular street food in Goa is the choris pao. Choris is the word in Konkani for the pork sausage, this is then stuffed into the pao. 

Following are some popular street food joints in Goa and I hope you come across these on your tour route;

Beef Roast and Sausage Burger at Anjuna junction

This one shouldn’t be a problem if you are visiting Anjuna Beach. You’ll come across Noronha’s Food Truck parked at the Anjuna Circle, this is the junction between Anjuna-Mapusa and Calangute-Siolim roads. They serve spicy beef chilly, beef roast, sausage burger, beef cutlet to name a few. This is a good spot to go if you are on the North Goa coastal belt.

Chicken Lollipops and Fish Croquettes in Arpora

This joint you will come across at the Dreams Circle in Nagoa, Arpora. This little joint serves some amazing Goan food. Their signature items are the chicken lollipops and fish croquettes which happen to be their own recipe which a combination of Goan and Chinese flavours. Besides this they have the regular chicken items like the cutlets, cafreal and xacuti. This joint is very popular with the locals and tourists.

Cutlet Pao at Miramar

This one is at Miramar circle on the way to Dona Paula. So if you are visiting Dona Paula make sure to visit this joint known as D’Silva’s. Their range is the choris-pao, beef chilliy fry, pork cream chop, sorpotel (a pork dish), chicken and fish cutlets. The Beef cutlet pao is their hot selling item.

Ros Omlette at Panjim Church Square

Ros Omlette is available at street food stalls or carts (a gaddo in Konkani) all across Goa. However some gaddo’s are well known to dish out the tastiest Ros Omlettes. One such is in Panjim Church Square and is better known as Sandeep’s Gaddo. Sandeep is the owner and keeps his joint open starting from evening until late night. Sandeep’s Ros Omlette is accompanied with chicken gravy, topped with chopped onions and a sprinkling of lemon, toasted and buttered local Goan bread. If you happen to pass by Panjim try it out!

Bread Pizza and Schezwan Chaat at Marcel

T For Tasty is a small outlet along College Road in Marcel. They serve affordable items with a touch of uniqueness and creativity. Some of the popular items they serve are the bread pizza, cheesy mushroom sandwiches, chilli cheese toasts, schezwan chaat and some Bombay style fast foods. Their chilli cheese sandwiches are tastier than the one you’ll come across at fancier restaurants or cafes.

Sausage Bread and Sorpotel at Navelim

If you are visiting extreme South Goa beaches Palolem or Agonda you’ll have to pass by Navelim. At the main bus stand in Navelim you’ll come across two ladies spreading out their wares across a table. They serve homemade sorpotel (Goan pork dish) and choris-pao (Goan pork sausage bread). In view of the Navelim locals the sorpotel and choris-pao available here is the tastiest. So if you are ok with pork why not try it out!

The Goabanos at Santacruz

Athenaz is the name of the van parked in Santacruz. Beef, pork and hot dogs are served in different styles. There is a dish they call it Goabanos. In this you’ll have a local multigrain bread stuffed with one of the following; beef kheema, roast beef and pork, Goan sausage, ox tongue or a chicken cafreal along with a fried egg and some garlic mayonnaise. They also serve chicken hotdogs with several accompaniments like home made BBQ sauce.