Other than Goan style fish and chicken, which appeal to food connoisseurs, the breads of Goa have a rich culinary history. The Portuguese introduced the art of baking bread to Goans and since then the people have not let this rich legacy down.  Talking to Swatantra Gautam, executive chef, Azaya Beach Resort, Goa, we find more about the heavenly fresh bakes.

Gautam says, “What many people don’t know is that other than just rice, Goans love their breads because of which many households here in Goa make their own bread.” Each bread has its own characteristic and is a perfect accompaniment to the spicy vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries. 

Even though rice is a staple in the coastal state, breads too form a big part of the cuisine. So along with fish, meat and vegetables, one will also find an array of breads like Pokshe, Poee and Katre in the markets of Goa. 
Walk down to any of the local markets and the most common bread that you will come across other than the regular Pao is the Poee which is somewhat like a Pita bread — extremely soft and spongy from inside. 

Ask any local what to serve the Poee with and they will tell you, “Any meat curry will do.” Poee is not only famous in Goa but is slowly gaining popularity in other places. It comes in several varieties — some are spiced while a few are sweet. But one thing is for sure, Goans love their bakery products especially the breads that come in all shapes and sizes. 

However, Goans not only indulge in baked breads made with wheat flour that they buy from the Poders — the traditional word for bakers in the coastal state — but they also make their own variety of breads at home. “These are not the regular oven baked breads but steamed ones,” says Gautam adding that instead of yeast, toddy is used for the fermentation of these breads unlike in other states.  

He points out that the most loved steamed bread is the Sanna. “It is probably the most famous Goan delicacy,”  he says, explaining that Sanna is more or less like steamed Idlis. “Sanna is basically a steamed rice cake but has a soft texture and a light and pleasant flavour,” says the chef adding that the only thing that distinguishes it from the regular Mangalorean Idli is that the batter is made with rice and coconut, which gives it an added flavour. Though the regular Sanna is famous it also has a cousin which is the sweet Sanna made by stuffing a good portion of jaggery in the rice cakes.  

Gautam says another popular flat steamed bread is the one made with a mixture of wheat and rice flour and fermented using toddy. “The Panjira is more like a Dosa — it’s flat and tastes amazing with absolutely anything, say, a fish curry or just plain coconut chutney,” says the chef. 

When you bite into this bread you can easily taste the sourness from the toddy and it is also slightly lighter than Sanna. However, Sannas are the ones which are preferred because they are filling. 

So the next time you are making a trip to Goa, instead of indulging in an array of Continental food, grab some freshly baked breads from the market for breakfast and enjoy the steaming hot rice cakes for lunch and dinner.