Chorus for chorizo: Why more Mumbai restaurants are opting to work with the Goan speciality

The rich aroma of chorizo wafting through a Goan's home is a common occurrence, and one that is greeted by growling stomachs and excited faces, most likely when it is a choris pulao or simple choris pav. While Goans in Mumbai apart from Goa have grown up eating the speciality made in the sunshine state, there are many restaurants that have been including it on their menus. It is a growing trend that has certainly been welcoming, according to city chefs, even though it is primarily made out of pork, which is not quite as popular as chicken, fish or other meats among people, owing to the toughness and texture.

Goan chorizo (choriz) or chorisao, and Goa sausages, as it is known within the Goan community is a distinct ingredient made by chopping boneless pork meat into fine pieces. While there are variations of its preparation and marination, the more common one is where it is salted, then dried, mixed with spices, red chillies and palm vinegar, which lends the mixture a mouth-watering spicy-sour taste that is irresistible. The chorizo, which is also known as rosary sausage, because it is shaped like rosary beads -- sold and found in markets in Goa and Mumbai, or other Goan settlements, is cooked to make a variety of dishes.

At home, this writer tosses the sausages with some onions, tomatoes and chillies, apart from enjoying a delicious choris pulao, usually eaten during celebrations. Interestingly, apart from home, he has seen more restaurants and cafes in the city using the Goan speciality more than ever before. They not only serve chorizo in its traditional form but also include it as a part of pizzas, tacos, pasta and even burgers. Some of them like O Pedro in Bandra Kurla Complex have even reimagined the dish to make butter out of it and serve it with poee, a dish that is light yet delicious. More recently, The Sassy Spoon, another city restaurant with multiple outlets is also serving them in soft tacos with potato hummus to make it an ideal and filling snack.

For Rachel Goenka, chef and founder of The Chocolate Spoon Company, which has The Sassy Spoon under it, using chorizo in dishes at the restaurant came very naturally. She shares, "Being half Goan, chorizo has been a childhood favourite ingredient of mine and we've used it from day one since The Sassy Spoon opened 10 years ago." This also let her automatically put a part of her childhood on a menu that other people could experience.

Over the years, however, the restaurant hasn't kept it traditional. Playing on its versatility, they have gone a step ahead and used it as a pasta filling or as a topping on a flatbread and part of their skillet menu too. Recently, the taco was another innovative dish that is a burst of flavours in one's mouth. So, it's no surprise when she talks about how they have used the ingredient over 10 years. She says, "We've used it as is and rather added other ingredients to enhance and compliment the flavour of chorizo."

Smoky, spice, tangy and nice
So, what is it about Goan chorizo that makes it palatable to Mumbaikars and chefs experiment with it? Chef Rohan D'souza, culinary director at Silver Beach Entertainment and Hospitality, which has Silver Beach Café, explains, "I use chorizo because of its robust flavour which elevates a dish. Its smokiness, tangy, spice and meaty flavour gives it a very distinctive taste." The spice and kick that comes with the dish is what makes it ideal to put on a variety of dishes, according to D'souza.

It is no different for Abhishek Pednekar, executive chef at Woodside Inn, who banks on the versatility of its tangy, spicy and smoked flavours. It is no surprise then when he tells us that the ingredient has been on the menu for 14 years already. So, has he seen it become more popular than before? "Yes, there is a growing popularity of chorizo in Mumbai because of its distinct flavour and we have got good response for it at our outlets," he adds.

Taking the Italian route
D'souza has seen the same trend at their restaurants and attributes it to the fact that many people who visit the restaurant are aware about it because its popularity precedes itself as diners have eaten before. The advantage for the hospitality company, who have included it on their menu for many years now, he says, comes from the fact that they source the Goan sausage for their restaurants in Goa and Mumbai, from traditional chorizo makers. Even, Silver Beach Café uses the ingredient to elevate their risotto and also as toppings on flatbread, at Woodside Inn, Pednekar uses it to make a pizza called Pickled Goan Chorizo Pizza, and an innovative Choriz Madame, they serve for breakfast.

Elsewhere in the city, chef Sandeep Dalvi at Jamjar Diner also loves the flavours of chorizo, so it is no surprise when like Pednekar, he tells us that the restaurant actually serves a classic Chorizo Pizza, that they have had on the menu for the last one year. Playing on the unique taste that the ingredient made in Goa has, Dalvi says, "Since it has a very spicy and pungent taste with aromas that you can smell from a mile away, it is ideal to use in pizzas." While D'souza and Pednekar rely on familiarity and awareness among people who visit their restaurants, Dalvi notices that it is the other way around at the restaurant, which has multiple outlets in the city because guests are open to trying new flavours now, and what better way to do that then enjoy a good pizza, that relies on toppings, and it is definitely going to be a hit with the spice factor, which appeals to the Indian palate.

Along with using it as a topping on pizza with bacon, and serving it with eggs and bacon, chef Hitesh Shanbag at Dobaraa in Lower Parel, also makes a pork chorizo and onion pide. They have also just added chorizo and pao to the menu. "Its tanginess is a perfect balance against foods with fat content like pizza. Plus, the spices in chorizo also pair well with an earthy wine," he explains. Undoubtedly, like D'souza, Pednekar and Dalvi, he says, the popularity has grown because people are not only aware of Goan chorizo but also the difference between its Spanish counterpart.

Suiting diners's palates
However, Shanbag says he has also had to adapt for diners because of the nature of the red meat being pork. "Authentic chorizo is made using pork. A significant number of customers avoid it because of their reservations with pork. Hence, I have switched to using chicken for non-vegetarians and soy for vegetarians and preparing it in the exact same manner."

While Shanbag has had to change the meat, he has retained the flavour to stay as true to the ingredient, yet cater to diners. On the other hand, Pednekar, who wants to retain the original nature of chorizo, says he has tweaked the flavour to incorporate it into a European dish like the Chorizo Madame.

It is not the same for D'souza, who says he would never reimagine a chorizo. "It's a stand out product in itself and being a Goan chef, I'm very passionate that it's done right and given its respect," he shares.

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