A pao-erful twist

A Mangalorean chefs new venture promises authentic cuisine from the region with a modern touch

Two years ago, Beena Noronha quit her job in the fashion industry, to give wings to her culinary dreams. For someone who learned to cook as early as seven, Noronha had anticipated a shift in profession some day. "As a kid, I would stand next to my parents, watching them cook delicious Mangalorean meals. Very soon, I found myself experimenting in the same kitchen. But as a woman growing up in the 90s, no one told me I could be a chef. For women, if you cook well, it means it's for the husband," Noronha, 37, says.

Pork bafat

So, when her friends nudged her into taking her passion seriously, she bid adieu to her profession of 15 years.

A few weeks ago, she started the food delivery venture, BomBai Makha Pao. "Makha pao is slang for the Catholic community, because we eat makha (butter) and pao (bread). I had created the brand two years ago, when I set up a food stall in Bengaluru at a flea market. So when the idea of starting my own venture returned to me, I thought of taking forward the same creative."

Tiger prawns with sanna

After quitting her job, Dahisar-based Noronha signed up for a culinary course, and worked for six months at a Michelin 2-star restaurant in France. "I learned the techniques and finesse there, but always wanted to stick to my roots. So, I thought of coming back to India, and modernising recipes from Mangaluru and Goa," she shares.

In December last year, she started working as head chef at Poori Baatein, a QSR in Bandra. Just when the delivery kitchen was taking off, the lockdown was imposed. "We had to shut shop, and the staff left for their homes. There was not a chance that they were going to open up anytime soon. So I quit, and overnight started Makha Pao."

Beena Noronha

BomBai Makha Pao's menu is a fun mix of Mangalorean and Goan fare, including vegetable xacuti, kadle manoli, sanna, neer dosa, pork bafat, pork pepper masala, chicken cafreal, chicken ghee roast, buff vindaloo, prawn gassi, ambot tik prawn curry. "Since we launched, I have been delivering to places as far as South Bombay. Through word of mouth, business is slowly picking up. So far, the most selling dishes include chicken and prawn ghee roast, prawn bafat and ambot tik prawn curry."

We tried pork bafat with sanna and tiger prawns, which were both tangy and moderately spicy. Bafat has a lot of fat, and a lasting aroma. This flavourful, hot and traditional curry is a perfect ode to the coastal town.

Noronha says she has received positive feedback from customers for the packaging. We agree. Packed in paper cartons, the presentation of every dish is a treat. "You eat with your eyes first. So, every dish that goes out of my kitchen needs to look spectacular."

Pork Pandi curry

Ingredients
½ kg pork
1 tsp oil
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
¼ tsp mustard seeds
6-7 curry leaves
1 tbsp Coorgi spice powder
1 tsp turmeric extract
½ cup pork stock
1 tbsp Coorgi spice paste
4-5 cups of water
1 tsp kachampuli (Garcinia vinegar)
Salt to taste
To make Coorgi spice: Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp, cumin seeds ½ tsp, coriander seeds ½ tsp and pepper 1 tsp
To make spice paste: Small onions, quartered 2 ½ , ginger ½, cloves (7), curry leaves (10-12), small green chillies (4-5), coriander leaves ¼ bunch and oil 1.2 tsp

Method
To make the Coorgi spice powder: Take a pan, put it on slow flame. Add fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and pepper. Mix all the seeds. Roast them till they change colour. Let them cool for a while. Powder the cooled mixture and use it as a masala. Keep the ready masala/spice powder aside. To make the Coorgi masala paste: Heat a pan on slow flame. Add onions, ginger, cloves, curry leaves and small green chillies. Cook until the onions turn golden brown. Once cooked, add a handful of coriander leaves and oil so that the ingredients don't stick to each other. Mix and remove from heat. Now grind this paste nicely. Keep aside. To make Pandi curry: Add oil in a pan. When it heats up, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and let them sizzle. Then add the Coorgi masala paste and mix well. Add half a cup of water, masala, half cup pork stock, turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Once fried, add pork, turmeric extract, kachampuli and salt to taste. Mix well. Add 4-5 cups of water. Cover the pan and cook it until the pork turns tender. Once cooked, garnish it with coriander leaves.

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