Goan Sausages... as you like it !!

The only words you think of when you hear the name GOA -  beaches...beaCHES... BEACHES...!! Afterall, that's what Goa is known for. But as far as I am concerned, my experience of visiting a new place or travelling to a new destination is generally through my gustatory sense... afterall, I am and have always been 'crazy-bout-food'.

OK... so I'd heard people rave about Goa and its beaches and its night life not to forget the drinks and plethora of sea-food... but what I was most looking forward to during my short visit to Goa, was sampling the authentic Goan cuisine !

Well, you don't always get what you want and wish for... sometimes you get MORE...   :-) and I was lucky that that was the case with me; for I happened to meet two of my class mates, Ahva and Shikha, after 18 years. It was a memorable re-union made even more special by the serendipity of the meeting and it was a wonderful time I spent with Ahva, her husband and Shikha catching up and chatting up over food, drinks and the salty breeze. I tasted some of the most delectable Goan cuisine - Cafrael Chicken, Prawn Recheado and Golden friend prawns prepared by Octavio (Ahva's hubby) who as it turned out had worked as a professional chef  for many years!!.. and ofcourse, all the food was washed down with a few bottles of Goa's very own Kings beer. The scrumptious dinner culminated on a high crescendo of a heavenly chocolate mousse made by Shikha ! 

Then there was this awesome sea-food lunch I had with an office colleage... a lunch of the most exotic Balchao prawns, golden fried squid,  goan fish curry and rice. On my last night, Ahva and co. took me to this roadside "thela" (mobile restaurant), where we had an awesome meal of Sorpotel and pork stuffed buns... all washed down once again, with beer !! Well, didn't I say "you don't always get what you want.... sometimes you get MORE !!".... but then all good things must come to an end... and so did my wonderful trip !! 

On the return, I took back some unforgettable memories of the trip and some Goan food stuff  like the Recheado masala, Balchao masala, and some Goan sausages.

Back home I got down to preparing the Goan sausages. There are many ways in which they can be made, but I stuck to the simple method of sauteeing them with onions and tomatoes. So here goes my recipe -

Ingredients:
One string of goan sausages
3-4 medium size onions
2 medium size tomatoes (optionally you can use half a cup of tomato puree)
salt, sugar and vinegar (optional) to taste
2-3 tbsp oil

Method:

Dice and sautee the onions till they turn transparent.

 Meanwhile remove the sausage covering and put the meat into a separate bowl.

Add a bit of sugar to the onions and let it caramelize for a minute. Next add the diced tomatoes (or puree). Stir well to blend the onions and tomatoes. Add the meat to this mixture and stir again.

On low heat let it cook for 10-20 minutes, occassionally stirring. This enables the fat to be released and the sausages will be cooked well. Finally add the salt and if you find the sausages lacking in their tanginess, add a tbsp of vinegar.

The sausages are now ready to eat.... !

Serve them hot with rice and dal or store in refrigerator in an air-tight container - that way they can stay well over a week. However, if you find the preparation turning too spicy and hot as it seeps on longer in the masala and oil, you can add boiled potatoes to accompany them or use them as a filling for a yummy sandwich. Thats what I did!

For the sandwich, layer the sausages between slices of buttered brown (or any other) bread along with layers of sliced tomatoes and cucumber.  

Enjoy and GO...A...AAAHHH...!!!