Every time I take a sip of this amazing kokum drink, I am transported back to my maternal grandma’s
Kadi is comfort food that every Goan grew up on. No matter the day of the week, every Goan household has a version of this amazing kokum drink. If it is a regular day there is “tival”, kokum water which is spiced with garlic and chilies. If you have guests coming, there is “loshnu kadi”, a kokum drink made with coconut milk and garlic as the main ingredients. And for days that you are too lazy to make any other curry, there is “fonna kadi”, kokum and coconut milk tempered with simple spices. It is a digestive drink served at the end of a Goan meal. If you eat in a Goan household, make sure to save some room in the end because the host will definitely say, “Kadiyek ille sheeth ghe”, which translates to, “Take some more rice to eat with the kadi”.
In my opinion, the simple kadi encompasses Goan hospitality and generosity very well. It is also a great representation of the Goan land in a bowl. It is made with ingredients that are the soul of Goan cuisine, like the coconut, teflam and solam (kokum). I have managed to make a lot of my friends in the USA fall in love with this simple Goan curry. The happiness I get when sharing the food I grew up on with my non-Goans friends, and actually making them fall in love with it, takes me a step closer to introducing Goan cuisine to the world!
Total Time: 15-20 minutes
Serving: 4 for each recipe
Tival
| Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Garlic | 3 cloves |
| Green Chili | 1 |
| Kokum | 10 |
| Salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Sugar | 1 1/2 teaspoon |
| Teflam | 6 |
| Warm water | 2 cups |
- With a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic and green chilies. Also, crush the teflam to bring out the aroma and oils.
- In a bowl, add kokum, crushed garlic, crushed green chilies, crushed teflam, salt, and sugar. To this add hot/warm water.
- Let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
- Stir well.
- Serve at the end of the meal with rice or as a drink.
Loshnu Kadi/ Garlic Kadi
| Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Coconut Milk | 2 cups |
| Garlic | 6 cloves |
| Green Chili | 1 |
| Kokum | 10 |
| Salt | 3/4 teaspoon |
- With a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic and green chilies.
- In a bowl add coconut milk, kokum, crushed garlic, crushed green chilies, and salt.
- Let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
- Stir well and serve with rice. You can also serve this as a drink.
Fonna Kadi
| Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Ajwain/ Carom Seeds | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Coconut Milk | 2 cups |
| Dry Red Chili | 1 |
| Hing/ Asafetida | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Kokum | 10 |
| Oil | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Salt | 3/4 teaspoon |
| Teflam | 6 |
- Crush the teflam to bring out the aroma and oils.
- Heat oil in a vessel. Once hot, add asafetida and carom seeds.
- Also, add the dry red chilies broken into small pieces and the crushed teflam.
- Add the coconut milk and kokum along with salt.
- Stir well and let the mixture come to a boil.
- Serve with rice.
