Goan Vegetable Caldin Recipe

Goan Caldin Curry with Vegetables

Let me show you how I make a super-tasty Goan vegetable caldin curry. (Also spelt as caldine curry.) The Portuguese word caldinho means broth or soup which is why this creamy Goan vegetable caldin recipe is mildly spiced, but taste-wise, it’s finger licking good.

So let’s dive into the vibrant flavors of Goan cuisine with this delicious and creamy Goan caldin curry with vegetables. This mouth-watering curry has a rich coconut milk base, offering a luscious texture that’s both comforting and satisfying. With its mild spices, it delivers a perfect balance of flavors that everyone will love. You could get coconut milk by extracting it from fresh grated coconut, reconstituting coconut milk powder, or using a can of coconut milk.

Get ready to bring a taste of Goa to your home with this irresistible vegetable caldin curry! And if you haven’t yet checked out my other flavourful caldinho curry, lady’s finger and prawns caldinho, do give it too a shot.

Ingredients

450g mix of the following vegetables

1 cup cauliflower florets

½ cup chopped carrots

½ cup potato cubes

½ cup green peas

½ cup chopped green beans

1 ½ cup grated fresh coconut (150g)

Or 1 ¼ cups canned coconut milk

For the caldin paste

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp turmeric powder

6 cloves

1 inch cinnamon stick

½ tsp peppercorns

1 ½ inch piece ginger, sliced

8 garlic cloves, each chopped into 2 pieces

3 – 4 chopped green chillies

1 small lime-size ball of tamarind

Preparing the curry

2 ½ tbsp oil

1 med size onion

1 bouillon / soup cube (vegetable), optional

2 tsp rice flour + ¼ cup water

2 tsp sugar

1 ½ tsp salt

Chopped coriander

A few curry leaves (optional)

Procedure

1. Wash and prepare the different vegetables – chop the cauliflower into florets, peel and dice the potatoes, and chop the carrots and green beans.
2. Soak the tamarind in ¼ cup hot water for around 15 minutes.
3. Extract thick coconut milk (3/4 to 1 cup) and thin coconut milk (1 ½ to 2 cups) by grinding 1 ½ cups of grated fresh coconut thrice with warm water. Or use ¾ cup of canned coconut milk as the thick coconut milk and then dilute ½ cup of canned coconut milk with 1 cup of water to get 1 ½ cups of thin coconut milk. You could also prepare thin and thick coconut milk by reconstituting coconut milk powder with water.
4. To a grinder jar, add the caldin paste ingredients and grind the mix to a fine paste. Transfer the paste to a bowl and then rinse the grinder jar with a little water and reserve the rinsings.
5. In a pan or cooking pot, heat the oil on medium heat. Throw in the finely chopped onion and sauté it until it just starts turning brown. Add some curry leaves and then add the caldin paste. Sauté it for a minute.
6. Add the prepared vegetables. Toss them with the other ingredients and then lower the heat and continue sautéing them for around 2-3 minutes. Add the rinsing of the grinder jar and sauté the vegetables again for 2-3 minutes the then add the thin coconut milk. Stir everything and bring the curry to a boil. Then cover the pan and let the vegetables cook for around 15 to 20 minutes on medium-low heat or till they’re almost done. Don’t over cook the vegetables. They should still have a slight crunch to them.
7. Pour in the thick coconut milk. Mix everything. Make a slurry with the rice flour and a ¼ cup of water. When the curry comes to a boil again, add this slurry to it. Mix everything again. Let the curry simmer for 2 – 3 minutes. The rice flour will act as a thickener and give the curry a creamier texture.
8. Add the bouillon cube, sugar, and salt and stir the curry well.
9. Adjust the taste for salt. If the curry lacks a little tang, then add 2 – 3 tsp of vinegar to it.
10. Plate the curry and then garnish it with a few coriander leaves.

Enjoy!