Missing home cooked Goan food? Hotfoot to Cota Cozinha for traditional Goan food that’ll make you want to call up your mum.
You know you are in gourmet heaven when you see locals queuing up for a table at a restaurant. It is indeed a vigorous endorsement when Goans step out for their xhit kodi (fish curry rice) or cafreal, a la carte. Each home has its own comfort food, food that we get nostalgic about when we don’t get it. Whether it is earthy traditional fare or a feast menu, what is appealing is the taste of home. And that brings us to Cota Cozinha.
A homestyle eatery like none other
For instance, a true-blue Goan palate savours the sorpotel (tiny bits of pork fried and cooked with a red chilli paste). Goans — largely — are hardcore fish and meat eaters, and no, they don’t brook any compromises there… An eatery like Cota Cozinha, which is all about the hearth of Goan cuisine, is a validation of what the chef presents as a treat for the family.
Nestled in the serene Betalbatim village, the Chaul hamlet is as close you will get to experiencing the tiny state in its original pre-tourist boom state. And there, Cota Cozinha’s greets you with a sculpture of a reclining lady viewing the rare Jhagma fruit tree dropping off its ripened marble sized burgundy fruit in the open yard. The upturned pantules (cane baskets) for ceiling lamps, an overturned canoe for the centre lighting, and an open restaurant space lined with cane mats are the minimal decor touches. The well-stocked bar has several twists in its repertoire that include local infusions as well. The balcony extension — brought in due to the growing demand by diners — offers a glimpse of idyllic village life as you dine.
Soul food at Cota Cozinha
The restaurant opened in 2019. Within no time, word-of-mouth popularised the eatery and everyone with a hankering for ‘home-style food’ in an enviable ambience was hotfooting it there. The owners, who encouraged dine-in for its all-time favourites like perfectly batter-fried squid or butter garlic prawns had to turn away at least 20 customers each night post their resurgence when Covid restrictions were finally lifted.
The utterly unassuming Chef Edia Cota wasn’t really sure how her home cuisine would fare in the restaurant that her daughter-in-law, Queenie, dreamed of starting up. The matriarch had over three decades of experience at Club Mahindra (Varca), The Lalit Intercontinental (Canacona), and Alila Diva (Majorda). Equipped with her endearing simplicity Edia Cota — who would milk her cows and cultivate her fields so that you enjoy the red rice with your meals — set off to promote Cota Cozinha at various food festivals.
Cota Cozinha is a labour of love
The restaurant overlooks a narrow road and one can often see tractors trundling by. A common occurrence is that the drivers stop, greet Cota, and gun down the road. No artifice, no pretension. Just a way of life, and that’s exactly what Cota Cozinha symbolizes.
Cota Cozinha does naans and other staples, and the very-much-in-demand stuffed mushroom with cheese. But Edia Cota’s uncompromising hands-on involvement in the measurement of the masalas makes all the difference.
The big draw is their Sausage Stuffed Squid. Slowly simmered in the all-encompassing Goan chorizo, the squid is tender. The other all-time favourite that guests can’t get enough of is Salted Tongue.
A rage that keeps getting repeat visits from customers is Edia’s house Recheado masala. This is not for the faint-hearted, and orders are placed from those who want to take it out of the country!
Pork Amsol, a slowly simmered till tender delicacy salted with kokum or dried mango; the ubiquitous Xacuti, Roast Beef, and Chef Edia’s signature Cafreal (green masala of ginger garlic, green chiles, vinegar and lime) — dishes that reveal Chef Edia’s tiny touches that make a difference.
At a glance:
Address: Chaul, Betalbatim, Goa 403713 | Phone: 0832 288 0031
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (Max: 5 stars)
Food: 9/10 | Service: 9/10 | Drinks: | Ambience: | Vibe:
One dish we loved: Tender Coconut Pannacotta, The seafood and produce for all dishes are topnotch fresh
One dish that didn’t work for us: The Fish thali has been discontinued. If this is your first time check out the spice levels. The preparations are true blue homemade and compel repeat visitors who have their favourite selections like the Recheado masala that combines potent Goan vinegar with coarsely ground chilies.