Delhi diners will get a rare opportunity to experience the many layers of Goan cuisine this weekend as Chef Aloysius “Aloo” Dsilva, executive chef at Uma by the Sea in Goa, presents a two-day culinary pop-up at INDY by Qla on June 13 and 14.
The exclusive, reservation-only event will showcase a menu rooted in family recipes, coastal traditions and regional food memories, offering guests a deeper understanding of Goa’s culinary heritage beyond its better-known dishes.
For Chef Dsilva, Goan cuisine is often misunderstood as a singular culinary tradition. In reality, he says, it comprises two distinct food cultures.
“Goa has two cuisines,” he tells Outlook Traveller. “One is the Saraswat Hindu cuisine, which relies on traditional cooking methods and ingredients, while the other is the Portuguese-influenced Catholic cuisine that evolved during centuries of colonial rule.”
According to Dsilva, Saraswat food remains closer to older culinary traditions, avoiding ingredients such as vinegar that arrived with the Portuguese. Instead, it focuses heavily on fish, vegetables and seasonal ingredients, including dried seafood consumed during the monsoon months.
The menu at INDY seeks to bridge these two traditions.
“What we’ve done here is bring a mix of both,” Dsilva says, noting that while his restaurant Uma by the Sea serves everything from Mediterranean dishes and pizzas to barbecue, he remains deeply committed to preserving what he calls Goa’s “forgotten food.”
Many of the dishes featured in the pop-up draw inspiration from meals he grew up eating. Among them is Aunty Addie’s Prawn Preparation, a dish inspired by a family friend whose cooking left a lasting impression on him.
The preparation recreates the traditional Saturday lunches of his childhood, served with accompaniments such as okra, red unpolished rice, fried fish and kismur—a dry prawn condiment resembling a spicy chutney.
“It is served exactly how I used to eat it growing up,” he says.
A Menu That Celebrates Regional Goan Traditions
The curated menu highlights a range of dishes that reflect both Hindu-Saraswat and Catholic-Goan culinary influences.
Featured dishes include Aunty Addie’s Prawn Preparation, Brinjal Ambot, Chicken Cafreal, Drumstick & Cauliflower Caldine, Jackfruit Xacuti, Gotache Sasav, and Pork Vindaloo.
Dsilva identifies the Jackfruit preparation as one of the standout vegetarian dishes on the menu. Based on a Saraswat recipe, it combines fresh jackfruit with alsane, a local Goan bean similar to a brown-coloured black-eyed pea. The dish is prepared using roasted coconut and spices to create a dry vegetable preparation traditionally paired with sannas, poee bread, coconut rice or red rice.
Among the non-vegetarian offerings, the chef singles out three favourites: Chicken Cafreal, Pork Vindaloo, and Aunty Addie’s Prawn Preparation.
The Pork Vindaloo, one of Goa’s most iconic dishes, is prepared using pork ribs and flavoured with local chillies, garlic, spices, and toddy vinegar tapped from coconut trees. The vinegar, Dsilva says, is the defining ingredient that gives the dish its distinctive tang.
The menu also includes beloved Goan snacks such as Pan Rolls and Prawn Rissois. Traditionally filled with prawns, the rissois have also been adapted into a vegetarian version for guests seeking meat-free options.
Desserts feature classic Goan favourites, including Bebinca and Bread Pudding.
Reviving Goa’s Lesser-Known Dishes
Beyond the celebrated dishes of Cafreal and Vindaloo, Dsilva believes several traditional Goan preparations deserve greater recognition.
Among them is Caldine, a mildly spiced coconut-based curry that can be prepared with vegetables, chicken or seafood. He describes it as a versatile comfort dish that works much like a stew and represents the understated side of Goan cooking.
The Drumstick & Cauliflower Caldine featured in the pop-up pays homage to this lesser-known culinary tradition.
Dsilva’s broader mission is to preserve recipes and food memories that risk disappearing amid contemporary dining trends.
A Chef With Global Experience
A familiar name in Mumbai’s culinary circles, Chef Aloo’s career spans more than two decades across cruise liners, restaurants, hospitality consulting, and entrepreneurship.
After graduating from catering college in 1999, he worked aboard Carnival and Costa cruise ships, serving thousands of guests and gaining exposure to international cuisines.
He later returned to Mumbai, where he led kitchens at several prominent establishments and hospitality ventures, including Aurus in Juhu, where he introduced molecular gastronomy concepts. He also helped develop restaurant brands ranging from Mexican and Asian street-food concepts to bakery chains and large-scale food operations.
In 2011, he founded Ice Apple Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., offering catering, consulting and gourmet food services, before launching Café Villa-Vandre in Bandra. The café became known for its blend of East Indian, Parsi, and global influences.
Today, as executive chef at Uma by the Sea in Goa, Dsilva continues to champion the state’s culinary traditions through menus that celebrate its flavours, stories and cultural diversity.
Set within INDY’s contemporary design-forward space in New Delhi, the two-day collaboration aims to create an immersive dining experience where regional storytelling meets modern presentation.
With limited seating available, the event offers diners a rare chance to explore Goa’s lesser-known culinary traditions through the lens of one of the state’s most passionate culinary ambassadors.
Information:
Address: INDY by Qla: Ground Floor, Eldeco Center, Unit No.G-4F, G-5F, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi
Dates: June 13- June 14
Read more: Flavours Of Tradition: How Chef Avinash Martins Is Reviving Goan Cuisine
Also read: 7 Locals Guide You To The Best Bars In Goa
