Famous Capsicum Dabba Pao of Bardez @ Guirim, Mapusa, Goa

Last week, I followed my friends Vikram Doctor and Kabi Sherman to a small roadside eatery in Guirim, to try a speciality of Bardez that Vikram has been telling me about for a while.

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At Shagun tea stall on the road to Guirim Panchayat, he immediately orders 3 dabba paos, also simply called ‘capsicum’, for each of us. Stall owner Omkar has been serving customers here at superhuman speed, for the past 15 years. We are here for his speciality, stuffed capsicum (Rs 15), called dabba pao when it's served in a pao.

Shagun Tea Stall, Omkar
Guirim Panchayat Road, Mapusa
Timings: 4 to 8.30/9 pm
Google Maps location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/WovapwHoyz2cN...

Ramdas, one of Omkar’s three brothers, is frying a huge batch of the great capsicum or dabba pao of Bardez in this vessel. The stall is named after their late brother, Shagun. Ramdas dunks each stuffed capsicum in batter and expertly slips them into the boiling oil. He is frying several dozen at a time and Omkar is carrying these away as fast as they are ready. This is the scale of Guirim dabba pao’s popularity. We were there just after tea time, when people heading home from work stopped for a bite.

Very soon, the capsicums are a beautiful golden colour. Ramdas takes them out and they are ready for us to devour.

Vikram says the dabba pao is fantastic and the next evolution of vada pao because what it’s done is it’s taken a capsicum and stuffed it with the vada mixture and deep fried it. What this does is steam cooks the capsicum slightly so it’s just cooked enough and it gives a nice different texture. There’s the soft texture of the mixture, there’s a slightly juicy texture of the capsicum and there’s the crispy batter. And if you want you can have it with a pao (Rs 20), or a poiee (Rs 20), so you’ll get multiple textures. And it is absolutely fantastic.

South Goans don’t know how to make it. Dabba pao is a Bardezkar thing

What a great aftertaste it leaves in the mouth

Also with the pao, you don’t need to eat anything else after this. It’s a cheap filler. A couple of these with pao is a really heavy dinner.

Okay, there’s definitely no doubting Vikram’s word when it’s about good food. He knows his stuff. This was a delicious discovery I owe to him

From this very satisfied Saxtikar, bye bye and thanks, Bardez

As the evening wears on, Mhapsekars just keep coming in for the dabba pao. The stall is open from 4 to about 8:30-9 pm. It’s open even on Sundays. Shagun tea stall is located on the road from Mapusa towards Guirim Panchayat. From Gandhi Chowk/KTC Interstate Bus Stand, take the road south towards Assumption kopel and the Panjim highway. Turn right at the chapel and follow the road straight towards Guirim panchayat. After the Amul ice cream shop on the left, comes Shagun tea stall

Music:
Sayuri Hayashi Egnell / Joy in the Little Things / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Arden Forest / Dark Taupe / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Megan Wofford / Morning Star / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

#goa #4k #goanfood #streetfoodindia #mapusa #bardez