Two cultures on either side of the globe, India and Mexico, seem unlikely to have much in common at first. But for Indians who have savoured the complex flavours of Mexican cuisine, a familiarity surfaces that attracts us to it for good. Both warm countries, with friendly, family-oriented, colourful communities, huge swathes of which are dependent on agriculture. It's no surprise that our staples of flat bread (chapatis and tortillas), vegetables and chillies are common to both our cultures. For Goa especially, there is more common ground, with the European colonial histories of Portugal and Spain in Mexico's case, deeply influencing the culture and the cuisines.
The ingredients that are most common to both culinary traditions are coriander, tamarind, beans and chilies, but the preparations are even more similar. Mexican rice is much like our pulao; refried beans is somewhat similar to rajma; salsas are like our chutneys; and they have a whole host of sweets that are like our mithais. The chili pepper originated in Mexico and was brought to Goa by the Portuguese seafarers, and features heavily in both cuisines. The jalapeno, habanero and chipotle varieties feature prominently in Mexican meals, adding a milder zing than some of our Indian chilies but pungent nonetheless.
Around the world Indian and Mexican cuisines have been increasingly embraced, with new restaurants serving traditional and authentic, or even experimental fusion menus. In a town called Sausalito near San Francisco, there is even a restaurant called Avatar that serves a mix of Indian and Mexican food. Here in Goa, Habanero in Baga serves up Tex-Mex or Texan Mexican cuisine, which is a mix of American and Mexican specialties like the burrito, which actually started getting rolled up in the U.S.
They also have a section of the menu dedicated to ‘IndiMex,' which are a handful of dishes happily marrying both cuisines, like the chicken tikka enchilada, potato masala burrito, beef vindaloo tacos and the chicken chettinadu burrito. There's also a raj salad, which is an Indian twist on a Western salad with tandoori chicken or paneer, marinated cucumbers and masala ranch dressing; and the fried rajma cake with masala ranch appetizer.
Some of the other sections of the Habanero menu also embrace a fusion of origins like the Asian-inspired honey glazed cauliflower nuggets, the Middle-Eastern leaning black bean hummus with fresh veggies; and the Goan-inspired mini peri peri fish and chips, and coconut prawns.
So the next time you find yourself at a Mexican restaurant, you might find more similarities, and if you're lucky enough to travel there, you can experience all the subtleties in our cuisines and cultures, all the more. For this writer, visiting Tijuana just across the California border was like taking a trip back to Bombay, with all the street food, pedestrians and erm, the less palatable poverty that goes with it, familiar yet interesting. But in Goa, one can get a taste of Mexico at the spacious and fun, Habanero,Baga.
