An Appetising Airbnb - Cooking in Carmona

Every year I surf the Net for where to stay on annual self-imposed Goa retreats. While I do use airbnb, I've not yet booked a stay on it. This November I was in for a delightful surprise. 

Su's Coconut Grove is luxury on budget for a family holiday in a prime spot in the area. And this is where a kind soul booked us a stay.

But this is a food blog! What is an account of a holiday stay doing here? 

Well, this is where you find out what to do on holiday when some members of the party do not want to eat out. And that's often us! 

Train picnic dinner: Sambar rice, a dry potato-radish-carrot fry with papads and pickle. Second AC on Goa Express is a great way to get to Goa.

Of course, many places provide some sort of kitchen. However, at Su's Coconut Grove, all the essentials for cooking were graciously ready to use.

At Su's Coconut Grove, you can hear the pao man honk as early as six in the morning. While I did know about this seller of local breads, this is the first time I got to use the blessing. Generally, he has about three or four types of local 'buns' - the pao that might be familiar to those from Maharashtra, a flat ring-type bread and 'hard bread'. The latter reminded me of rolls one could buy in Pondicherry, when it was still called that way back in the Seventies. While folks say it goes well with curries (gravy), I find it excellent with good hot coffee. Slather some butter and it's a real oh la la lah di dah moment.

And later there's the fresh fish seller - at about 11 am. By that time you're back from a walk on the beach which is some ten minutes away. You've showered and had breakfast. The fish seller has some 3-4 types of fish - or more. And they look and taste very fresh. Some four mackerel-type fish mostly cost Rs. 100, if I remember right. What is even more charming is that you're likely to have seen the fishermen at their work on the morning walk.

There are enough places to buy fish from - local markets as well as well-stocked supermarkets. I wonder if one could also ask the fishermen on the beach for some of their catch?

Groceries and feni are available at nearby shops - some five minutes away. 

The dining space, at this airbnb, is where we had some very tasty breakfasts, lunches and dinners. And teas and coffees and sundowners... Just right for gentle relaxation. 

And now for the crowning glory of this review: the kitchen!

Right to left: a microwave that's not only clean but also works; a four burner gas stove that works - there's a lighter handy too in the big spoon holder to the left of the stove; various trays hold tea, coffee, sugar, salt, pepper and a few other condiments. At the bend, an electric kettle and toaster. Then a tray to dry dishes next to the sink. There's a fully functional geyser to get hot water in the sink - makes cleaning up such pleasure. Some hand wash and some dishwash and scrubbers also cheerfully await use.

In the kitchen there's a small room that houses a safe drinking water system.

Facing that is a small, clean fridge with bottles of cold water and filled ice trays in the freezer. And, on top, some instant noodle and biscuit packs. There was also a nice little carton of milk - very welcome for us as we'd arrived at about 6 in the morning and were eager for our morning coffee.  

Though there was ample instant coffee, I'd carried my filter coffee maker and some grounds for that one morning. For the rest of the stay, we easily got Bru Roast and Ground at a nearby supermarket.

Fruits and vegetables of all sorts can be had from roadside sellers who line the Orlim Road. Our mainstay for fruit were bananas but we also got onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies and such. Again, supermarkets would also stock some frozen produce. 

Dinner was often ordered in from J 6, the nearby eatery. And provided leftovers to use for the next meal. 

One day, it was butter chicken. A little jaunt to a nearby supermarket such as Magson's provided some frozen tikka which perfectly complemented the leftover gravy. However, the frozen methi parathas we bought were nothing to write home about - they just turned hard and unappetising upon heating.

You can basically whip up almost anything in that wonderful kitchen!

Enough kitchenware to cook up a feast! The contents of the pot are, in this case, a humble but flavourful and comforting khichdi.

There are quite a few general stores in the vicinity. The nearest one is around two minutes away but there are quite a few others too, within reasonable walking distance. And, if you hire a vehicle of some sort - bicycle, motorised two-wheeler or car - the area now has many well stocked supermarkets, especially along the Orlim Road. There's even a regular bus that goes to Madgaon from just down the road.

If you don't want to cook, there is J6, just outside the gated community in which Su's Coconut Grove nestles. 

And there are more than a couple of others within walking distance. 

All in all, even if you don't want to cook, Su's Coconut Grove will provide you with an enchanted stay that's well worth the booking. To end on a high food note, there's every chance that Sunil, from Sandra's first-class team, will offer you a complementary puri bhaji breakfast to make the holiday even more memorable.