Have you tried Dedos De Dama in Goa?

Goa is a treasure trove of cultural secrets that for a long while, were being passed on as heirlooms of a time gone by. However, some flavours from our grandmothers’ stories face the possibility of being forgotten forever. For instance, the ever-changing and demanding urban and professional landscape leaves families with no time to indulge in learning complex recipes. Dedos De Dama is one such magical delicacy that was popular until a decade or so ago. It’s a delectable dessert whose flavour notes are worth passing down to the younger generations. 

What is Dedos de Dama?

Translated from Portuguese to literally mean, “lady’s fingers,” Dedos de Damas was an innovative creation of some Portuguese nuns. The delicacy is a sweetmeat that resembles lollipops and was once commonly served at weddings and other important Goan Catholic occasions. Cashew nuts are ground and mixed with grated coconuts, rolled into balls and then dipped into gooey caramel. The orbs are then fixed onto skewers which are then pierced into watermelons or pineapples, from where they can be picked and relished.

Going back in time…

Dedos de Damas is believed to be another one of the convent nuns’ creations. The nuns at the convent of Santa Monica in Old Goa were always experimenting with the local ingredients to come up with an array of decadent treats. It’s no mystery why cashews and coconuts made it to the recipe of Dedos de Dama. They are abundantly available in Goa, the former of which came with the Portuguese all the way from Brazil.

Where to find Dedos de Dama in Goa

So rare have these treats become – that it is uncommon to find them being made by home-cooks or served in Goan restaurants/bakeries. In fact, you’ll be lucky if you spot Dedos de Dama on buffet tables at weddings. The Goan Kitchen, an endeavour by local Goans to keep Goa’s culinary heritage alive, prepares and sells Dedos de Dama on pre-order. You can also find them sold at The Goan Kitchen store in Margao every Saturday. In North Goa, it is nearly impossible to find them for ready consumption, so if you do hear of a place where they are sold, comment below and let me know. 

Here’s how you can make it

The easiest way to relish Dedos de Dama is to make it yourself. The following recipe creates around 18-20 pieces of Dedos de Dama, depending on the size in which you roll them.

Marzipan fingers

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ground cashew nuts
• ½ cup fresh grated coconut
• 1 egg white
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup refined sugar
• ¼  cup water
• Wooden skewers

Recipe:

Melt the sugar in water until the syrup is of one-string consistency. Then to it add the grated cashew nuts, coconut, and egg white and stir till it’s homogenous. The mixture should be firm enough to be rolled, but still soft enough that it remains flexible.

Then take out the mixture on a wooden board and while it’s cooling start kneading it into small cylindrical shapes. Make sure to protect your hands as the mixture can burn your fingers.

Set them aside to dry or refrigerate them overnight.

Caramel

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water

Use a thick bottom pan. Set it on medium flame and add ½ a cup of water to it. Then add the sugar. Wait until the sugar melts.

Make sure to not stir but simply swirl the pan around. 

Meanwhile, heat the remaining ½ cup of water in a different utensil and once the sugar turns golden brown, add it slowly along the side of the pan. Make sure to take the sugar off of the heat before you do this.

Once you’ve added the water, place the pan back on the heat and wait for the sugar to dissolve into the water. Make sure you are stirring frequently and are keeping an eye out so the caramel doesn’t burn. Burnt caramel lends a bitter aftertaste to Dedos de Dama.

The final step

Stick the marzipan fingers onto the skewers and then dip them into the caramel. Remove any excess. The skewers can be placed on a stand of your choice to be enjoyed by everyone.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post. You may also enjoy my blog post, ‘an epic list of things to do in Panjim’