At The Goan Laddoo you can get sweets, savouries, and meals, prepared with a special dedication towards preserving the flavours of Goa
An IT engineer by profession, Amey Vaingankar from Santa Cruz runs his family business at St. Inez, in addition to working for a UK-based firm. Speaking on the origins of the brand, he explains that after retirement it was his parents who began the business from their home, which was then registered as The Goan Laddoo, by him and his wife two years ago.
He further elaborates that the reason for starting this business resulted from the lack of easy availability of authentic Goan traditional food. Therefore, they undertook this venture in order to cater to the authentic taste preference of the general public of Goa.
Each day they prepare a different menu and some of the highlights include Sannas, Moong Gaati, Khatkhate, Shirvolyo, Sukrunde, Satva, Patolyo, Vade, Manngane, Usal among others. In addition, they are known for their 12 varieties of laddoos and most are made with jaggery and pure ghee, without sugar. These varieties consist of full moong, moong dal, plain wheat, wheat dry fruits, besan, rava, methi, brown rice, brown rice with coconut jaggery, multigrain, raagi and rich dry fruits.
Moreover, they also deliver meals on different days of the week wherein the menu is different each time. To illustrate, a Monday special could look like a plate of Shevya kheer, Nachni Tissan, Masala Potato Dal, Biya bhaji, Walpapdi bhaji, Maadi fry, Sanna, Godache Vade and Chapati, while a Friday special could include Sakharbhat, Chicken Xacuti, Mushrooms Xacuti, Salad, Stuffed Brinjal, Veg Pulav, Urad dal Polle and Sukrunde. On a Wednesday you could enjoy Mackerel Curry, Chana Usal, Bhendi veg, Kalwanche Tonak, Ambade Ross, Gajar Halwa, Polle and Chapati.
At the Goan Laddoo, all meals and sweets are home-made, prepared by members of his family. This ensures high quality and hygiene as they do not have any external help involved in the kitchen. Authenticity is maintained through their ties with local vendors who meet their requirements in addition to using locally-grown ingredients for their offerings.
Vaingankar states that while they have not adopted any major marketing strategies, they do utilise the medium of social media platforms to reach out to customers and promote their products. They have a WhatsApp group that consists of many members as well as an Instagram and a Facebook account.
With Diwali around the corner, customers can look forward to the availability of a variety of Farsans or salty snacks including Chakli, Shankarpali, Chiwda, Dal Kapa, Coconut Kapa, Nevryo, and the like. Apart from that, they also have gift hampers for the festive season, ranging from Rs 500 to Rs1,100. Depending on which you choose, the hampers consist of assorted Laddoos, Cashew nuts, Almonds, Shankarpali, Chakli, Chiwda, Nevri and Kapa. Speaking on future goals, Vaingankar says that maintaining the same quality and standard is the main aim as well as slowly and steadily expanding the business across Goa.
