Tucked away in breezy Benaulim in South Goa, chef Avinash Martins’ Cavatina is a modern Indian restaurant with a Goan heart. A favourite among celebrities including Sachin Tendulkar, chefs and tourists, Cavatina—ranked #12 on CNT’s Top Restaurant Awards 2023—is all about reimagining local classics. Here, the food and cooking is deeply interconnected with the surroundings. “When I think of the best of Goa, I think of my childhood—witnessing the relationship my granny had with the fish vendors, waiting at a small taverna by the jetty with my father as fishermen brought back crabs, eating tender coconuts on the family coconut and cashew plantation,” says Martins. This is the Goa he knows, and the Goa he wants people to see. His new show, ‘Goa Food, Fable, Family with Avinash Martins’, is a travelogue that explores the state through its artisans and the fading cultures they uphold. Here, Martins tells us about the Goa he wants you to see and some of the many folks who make Goa what it is.
The Chitari artists
Chitar means artist and this community is originally from Kolhapur. They came to Goa centuries ago and are known for their distinct wooden artwork. These artisans make wooden toys, baby walkers, children’s kitchen sets and paats (a traditional low wooden stool with bright motifs). The parrot is their signature motif and the colours they use are always bright vermillion, orange, yellow and green. There would always be a chitari shop at big feasts and fairs, but in the last 30 years, business has greatly diminished. Electronic and factory-made toys have taken over completely. However, if you’re visiting Goa, you can head to their storerooms in Cuncolim and interact with them in person. There are no workshops or studios, just simple rooms with all their creations.
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