The Story of Mr. Sirsat and his Legendary Ros Omlette

 Sirsat No.1 Ras Omlette, Assgao 

Ros Omlette (also called Ras Omlette) is the one Goan dish I was determined to try on this trip. A classic Goan street food, it consists of three main elements… a spicy curry (usually chicken) poured over an Omlette and served with poee and finely chopped onions and lemon. The gravy is cooked separately, usually like a xacuti or a similar coconut based gravy popular with Goan Hindus. The Omlette is the classic Indian Omlette with finely chopped chillies, onions, coriander and salt. A street food special, it is a complete meal in itself and one that’s increasingly hard to find even in Goa.

Mr. Sirsat is has been making Ras Omlettes for twenty years now. Until covid struck, he was based in Panjim where he would sell hundreds of portions of this incredible dish every day. This is the only dish he serves and it may just be the single best dish I’ve had on this trip. It is perfect, it is food as a shared experience, as a common denominator. Whether you’ve stepped out of a parked Mercedes or walked across the paddy field, everyone pays Rs.50 to this unassuming, gentle man for a bowl of thick chicken gravy with meat and Omlette and fresh poee and is transported to the same place of bliss… the promise of all faiths and religions, delivered right here on earth from a roadside cart. 

If Mr. Sirsat was European, he would be a celebrity, a person for whose artisanal food people traveled from long distances, celebrated as a cultural icon. 

In India, Mr. Sirsat has been forced to leave Panjim thanks to COVID 19 and the smart city project. He’s set up stall in a little lane by the paddy field close to Vinayak, the long queues replaced by a few loyal customers making their way to the little lit up cart. He’s figuring how he can continue and survive. He’s wondering if he can open a restaurant. He has no staff. It’s him and his wife and his life’s passion for this dish and for feeding people.

I promised Mr. Sirsat that I would do my best to make sure that he and his food get the recognition they deserve. So if you’re in North Goa, for one meal please skip the tourist traps and the easily substitutable menus and go eat with him. And spread the word far and wide so everyone knows that this is a meal worth traveling for. I promise you, you won’t regret it.