D09 · Dinner · Goa
Goan White Vatana Tonak
A Goan Hindu home favourite: dried white peas simmered in a dark, roasted-coconut tonak masala with a hint of tamarind, eaten with Goan pav.
- Region
- Goa
- Diet
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Time, as written
- Soak 8 h · Prep 20 min · Cook 40 min
- Serves
- 3
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Status
- Traditional
- Good for
- Weekend dinner, festive breakfast (Goan tradition)
Nutrition
Good source| Per serving | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Sugars | Protein per 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tonak only (about 280 g) | 295 | 14 g | 37 g | 10 g | 4 g | 14 g | 5 g | 5.0 g |
| Dinner plate: tonak, 1 whole-wheat pav, 100 g curd | 460 | 21 g | 59 g | 14 g | 6 g | 16 g | 12 g | 4.5 g |
Headline figures are for the full plate as served, with its stated roti, rice or bhakri; the dish alone is shown in the table.
Tier: Good source. Pav uses a typical whole-wheat pav label — verify. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.
Values are estimates calculated from the listed ingredients and quantities (IFCT 2017 and product labels), not laboratory measurements. How the numbers were calculated.
Ingredients
Tonak masala
Plate
Method
Soak the peas 8 hours. Pressure-cook with turmeric and 600 ml water for 3–4 whistles until soft but whole.
Dry-roast the coconut until deep brown; dry-roast the whole spices for 2 minutes. Grind with 100 ml water to a smooth paste.
Heat oil; cook onion 8 minutes until browned. Add ginger-garlic paste and tomato; cook 4 minutes.
Add the tonak paste; cook on low 5 minutes until fragrant and the oil separates.
Add peas with their liquid, tamarind and salt. Simmer 10 minutes until thick.
Serve with pav and curd.
Protein optimisation
- Where the protein comes from
- Dried peas supply 12.5 g per serving; pav 4 g and curd 3.5 g on the plate.
- Boost
- Add 100 g paneer cubes in the last 5 minutes (+6 g protein, +85 kcal per serving).
Variations, serving and storage
- Regional
- Goan ross omelette-style plate — serve with a thin egg omelette for an egg-inclusive version (+6 g protein per egg).
- Substitution
- Black-eyed beans or kabuli chana.
- Storage
- 3 days refrigerated; freezes 2 months; flavour improves on day 2.
- Food safety
- Reheat until boiling.
- Meal prep
- Excellent.
Allergens
Gluten (pav), milk (curd); poppy seeds and coconut
Labels: Good source · High fibre · Soy-free · Whey-free · No added sugar · Meal-prep friendly