Poee or poie is a leavened bread baked by the traditional bakers called poders in
Goa
Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
, where it is a staple food.
It has characteristics similar to a
pita
Pita ( or ) or pitta (British English), is a family of yeast-leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and neighboring areas. It includes the widely known version with an interior pocket, als ...
bread, notably that it is round, soft, and has a pocket.
Coconut palm wine or
toddy was traditionally used for the fermenting process but yeast is now used in commercial production.
The bread is made from half-
maida and half-whole wheat flour.
Bread is a significant part of
Goan cuisine
Goan cuisine consists of regional foods popular in Goa, an Indian state located along India's west coast on the shore of the Arabian Sea. Rice, seafood, coconut, vegetables, meat, bread, pork and local spices are some of the main ingredients in Go ...
, introduced by the Portuguese in the early 17th century.
According to chef Hussain Shahzad, it is the only state in India with traditional leavened breads. According to ''
Vogue India
''Vogue India'' is the Indian edition of the monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine ''Vogue''. It is the 17th international edition of ''Vogue'' and the first edition in South Asia. ''Vogue India'' is published by Condé Nast India Pvt. Ltd., a ...
'', in 2018 poee was becoming increasingly popular outside of Goa. Ross poee, a dish of an
omelet
In cuisine, an omelette (also spelled omelet) is a dish made from beaten eggs, fried with butter or oil in a frying pan (without stirring as in scrambled egg). It is quite common for the omelette to be folded around fillings such as chives, ve ...
,
xacuti
Xacuti or Xacutti ( kok, शागोती) is a curry prepared in Goa, India, with complex spicing, including white poppy seed
Poppy seed is an oilseed obtained from the opium poppy (''Papaver somniferum''). The tiny, kidney-shaped seeds ...
and poee, is a typical item of Goan home cooking.
Poee traditionally was prepared by fermenting it with
toddy for two days, rolling it into a ball, flattening it, and baking it on the floor of a wood-fired oven.
This differentiates it from
pao, which uses the same dough but is baked in a pan.
Baking time is two minutes; in professional bakeries, poee is generally baked before pao because it requires hotter temperatures.
References
Indian breads
Goan cuisine
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