Former Portuguese colony on the Malabar Coast

GOA

This Indian state was a major spice trade hub before its 1961 annexation and is now famous for its beaches and Portuguese-influenced cuisine.

This clue points to Goa, a small state on India’s western coast that was a Portuguese territory for over 400 years until 1961. The "Malabar Coast" is an older term for the southwestern shoreline of India, where Goa is located, helping narrow it down. There’s no wordplay here—just a direct reference to history and geography.