Gems of Malvani Cuisine.

The relatively undiscovered palm fringed beaches, along the west coast of India, are home to many a picturesque fishing villages. The ribbon-like coastal Konkan belt is a haven of coconut plantations and seafood. Quite predictably, this area has some of the best seafood recipes of India. One of them is the Malvani cuisine. In this blog we are going to take a look at the 6 gems of malvani cuisine.

Toi – Toi is a lentil preparation and is the Malvani version of dal. The flavours are really mild and bring out the taste of dal which is enhanced with dollops of toop (ghee). Thin and watery - much like a clear soup, toi is best eaten with boiled rice and a spicy accompaniment like a dried fish chutney, coconut chutney or a pickle.

Kombdi Vade – Kombdivade is the non-vegetarians’ answer to puri bhaji. These deep fried pooris have a slight crunchiness because of the mix of ragi and wheat flour. Perfect to mop up the spicy Malvani chicken curry – its standard accompaniment. Vegetarians can devour the vades with a kala vatanyachi ussal.

Fried Seafood– Fresh seafood is blessing to the people from the Malvan region. Mackerel, squids, pomfret, crabs, shellfish and prawns are all available in abundance. Marinated in a delicious masala (red or green), coated with rice flour and semolina and fried mostly in coconut oil, these fish recipes are classic Malvani. And there are few things better for a seafood lover than digging into perfectly cooked fried pieces of fish coated in a crisp flavorful covering. Make sure you add a good squeeze of lemon juice before you start devouring these lovelies.

Bombil Fry – Yes, we have mentioned fried fish earlier, but bombil fry definitely deserves hallmark status when we talk about Malvani cuisine. Bombil fish or Bombay duck is unique to this region and has really soft, mushy flesh which contrasts the crispy flour coating it is covered with, perfectly. This deep fried delicacy is light on the stomach and doesn’t stretch your pocket. Fried Bombay duck will definitely have you hooked on from the first bite itself. Special mention, you can have a clean plate while eating Bombay duck as the bones are deliciously soft!

Breads – Right from soft rice flour pancakes called amboli, to thin polis made with wheat flour and vades made with a mix of wheat and ragi flour - you are spoilt for choice in terms of breads in the Malvani cuisine. Easy to make and an absolute essential, these breads are perfect accompaniment to the spicy rassas, bharits and curries of the region.

Dhondhas – Like we mentioned earlier, food from the Malvan coast is different from elsewhere in the country, in terms of ingredients and cooking methods. Not everyone can come up with a delicious steamed sweet cake using cucumber and semolina. Dhondhas gets its wonderfully grainy texture because of the semolina and grated cucumber and sweetness with jaggery. You can also make a version of this almost forgotten in time recipe with jackfruit.