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Malvan Coast flaunts several interesting flavours and dishes that majorly consist of vegetables and fish. Chicken and seafood are a very important part of this cuisine and are present in almost every Malvani meal. This is a unique cuisine that is a concoction of food practices from Goa, Maharashtra and some northern parts of West Karnataka. What is interesting about this cuisine is the influences that it takes from different states of the country. All three states including Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka share a geographical vicinity. This led to the exchange of flavours across the states and gave rise to the Malvani Cusine.
The other interesting aspect of this cuisine is that it is a mixture of the fierceness of different masalas, and at the same time, the fresh taste of grated coconut. The sweetness and the sourness in the food of this cuisine are inspired by the Sarawat Goud community. The inception of this cuisine can be found in the beautiful town of Maharashtra called Sindhudurg. This coastal town has a lot of different and unique ways of cooking food. Although the food practises in this town are quite independent, it is a mixture of borrowed ingredients and cooking methods from areas Goa and western Karnataka.
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How Is Malvani Cuisine Special
Malvani cuisine is different from any other kind of cuisine that you will find in the country because of the different types of cooking methods and ingredients used. Most of the food cooked in Malvani Cusine is cooked with the help of coconut oil. Coconut is a very important part of discussing and it is used in various forms, including grated, dried, milk and paste. But you will be surprised to know that despite the pervasive use of coconut, the food is excitingly spicy and full of tantalising flavours. This is because a generous amount of dried chillies, cardamom, tamarind and garam masala is used in the preparation of all the dishes.
Most of the dishes are generally deep-fried or pan-fried. You will find a lot of Currys in this cuisine that are cooked with the help of simmering. Some famous dishes also use ingredients like raw, mangoes, kokum, and tamarind. Malvani masala is also very popular and used in the preparation of Malvani food. It is a dried powder that is made by mixing 15 to 16 dry spices. All the fresh masala pods are ground together and stored in jars. These are then used whenever required. It is this masala that gives the Malvani food its special flavours. The combination of the Malvani masala with grated coconut is the best possible combination of flavours that complement each other well.
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Types Of Dishes
Most of the Malvani dishes are dominated by non-vegetarian dishes, but there are plenty of vegetarian dishes as well. And of the most popular vegetarian dishes is bhakri which is made from rice flour. This is inspired by the Maharashtrian Joari and Chapati. Although you will find a lot of flavours in spiciness in Malvani dishes, not all of them are extremely spicy. The Konkanastha Brahmin style of food is very bland, but at the same time quite delicious. This is great for vegetarians and people who do not like eating food infused with too many spices.
Phanasachi Bhaji is a delicious vegetarian dish that is made from chillies, spices and jackfruit. Jackfruit has a very similar taste to that of chicken and is a great option for people who want to enjoy the taste of meat, but at the same time stay vegetarian. Kalya Vatanya Chi Aamti is another delicious curry that is made from black pieces, coconut and Malvani masala. Kombdi Vade is the chicken curry from the Malvani Cusine and is very popular among the natives.
The seafood made in the cuisine is very spicy but at the same time addictive. Most of the dishes are irresistible and mouth-watering. Some of the evergreen favourites in Malvani cuisine include prawns, crabs, and mackerel. Jhinga Fry is a dish from Malvani cuisine and is made of fried prawns that are rolled in some flour before frying. Mori masala is a shark curry that is also very popular on the Konkan coast. Bombay fry or Bombay duck fry is also extremely popular among the Konkan region, especially in areas like Raigarh and Mumbai. Some famous sweet dishes from this cuisine include cucumber cake that is made from cucumber, Rava and jaggery. This is Dhondas in the local language. Khaproli is also a very famous dessert that is like a fluffy pancake dipped in sweet, yellow juice.
These are some of the most popular food items from the Malvani cuisine that is very famous on the Konkan coast of the country. Do not ever miss the opportunity to try this cuisine because it is one of the most treasured gems of the country.
