Malvani cuisine

Malvani cuisine is the standard cuisine of the Konkan region of Maharashtra and Goa, and some northern parts of West Karnataka. Although Malvani cuisine is predominantly non-vegetarian, there are many vegetarian delicacies. Although it is an independent cuisine, it overlaps Maharashtrian cuisine and Goan cuisine. Malvan is a town in the Sindhudurg district on the west coast of Maharashtra.

Malvan being a coastal area in Konkan, it has its own distinct way of cooking food. Malvani cuisine uses coconut liberally in various forms such as grated, dry grated, fried, coconut paste and coconut milk.

Many masalas have dried red chilies and other spices like coriander seeds, peppercorns, cumin, cardamom, ginger, garlic, etc. Some dishes also use kokum, dried kokam (amsul), tamarind, and raw mango (kairi).The Malvani masala , a form of dried powder masala is a concoction of 15 to 16 dry spices. This masala is coarsely grounded and stored in jars to be utilized when required.

However, not all of the cuisine is hot and spicy. The 'Konkanastha Brahmin' style of food is quite bland yet very tasty and vegetarian too.

Fish dishes dominate the Malvani cuisine. The fiery seafood curries may be a bit too spicy for some people, but are quite tasty. The Malvani cuisine is very similar to Goan or coastal South Indian cuisine.

Sol Kadhi is a pink colored appetizer drink made from the kokam fruit (Garcinia indica) and Coconut Milk, often drunk after particularly hot and spicy Konkani / Malvani meal as it is very soothing.

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