What makes it unique is that it is a combo of the fieriness of its masala, vinegary pungency of Goan food, the use of freshly grated coconut from the Karwar belt and the sweet and sour mix of the Sarawat Goud community.
The genesis of Malvani cuisine can be traced back to Malvan, a scenic town in the Sindhudurg district on the west coast of Maharashtra.
The coastal town of Malvan in Konkan, has its own distinctive way of cooking food. Although it is an independent cuisine, it is an amalgamation of the cuisines of Maharashtra, Goa and some northern parts of West Karnataka.
Malvani cuisine is different from elsewhere in the country, in terms of ingredients and cooking methods.
It is characterized by the use of liberal quantities of coconut in all its form- dried, grated, paste and milk – combined with generous portions of dried chillies, coriander seeds, cardamom, ginger, kokum, tamarind and garam masala spices.
There is nothing unusual but their food is generally pan fried, deep fried or it’s a curry which is simmered. Some dishes also use dried kokum, tamarind, and raw mango.
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. It is the technique of grinding these masalas with fresh coconut that imparts the food its special flavour.
Although Malvani cuisine is predominantly non-vegetarian, there are vegetarian dishes also. They eat bhakri (made of rice flour), the Malvani equivalent of the Maharashtrian jowari and chapati instead of rice. However, not all of the cuisine is hot and spicy.
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