Kombdi Vade Malvan Style

Method

1. 1

   Make coconut paste for the curry: Place 2 cups fresh grated coconut in a mixer jar. Add 1/2 cup warm water. Blend for 2 minutes until very smooth. The coconut paste should be creamy with no grainy texture. This coconut paste forms the body of the Malvani curry — it is not the same as coconut milk.

2. 2

   Fry onions until deep golden: Heat 4 tbsp coconut oil in a heavy pot on medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions. Cook stirring frequently for 12 to 15 minutes until they are a deep golden-brown colour. This long caramelisation of onions is the foundation of the Malvani curry flavour.

3. 3

   Add ginger, garlic and tomatoes: Add ginger paste and garlic paste. Stir for 2 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes. Cook stirring for 8 minutes until completely broken down and oil separates.

4. 4

   Add spice powders: Turn heat to low. Add red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder and garam masala. Stir on low heat for 2 minutes to cook the spices.

5. 5

   Add coconut paste and cook thoroughly: Add the blended coconut paste. Stir well to combine. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes until the coconut paste cooks through — you will see oil separating and the mixture turning a deeper colour. Properly cooked coconut paste gives a creamy, thick gravy with no raw taste.

6. 6

   Add chicken and seal: Add the chicken pieces. Stir to coat every piece with the coconut masala. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes turning pieces to seal all sides.

7. 7

   Simmer the curry: Add 1 cup hot water and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Check by piercing the thickest piece — juices should run clear. The gravy should be thick and clinging.

8. 8

   Make the vade dough: In a bowl combine rice flour, fresh grated coconut, cumin seeds, sesame seeds and salt. Mix well. Add hot water slowly, stirring first with a spoon then kneading with hands when cool enough, until a firm, smooth, non-sticky dough forms. It should be firmer than roti dough — firm enough to shape without support.

9. 9

   Shape and fry the vade: Divide the dough into 8 portions. Roll each into a ball then flatten between your palms into a disc about 1 cm thick and 8 cm in diameter. Heat oil to medium-high in a deep pot. Gently slide vade into the oil. Fry for 3 minutes on each side until deep golden and crispy. They will puff slightly. Drain on paper towels.

10. 10

    Serve together: Place 2 hot crispy vade on each plate alongside a ladle of the thick coconut chicken curry. The vade are torn and dipped into the curry.

11. 11

    Note: Kombdi Vade is considered the most representative dish of Malvan — a small coastal town in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. Kombdi means chicken in the Malvani dialect and vade are the crispy fried breads. The dish gained national attention when Malvani restaurants opened in Mumbai. It is prepared especially for weddings and village festivals in the Konkan coast region.