NUTS OVER PEANUTS
BOTH CHEAP AND VERSATILE, INDIA’S FAVOURITE SNACK FOOD IS ACTUALLY A GREAT INGREDIENT IN ELABORATE RECIPES TOO
I’m standing on the palm fringed beaches of Sindhudurg, a beautiful coastal town in Maharashtra close to the border of Goa. The virgin beaches and pristine waters entice the eye but the speciality of this region undoubtedly is its traditional Malvani cuisine. Like all coastal food, fish and coconut dominate but in addition their signature spices, it’s the liberal use of peanuts in the food that adds special crunch and flavour.
My guide through the ABC’s of Malvani cuisine is Shagun Mehra who runs a stunning boutique hotel here called Coco Shambhala (just four private villas). Nestled in a tropical garden, barely 200 metres off the beach, the villas are designed as inclusive, barefoot retreats. “Our kitchen is an exciting platform for us to experiment with local, seasonal and fresh ingredients. The recipes are inspired from the authentic coastal cuisine of Malvan and its luscious produce with dishes such as sol kadi, Komadi vade and Malvani curry.
Malvani food celebrates the very best of fresh seafood and local produce from the Sindhudurg coast. “At Coco Shambhala all our ingredients are sourced from within a 50 km radius of the resort and peanuts play an important role in our daily changing menus as they are so versatile,” says Shagun. ALL ABOUT THE PEANUT
Peanuts or moongphali, roasted and salted and sold on the streets in paper cones, make for a great snack. It is equally versatile in the kitchen and is widely used in Gujarati and Maharashtrian cuisine.
Born in tiny cluster pods underground, which are then dug up and dusted, peanuts grow all over the world - most widely in USA.