An amazing dish from the Malvani cuisine, Kumbdi vade is poori made with rice flour or mixed with other flours, salt, turmeric powder and deep fried. Generally served with popular Malvani chicken!
Kumbdi Vade or Kombdi vade is an amazing dish from the Malvani cuisine. Kombdi Vade literally means poori with chicken curry. ‘Kombdi’ means chicken and ‘vade’ means poori. This is a very popular non-vegetarian dish prepared throughout the Konkan belt and Maharashtra. Kumbdi Vade dish consists of the traditional Malvani chicken curry (chicken with bones cooked in a spicy Malvani masala) and vade (an exceptional Indian puffed and fluffy fried bread made with rice flour or wheat or maida flours).
Kumbdi Vade is generally accompanied with onions, lemon and Sol kadhi (Solkadhi is a type of spicy, cooling beverage usually had with rice or sometimes sipped after the meals. It is popularly made in the Konkan region of India, made from coconut milk and kokum. It's known for its digestive properties). Kumbdi vade is a Malvani delicacy made with a combination or rice flour and different lentils. This vade or poori can be prepared with a mix of different flours such as jowari flour, dal flours, corn and rice flours.
Traditionally the flours are spiced and flavoured with coriander, methi, turmeric powder, cumin etc. The pooris are deep fried until crisp and golden in colour and served with the popular delicacy namely, Malvani Chicken. The vade or pooris which are fluffy fried dumplings are also occasionally prepared with ragi flour. This dish is widely prepared on ‘Gatari’ and ‘Dev Diwali’ festivals in Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Konkan. Kumbdi Vade is a staple diet in the Malvani cuisine.
Malvan is a quaint little town located on the southernmost tip of the Konkan coast in Maharashtra surrounded by the Sahyadri mountain range on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other. The cuisine of this region is popularly known as Malvani cuisine. Coconut, Rice and fish are the prime significance in the Malavani cuisine. The stable diet of this region is mainly fish; fish curry and rice. It is also known for its variety of mangoes (Malvani Hapus - Alphonso) and for its sweets such as Malvani Khaja (Made from Gram - besan flour and coated jaggery) and Malvani Ladoos.
Vade prepared with rice flour is the number one staple food in most parts of the world. It supplies about 20% of people’s energy needs worldwide. Rice is easy to cook and is used to prepare various dishes and has many health benefits. It is a starchy food that provides vegetable proteins and contains complex carbohydrates. These carbohydrates are gradually released into the body and supply energy as and when needed. Rice helps combat bowel dysfunctions and is the best food of choice for gluten-intolerance people.
Malvani cuisine is the customary cooking of the Konkan region of Maharashtra, Goa and some northern parts of West Karnataka. Although Malvani cuisine is predominantly non-vegetarian, there are many vegetarian delicacies also. Coconut in various forms such as grated, dry grated, fried, coconut paste and coconut milk is liberally and extensively used in most dishes. Malvani masala also plays an important role in imparting its explicit flavours and aroma to various delicacies.
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). Other popular delicacies from this region are Malvani Bomblachi Kalvan; Bombil Fry or Bombay Duck Fry is an immensely popular dish, especially prepared in the north Konkan regions such as Mumbai and Raigad; Malvani fish curry; Phanasachi Bhaji is an exotic vegetarian dish, made from jackfruit, chillies and spices.
To prepare this delicious Vade, firstly take a cup of rice flour and little salt and turmeric powder. Add little oil and mix the ingredients well.
Add enough warm water and knead into firm dough. Make marble sized balls and keep aside.
Take a polythene sheet and lightly grease it. Place the ball of dough over it and lightly press with a flat surface plate or spread with the fingertips to a puri.
Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep-fry the vade on medium heat till golden. Drain the pooris and serve hot with chicken curry.
After all said, even after fish being the dominating food in the Malvani cuisine, Kumbdi vade or Kombdi vade has traditionally and culturally too become a popular dish of this region.
To try this recipe, do click on the link below and watch the making of this excellent and yummy recipe:
https://www.vahrehvah.com/kumbdi-vade
Enjoy Cooking!
