Sea Food in the Konkan

The fishermen we have read about in our childhood must have been objects of your awe. Oblivious to daily chores, they would sit aside a waterbody and fish. Whatever be their catch, they would be happy. And their meals would consist of the day’s catch.

If a trip is on your mind, and you had been wondering where to go, here is the perfect option for you.Contact us and allow us to create the most suitable holiday package for you. We shall plan your trip carefully so that you discover the secrets of Konkani food as well as familiarize yourself with the history of the region.

Fructify your childhood dream in Konkan. Wrench out about a couple of weeks from your busy schedule and embark on the journey from Mumbai to Goa by road along the Konkan coast, which consists of more than 25 beautiful beaches. Needless to say, the best time for a great fishing experience is during the monsoons.

The journey itself is amazing as you drive out of the concrete jungle of the city into narrow roads lined with palm, coconut and date trees.Alibaug is the first well known destination, and all the villages along the route are cute clusters of human settlements whose economy revolves mainly around fishing and allied activities. The villages may appear sleepy and quaint, but the aroma of the food being cooked would sweep you off your feet.

There are lots of options to choose a place to eat from. Most of the joints along this coast are extensions of the homes of local people and the menu would consist of fresh catches on that day. These are called ‘Khanvals’. While the patriarch of the house would guide you to select your food, the women of the house conjure excellent tasty food prepared in the traditional styles. The hospitality would make you feel like one of their own, as you stuff yourself with sumptuous and spicy food.

The Konkani cuisine has a distinct characteristic of its own: fiery preparations. Malvani fish curry, a scarlet preparation of pomphret is a very traditional and popular preparation. Fish is by far the most preferred item but concoctions of mutton, chicken and vegetables are also available. Preparations of prawns, shrimps, lobsters and crabs are major attractions of this cuisine.

You should couple your meal with Sol Kadhi, a pink coloured appetizing drink made out of coconut milk, which is also good for your stomach.

Coconut is used liberally in various forms, dried, grated, as pastes… in all possible forms. Spices such as red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin, cardamom, ginger, garlic, kokum, tamarind, and raw Mango are popular ingredients.

However not all of the cuisine is hot and spicy. The ‘Konkanastha Brahmin’ style of food is quiet bland and vegetarian, but very tasty.

As you go down the road, you would discover beaches that don’t feature on the map. Get talking with the locals, who would show you the narrow lanes that lead to undiscovered heaven on the earth, so beautiful are the beaches. Before you would unfold several unknown destinations: Alibaug, Korlai and Nagaon. Relics from the past stand in quiet testimony of the past in the Jesuit monastery and Revdanda Fort in Korlai, where you would find some inscription plates and cannon balls still intact which dates back to 1521 AD when the Portugese had built it. Alibaug, being the closest to Mumbai, houses some beautiful private farmhouses, serving as getaways for their owners.

You must explore the lighthouse in Korlai. Its beam spreads up to 40 metres in the night sky. The view from the top is amazing as the vast expanse of the ocean spreads out before you. The neatly arranged hamlets of the village on the seaside as well as the sight of fish being dried is a sight you would never forget!!!

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