Aazol's Malvani Chicken Masala is your entry into the foods of palm fringed, fertile Konkan. Sourced directly from Malvani women, it is equal parts spicy and peppery. Use it to nail coastal favourites like Kombdi Vade (Konkani chicken curry) or innovate with a modern dish.

Provenance

Among the several theories surrounding its name, Malvan is said to have originated from the words maha lavan or the great region of salt. Malvani cuisine is a flavour proof of the natural bounty of the Konkan coast where coconut, salt water fish, jackfruit and cashew, plantains and native rice, banana and mango are staples. Wedged between the Arabian Sea and the Sahyadris, this strip of fertile earth supports a tradition of meat fare and Chitpavan Brahmin vegetarian delicacies that traverse the spicy to sweet-sour taste profile with ease.

About The Seller

A collective of ten entrepreneurial female farmers, Kranti churns out handmade flour and spices and other seasonal delights native to Sindhudurg. Led by Sakshi Satyavan Soye, who acts as a link between the collective and government representatives who help them with micro-financing, they source all ingredients locally whilst paying special attention to hygiene and quality. Most of the women are only seasonal rice and turmeric farmers and thus depend on the self-help group’s earnings for sustenance through the rest of the year. Kranti’s Malvani Masala, patiently slow-roasted and ground, is a balanced mix of over 20 ingredients offering unparalleled authentic taste, their Kuleeth Peeth retains all its natural nutrients because it is hand pound and their Aam Ras, made using locally-grown GI-tagged Devgad Alphonso mangoes, is the picture of taste and quality. The hard work, patience and perseverance shown by the women of Kranti adds its own flavour to the food they produce and is a salutary lesson to all of us of the resolve it takes to be an agriculturist.