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Malvani kombdi vade
Kombdi vade (कोंबडी वडे) — coconut chicken curry with puffed spiced flatbreads from the Konkan coast
Along the Malvan coast of Sindhudurg, kombdi vade is what families cook for a festive Sunday or for guests arriving by the morning bus from Mumbai. Kombdi is chicken, simmered in a gravy of roasted coconut and Malvani masala; vade are rice-flour breads fragrant with fennel that puff like balloons in hot oil. You tear the vade, dunk them in the curry and finish with a squeeze of lime and raw onion. Chef's tip: pat the vade on an oiled sheet of plastic or banana leaf rather than rolling them, and slide them into the oil straight away; thin, even discs puff best.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the chicken
For the Malvani gravy
For the vade
To serve
Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Rub 2 ¼ lb bone-in chicken pieces, skinless with ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 ½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste. Cover and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 2: Heat 1 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add 2 onions and fry for 8 minutes until golden, then add 3 ½ oz fresh or frozen grated coconut and keep stirring for 5–6 minutes until the coconut is reddish-brown and smells toasty.
14 minStep 3: Cool slightly, then blend with 150 ml of the ¾ cup water to a smooth paste.
Step 4: For the vade, mix 7 oz rice flour, 1 ¾ oz wholewheat flour (atta), 1 tsp fennel seeds, ¼ tsp ground turmeric and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Pour in 1 cup just-boiled water, stir with a spoon, then knead for 2–3 minutes once cool enough to handle, to a soft dough that doesn't crack. Cover and rest for 15 minutes. Common mistake: a dry dough; the vade split instead of puffing, so add a spoonful more hot water if the edges crack when pressed.
18 minStep 5: Heat the remaining 4 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat. Add 2 ½ tbsp Malvani masala and stir for 30 seconds, then add 1 tomato and cook for 4 minutes until soft.
5 minStep 6: Add the chicken and fry for 5 minutes, turning, until it loses its raw look.
5 minStep 7: Stir in the coconut paste and the rest of the 2 cups water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer over a low heat for 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through: the juices run clear and the thickest piece reads 165°F/165 °F. The gravy should be pourable, not thick.
25 minStep 8: Heat 2 cups oil for deep-frying in a deep pan to 350°F (a pinch of dough rises at once). Divide the dough into 12 balls. Flatten each on an oiled sheet of plastic into a 10 cm disc about 4 mm thick.
Step 9: Peel each disc off and slide it into the oil. Press gently with a slotted spoon until it puffs, then fry for 1–2 minutes per side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
12 minStep 10: Scatter 3 tbsp coriander leaves over the curry and serve hot with the vade, 1 lime and 1 red onion.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does malvani kombdi vade take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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