Malvan is a coastal town in Maharashtra, India. Our recent trip there was one of the most memorable trips I have ever had! I had long wanted to see Malvan’s breathtaking beaches, the historic Sindhudurga fort and experience the local flavors of its patented Malvani cuisine.





The seafood is as fresh as it gets and we ate at many fish thali restaurants. I am happy to say that none of them disappointed us.

My take on the fish curry is a baked version that turned out to be finger licking good! I used my Aai’s (mother’s) authentic Malvani recipe from her book Zanzaneet Non- Veg. My Aai’s memories of Malvan is what really drew me to the town. My mother’s family comes from Malvan. I was on a quest to locate the ancestral home, which the family had left 85 years ago when they moved to Mumbai! What an immensely moving experience it was to find our ancestral home, all thanks to Malvan’s amazingly gracious people. Their generosity of spirit was outstanding, making us feel like family. I am forever indebted to them.


For the Baked Fish- Malvan Style, I used fresh whiting but mackerel or salmon would be perfect for this recipe as well. I used Bedgi chili peppers which lend its vibrant color but are not as hot.
Baked Fish- Malvan Style
Ingredients-
To marinate the fish-
- 1 medium sized whiting cleaned, gutted, head removed and cut into 4 ( 2″ ) pieces
- 3/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Bedgi red chili powder, or Kashmiri chili powder or paprika
- sea salt to taste
For the curry-
- 2 red kokum ( sun dried peels of mangosteen used for their tartness)
- 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut . I use the frozen grated coconut, defrosted
- 1 teaspoon Bedgi chili powder or Kashmiri chili powder or paprika
- 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled
- sea salt to taste
- 8 tirfal shells, bruised with a pestle, seeds discarded
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil for drizzling
To make the Baked Fish- Malvan Style
- Marinate the fish and set it aside.
- Rinse and soak the kokum in 1/2 cup of warm water for a few minutes.
- For the curry, grind together the coconut, chili powder, ginger and sea salt with 1/2 cup of water. This mixture is ground very fine. Add the kokum with the soaking water to this mixture and stir well together. Add the tirfal shells.
- In a baking dish, arrange the marinated fish. Pour the curry mixture all over it.
- Bake in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.
- Remove from the oven, drizzle with coconut oil and serve.
Enjoy!
Love,
<3
Sandhya
Love the pictures. The water is such a beautiful deep blue! The fish looks lovely. 🍽
Thanks so much Bernice. I absolutely fell in love with this small coastal town with its warm hearted people and amazingly fresh seafood.
I can imagine. đź’•
Curry looks delicious! All the pictures are lovely!
Thanks so much Pooja!
I have heard good things from people in my family who have been to Malvan. It is a good place for those who enjoy solitude.
True and the people are so warm! Did you get a chance to see some of the pics I posted here? I love little coastal towns like these.
I did. My favorite one if of sunset! It is beautiful. There are plenty of others in Maharastra and a few in Goa too!
Yes that is true.
🙂
It looks so inviting there. You’re definitelty not in Massachusetts!
Just got back a week ago. It was in the 70s and 80s there. I love small coastal towns and cannot wait for summer to visit some of ours here 🙂
How gorgeous ….the town, the pictures, the fish and the experience ❤️
Thanks so much Zeba! How are you dear? Happy New Year to you!
Happy New year to you and your family!
I love this costal region, been not exactly to this town but to nearly places ,beaches are astonishingly beautiful and serene.. the seafood platter especially the baked fish looks absolutely delectable!! and you are surely carrying forward your mom’s legacy!!
wonderful place loved it . The fish looks so tempting!
Thanks so much Nisha!
What a beautiful coastal town! I would love to visit this place and I hope I could try their vegetarian spread there.
Wishing you & your family a very happy New Year!
Thanks so much Megala. I hope you get a chance to visit this beautiful coastal town. My husband enjoyed the vegetarian thalis there too.
Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year too <3
Thank you. 🙂
Such a lovely place, with great food. Glad to know that you succeeded in locating the ancestral home.
Thanks so much Sharifah!
I really like your blog. A pleasure to come stroll on your pages. A great discovery and a very interesting blog. Fascinating and beautiful. I come back to visit you. Do not hesitate to visit my universe. See you soon 🙂
beautiful pictures!!
Thanks Shailini!