मालवणी Chicken Curry (a bowl of coastal magic.🌴)

Tucked away in a sleepy lane of Pune, there stood a tiny, bustling restaurant that didn’t need a name to be known. A faded yellow board hung loosely over the entrance, and swung gently in the evening breeze, creaking like a familiar tune. Inside, it was always packed- plastic chairs scraped floors, steel tumblers clinked, and the air was thick with the divine aroma of roasting spices, coconut, and fresh coriander. The kitchen was a symphony of sizzling pans and shouted orders, and the star of it all-the मालवणी Chicken Curry.. was a bowl of coastal magic.🌴

Every Friday night show at City Pride, was followed by a late dinner here. We’d walk in, still talking about the movie, our stomachs rumbling in sync. The curry was fire and comfort in equal measure- spicy, smoky, with that perfect hit of kokum tang and tender chicken that fell apart with a sigh. It tasted like someone’s grandmother had poured her entire heart into it. We’d wipe our plates clean, scooping it up with hot bhakris, licking our fingers, sweating, laughing, eyes watering from the spice, yet completely full and utterly happy. 😋

Years passed. Life moved cities.✈️

But the memory of that dish lingered like a sweet ache. 💭

One rainy evening, gripped by nostalgia and a stubborn craving, I decided to try making it at home. I pored over recipes, called an aunt, my mom’s childhood friend, in Ratnagiri, hunted down the spices required for Malvani masala she had recommended, and spent hours toasting, grinding, simmering, you know the works!

The kitchen smelled just like that tiny restaurant- curry leaves crackling, coconut browning, onions caramelizing into gold. When I served it to my husband, he paused after the first bite, looked at me with that familiar twinkle, and simply said, “You’ve brought Pune home.”🏡

Food can be a time machine- it brings back not just flavors, but the memories, the laughter, the comfort, and everything in between that made it all special. 💝