Many Konkanis who live in the coastal areas are seafood lovers. This goes to such an extent that, some people call all seafood as “vegetarian” 
). I have seen some people who eat fish 6 days a week. One day -usually Saturday or Monday, are purely vegetarian. Some have started eating chicken from the last one generation, but still seafood wins hands down. I think it is mainly because we get very fresh river as well as sea fish as we live on the coast. Not that all the Konkanis are non-vegetarians, many are purely vegetarian, but today’s post is all about seafood lovers.
My Aayi was a vegetarian before her marriage. But after she got married, she started cooking as well as eating fish. Her fish dishes are just out-of-the-world. Usually all Konkani seafood dishes are served quite hot. At my home, we all love seafood. But SIL and I, not so much. Pappa and Aayi like it, but they won’t miss it if they don’t eat it for a while. My bro and husband are huge fans, so whenever they are at home, fish is cooked.
Everything changed for me after we moved to US. I have tried lot of different seafood here. But it is never the same. Our local Chinese grocery store has some “known” fishes but most of the time they are spoiled by the time I bring them home. Since they are frozen, the taste is never the same even if I buy the freshest looking fish. I thought it was because the way I cook them, but when Aayi visited us last year, she tried and the result was same. They just don’t taste good.
So when we visited India in March, we were all set to eat some of our favorite fish dishes. The day we reached Bangalore, my bro took us to “Fish Land” – An old style restaurant near Majestic, which serves Konkani style sea food. For the first time, I finished everything in my thali (that’s an achievement, if you know me). Then we went to seafood heaven. Our native. Aayi prepared us everything that we loved. So I decided to write this post and clicked few pictures.
This is one of the favorite Konkani seafood thalis which everyone loves. Writing about this is like a torture for me as I know I won’t be able to eat it until I visit India again 
. But anyway, I want it on this blog, so here it goes.
- Plain rice (some people like to serve boiled rice/matta rice but at my home, we always eat white rice)
- Alle kande ambat
- Kokum kadi
- Bangde dhoddak
- Bangde fry
- Mango pickle
- Onion rings and lemon
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37 Responses to A nonvegetarian Konkani thali
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Shilpa, this post is truly a torture for me too. Firstly, the color color of the Alle kaandya ambat, dhoddak and that fish fry, and upon tht the mention of Fishland in B’lore
…Am really homesick now …
This is one of the prettiest thalis i’ve seen! The color just rocks, Shilpa! Btw, the lil’ sketches for you and Aayi on the sidebar are so cute
The thali is truely delicious.This is lunch time for me and it is difficult to resist.
I am a vegeterian but slowly through your posts I am getting tempted to try fish.
You and Aayi are really gifted.
Hi Shilpa..
My first post on your blog…All your recipes are superb…Its been long since you posted a chicken recipe…Do we smell something of chicken in the next week?????????
Shilpa….I am a seafood lover & your pic is making my mouth water!! ;p
Pass me the thali to me. I willbe really hapy with it.
Even Bengali and Kashmiri brahmins eat fish and some meat in Kashmir too, still are vegetarians!! It comes from some history I think!
Thali looks wonderful.I still got to get used to cooking Sea food and certain kind of meat though, I call it Lingayat mentality!:D
Fish dishes in this thali are my favourite. I am really longing to go back and eat all this now
oooh! wow!! what a spread Shilpa! Yum Yumm!!
This is an absolutely fantastic website. Your recipes are such a joy to read, and I am certainly set to try some.
It is rare to come across someone so genuine in food writing, nowadays.
Keep up the good work.
—A Britain-based admirer of yours (and your mother’s) recipes.
Shilpa, the thali looks gorgeous. And what a great idea to have your mom blog with you. I am so looking forward to this
Shipa,
I am a vegetarian, Can’t say much about fish, but the thali surely looks colorful and delicious!
Hey Shilpa – you inspired me to make this meal for lunch today. I couldnt make the dhodak but I made shrimp pickle instead and instead of bangde fry I made mhori fry. Delicious. Thanks for the awesome idea! It took a lot of time but well worth it. Hubby was very happy
Shilpa: Wow…Fish thali here in US. Thats great Sudeepta. Looks like I too have to try something soon.
Shilpa
Good to hear you are a konkani vegetarian!
)
Delicious meal! and that bangda fry looks so good.
And do you realize bangda is very high in Omega 3s. Just what the doctor ordered!
Sorry to hear that you will not be going home soon. Not to worry, i will be going to Kumta next month and will try these ‘fresh’ and report back! :-E
O, I’ll remember to bring pics too :-E
Kudos on a excellent post! and hats off to your mom!
O, I love those little cartoons of you and your mom you have on the side. Cute!
).I wish I could find bangda here. Have to find out which other fish has high Omega 3. 
( You are bad ..I know you will have good fish in Kumta 
( I feel so jealous.
Shilpa: If you call chicken also vegetarian, I am a pure vegetarian
Hey Shilpa,
wow…. super thali… color is so spectacular. And photo of mom and daughter is very cute.
This post is making ME crave fish now too! Wow…the colours are fantastic and everything is making my mouth water terribly!
This is sumptuous spread Shilpa !!!
Shilpa, I love your recipes and had the honour of posting one inspired by your blog today. Thank you!
delicious and mouthwatering thali….i luved it
Wow Shilpa. The non-vegetarian thali looks wonderful. I am a konkani too, living in US & so I miss all this fresh mom cooked seafood.Looking for some more konkani delicacies ahead.
Nice pics…..
Solkadhi is missing!
Shilpa: I have kokum kadi in above which is the version more popular at our place.
Ok…Ok..
I guess kokum kadi doesn’t contain coconut milk. right?
I belong to the clan of konkani brahmins that has remained vegetarian
my uncles eat… a couple of my aunts have started eating after marriage… but as a family, we’re predominantly vegetarian. I always get asked, ‘Oh you’re from Mangalore… then you must be eating fish!”
I have eaten this fish fry … my cousin is married to a GSB from Karwar and she made this for me once. It is the only way I can eat fish
on the rarest of rare occasions that I do 
The thali looks so inviting. I just got back from home… had ambya sasam, chowchow, dali saar etc. Bliss!
Shilpa, I believe u live in Kansas, u might find Bangda in Surya grocery store in Olathe. The fresh ones are available in chinese stores, they are called Jack mackeral or Indian mackeral. By the way the thali looks awesome.
Vow Shilpa….very presentable..Ths thali is a feast for d eyes of all Seafood lovers like me..it luks so mouthwatering..!!..With ur wonderful recipies..U make me feel hungry every time i visit ur blog
Btwn,il b tryng ur Chicken tikka masala recipie soon..its v.appealing..thnks for sharing
Meenal
HI SHILPA,
BUT I THINK A NON VEG KONKANI THALI IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT A SUNGTA/BANGDYA KISMOOR.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I AM ORIGINALLY A KOKNASTHA MARRIED TO A GOAN GSB,BUT IM SO USED TO THE GOAN FOOD,THAT MY OWN PEOPLE ARE AMAZED AT THE WAY I HV BEGUN TO EAT SEAFOOD,AND NOT JUST EAT ALSO PREPARE.:)THNAKS TO U AND UR WEBSITE.
Wow… looks great
Wow,My mouth is watering!!!
Super nonveg thali,& i like nonveg.
Shilpa….I am from Mumbai, but we are goan GSbs, so naturally I am sea food lover, Now I am in canada n missing fish badly. I do get fish here but as u have said the taste is never same.
Thanks a ton for sharing this recepies…i refer to ur site whenver cooking typical amchi food..
I am a konkani guy and i used to eat lot of fish, but finally i thought we should leave eating non veg as we are brahmins.
hi shilpa..
i recently logged into this sie..im so happy to c that someone is promoting konkani food..im a student now but will be getting married in 3 months time…my fiance is very fond of chicken dry items…so i want to learn them before 3 months…some easy ones…could u suggest me some good dry items for its my first ime in cooking chicken
its a great reciepe….alle kande ambat and bangde fry …
im also a konkani and living abroad…so miss eating the typical sea food here…anyways thanks for these great recipes..i always check aayis reciepes for tryin konkani food..at home
Hi Shilpa
I agree with you. Most konkanis used to eat fish not so much meat.
Even in my village we both hindus and catholics ate fish not meat so much. I remember bhangda yummy…..yummy.
also clams. as far i my grandma remembers she says every caste ate fish. it seems Saraswati gave that advice- now thats a good healthy advice. OK. that aside let me get to the point. you must try great wall of china stores in US if they exist near ur place in US. My husband uses cocunut and we use a mixie to get course masala – its never the same but a lot of variety of fish u can find in these store. I go to the wall of china store in somerset NJ.
Hi,
Thanks, Where is this wall of china store in somerset, nj ?. I live in Somerset. I am missing Goan food as well. Wish there was a konkani restaurant here. The closest is the Udipi cuisine.
Thanks,
-Buchun
Hi I love your website. The fish thali was sooo tempting!! wanted to bite my computer I have always loved goan biryani.. chicken, mutton, prawns. Could you please post those receipes.
Thank you!!
hi Shilpatayi,
m also from kumta.
kumta and ayee rocks.
keep up the good work.