Kombdi Vadeकोंबडी वडे

Name: Kombdi Vade
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Malvani / Konkani
Ingredients: 750 g chicken, curry cut bone-in; 3 tbsp Malvani masala powder (store-bought or homemade); 2 medium onion, finely chopped; 1 medium tomato, chopped; ½ cup fresh grated coconut; 1½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 3 dried Kashmiri red chilies; 3 tbsp coconut oil; ½ tsp turmeric powder; to taste salt; 2 cups rice flour, fine-milled; 1¼ cups (approx.) boiling water; as needed oil for deep-frying

⏱ Prep 30m🍳 Cook 45m🍽 Serves 4🌿 Non-veg

Video: Madhuraas Recipe Food (YouTube)

Kombdi Vade is the crown jewel of Malvani cooking — a fiery, coconut-rich chicken curry (kombdi rassa) served alongside crisp, disc-shaped rice breads (vade) that soak up every drop of that burnished gravy. From the Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri coastline of Maharashtra, this dish is what every Malvani family brings out for celebrations. The unmistakable depth comes from Malvani masala: sun-dried red chilies, roasted coconut, and whole spices toasted low and slow before grinding.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

Finding Desi spots near Plano…

Ingredients

For the chicken rassa
▪chicken, curry cut bone-in750 g
▪Malvani masala powder (store-bought or homemade)3 tbsp
▪onion, finely chopped2 medium
▪tomato, chopped1 medium
▪fresh grated coconut½ cup
▪ginger-garlic paste1½ tbsp
▪dried Kashmiri red chilies3
▪coconut oil3 tbsp
▪turmeric powder½ tsp
▪saltto taste
For the vade
▪rice flour, fine-milled2 cups
▪boiling water1¼ cups (approx.)
▪oil for deep-fryingas needed

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Malvani masala is increasingly available in Indian grocery stores abroad under brands like Kolhapuri Masala or Konkani Masala — check the Maharashtra section. Alternatively, blend 2 tsp each of coriander powder and Kashmiri red chili powder with 1 tsp garam masala and a pinch of black pepper as a rough stand-in.
Fresh grated coconut can be replaced with desiccated coconut soaked in warm water for 20 minutes, then ground — it lacks some freshness but works well in the rassa.
Coconut oil is traditional and adds authentic Konkan flavour; if unavailable, neutral vegetable oil works fine, though the aroma will differ slightly.

Method

1Dry-roast the Kashmiri chilies briefly in a pan, then soak in warm water for 15 minutes. Grind with the grated coconut and a splash of soaking water to a smooth paste.
2Heat coconut oil in a heavy pot. Add the onions and fry until deep golden, about 12 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté until raw smell leaves, 3 minutes.
3Add the tomato and cook until mushy. Stir in the Malvani masala powder, turmeric, and the ground coconut-chili paste. Cook on medium heat, stirring, for 5 minutes until the oil surfaces.
4Add the chicken pieces and coat well in the masala. Pour in 1½ cups of water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 25–30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the gravy thickens. Adjust salt and consistency.
5For the vade: bring salted water to a rolling boil and pour over the rice flour in a bowl, mixing quickly with a spoon. Once cool enough to handle, knead into a smooth, pliable dough.
6Divide into lemon-sized balls. Flatten each between two sheets of plastic or banana leaf into a thin disc (about 3 mm). Prick all over with a fork so they puff evenly.
7Heat oil for deep frying to 170 °C. Slide in the vade and fry until light golden and crisp, flipping once, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Drain and serve immediately with the hot chicken rassa.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.