Kombdi Vade

Name: Kombdi Vade
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 56 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Maharashtra)
Ingredients: 700 g chicken (bone-in curry cut); 3 tbsp coconut oil; 2 medium onions (200 g), finely chopped; 1 medium tomato (100 g), chopped; 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; ½ tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp red chilli powder; 1 tsp salt; 200 ml water; 1 cup (90 g) fresh grated coconut; 5 dry Kashmiri red chillies, soaked 15 min; 1 tsp coriander seeds, dry-roasted; ½ tsp cumin seeds; 4 black peppercorns; 2 cloves; 1 × 1 cm cinnamon; ½ tsp fennel seeds; 1 tbsp tamarind pulp (or 3 kokum petals); 2 cups (300 g) rice flour; ½ cup (75 g) fine semolina (rava); 1 tsp cumin seeds; ½ tsp salt; ½ tsp red chilli powder; ¾ cup (180 ml) hot water (approx.) — dough should be stiff; Oil for deep frying; The vade dough must be stiffer than roti dough — a soft dough produces flat, greasy vade; Fry vade in batches at consistent temperature; crowding drops oil temperature and makes them oily; The combination of tamarind and coconut gives the curry its distinctive mildly sour, rich flavour

🍗 Non-veg📊 Hard

A Konkan wedding and festival classic — spiced chicken curry cooked with whole spices and fresh coconut, served alongside thick, spongy, deep-fried vade (puffed rice flour bread). The combination is inseparable; one without the other is considered incomplete.

⏱️40 minPrep

🔥16 minCook

🕒56 minTotal

🍽️4Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Kombdi Vade

Make vade dough (No heat): Combine rice flour, semolina, cumin, salt and chilli powder. Gradually add hot water, mixing with a spoon first then kneading by hand once cool enough. Knead into a very stiff, smooth dough (stiffer than roti dough). Rest 10 minutes covered.
Shape and fry vade (Heat: medium-high oil at 175°C): Divide dough into 12 portions. On a lightly oiled surface, flatten each portion into a round disc about 6 cm diameter and 6–7 mm thick — use fingers, not a rolling pin (the uneven surface helps them puff). Heat oil in a kadai to 175°C. Gently slide 2–3 vade at a time into the oil. They will sink then rise and puff. Fry for 3–4 minutes per side, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper. Vade should be crisp outside and slightly soft inside.
Grind masala (No heat): Blend soaked chillies with coconut, dry-roasted coriander, and all remaining masala spices with tamarind or kokum. Grind into a smooth, thick paste using minimum water.
Add masala and chicken (Heat: medium): Add ground coconut masala paste. Fry on medium heat for 5–6 minutes stirring until oil separates. Add chicken pieces — coat well with masala. Fry on medium-high heat for 5 minutes turning pieces until chicken is sealed.
Simmer to finish (Heat: medium-low): Add 200 ml water and salt. Cover and cook on medium-low for 25–30 minutes until chicken is completely tender and gravy is thick and coating the pieces. Stir every 5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 620 kcal | 38 g | 48 g | 28 g | 4 g | Kombdi vade is the quintessential Konkan wedding dinner — no Konkanastha or Malvani wedding is complete without it. The vade are typically made in large batches in the courtyard by women in the family; the smell of frying vade signals a feast is underway. It is also served at Ganesh Chaturthi family dinners. ---

Track the macros of Kombdi Vade and 100s of Indian dishes with Nutri Macro India.