Mumbai: Beautician who makes a mean Surmai fry at Revdanda

Finding good seafood that smells of the coast and tastes like home needs a stroke of serendipity We feel this now more than ever after having returned from a short weekend stay at Alibaugmdasha trip we took with trepidation in the pandemic We had arrived there not knowing that our search for the most scrumptious fish thali would finally endThe menu includes specialities of the Agri community While the vegetarian thali is priced at Rs 200the fish thali costs R350 and the chicken thali Rs 250We came across the rather unimaginatively named Gharguti Khaanalaymdashsimply meaning homefood eaterymdashby accident After a bumpy drive from Alibaug to Revdanda Fort we were famished secretly hoping that our last meal on the trip would also be the best one The erratic network near Revdanda meant that wed have to wait till we reached the highway to Google the best places to eat fish Just as we were heading for the car a local Sujata Patil sensing our predicament reached out I make homefood she said in Marathi pointing to her shack If there was some hesitation it was because we couldnt be hundred per cent sure about the hygiene standards But this eatery which had four tables spread out in an openair seating area looked spotless It was a risk worth takingSujata and her autorickshaw driver husband Rohit Patil started the eatery in February after the family fell on hard times Until five years ago Sujata lived in Chembur with her mother I worked at beauty parlours but cooking was my first love I began helping aai in the kitchen when I was just 12 after my elder sister got married I often shared my experiments with friends at the parlour and theyd eat it with great relish recalls the former beautician When the couple moved to Alibaug five years ago launching a cooking business was on her mind But it was when her husbands earnings took a hit she decided to take refuge in her kitchen She pooled in her jewellery to start the shack fronted by two rooms to rent But right after the lockdown was announced leaving the family of four living handtomouth When we finally got the green signal to open again we didnt even have money to buy fish or vegetables from the market Somehow we managed she saysGharguti Khaanalay simply meaning homefood eatery opened in February right before the lockdown The Patils resumed operations in OctoberThe thali menu is a basic one and includes specialities of the Agri community The vegetarian thali priced at Rs 200 comprises varan bhaat two vegetables of your choice papad roti and sheera The nonvegetarian menu includes a fish thali Rs 350 and chickenmutton thali Rs 250 Since a fresh catch of Bombay Duck wasnt available that day our group of four went for the surmai king mackerel and paplet pomfret thalis A day before we tried this we had enjoyed a hearty fish thali at Kasturi Mahila Udyog Restaurant see box a popular local eatery in Alibaug Compared to that this one had a simpler offering of rice coastal prawn curry tandlachi bhakri rice roti ravafried surmaipaplet and solkadhi We also ordered a prawn masala fry to go with this The crispy surmai fry and prawn masala were favourites The fresh catch was marinaded with the masalas so perfectly that the flavours burst in the mouth Both the curry and the masala fry had a generous amount of amboshi dry mango balancing the pungent flavours and adding a kick of tang This is how most of the Agri dishes are cooked says Sujata who prepared our order from scratch in 30 minutes with the help of her 12yearold son and husband We only use coconut oil also made at home We dry the coconut and grind it to extract the oil The masalas made using coriander jeera red chilli and other hot spices are also ground by handSince they opened Sujata says she has been getting at least five guests at the restaurant daily And for that I should thank Madhuri Dixit she says Nobody knew much about Revdanda Fort a trading point of the Portuguese until her Marathi film The Bucket List 2018 was shot here After the movie released many have started visiting the fort they then make a stop at the restaurant Uske pair hamare liye acchhe the she says Now only if people like our food maybe our fortune will turnThe next time you are in Alibaug call Sujata on 9272666706The womens cooperative restaurant thaliAnother eatery in the Raigad district where we enjoyed a delectable fish thali was Kasturi Mahila Udyog Restaurant Situated in the market area it was established in January 2006 to help provide employment opportunities to underprivileged women The restaurant is entirely run and managed by women The menu has vegetarian and nonveg dishes as well as biryani Fish thalis are however their speciality We ordered bangda surmai and paplet thalis and they all came with a fish fry a curry with the same fish rice tandlachi bhakri a tangy saar chopped white onions kachumber and solkadhi We also ordered a plate full of bombil frymdashthe reason we were here in the first placemdashand prawn fry Considering how generous the helpings were we think we may have overordered But we were there to eat and thats what we did The curry was on the spicier side but for those who enjoy tikhat Maharashtrian food its perfect We ended the meal with hot modaks The entire meal cost us R1800Call 02141227840Keep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news