When a strict vegetarian goes out for dinner with her hardcore meat eater husband, she is served disappointment. So, every time Rashmi Patkar went out on dates with her better half, Yaduraj, she would ensure she had a full homecooked meal before hitting the town. The reason being she was sure that no restaurant in the city would be able to offer her anything apart from a dry sabzi and runny dal.

"On the contrary, my husband, who loves eating Malwani food, would get a gorgeous looking prawn and crab curry on the table," Patkar laments. But last year, she decided she had had enough. "For someone like me who has her roots from the coastal town of Vengurla in Maharashtra, my love for Malwani cuisine goes way back. But there are not enough options available for a vegetarian. So, I started cooking kala vatana (black peas), bharli vaangi (stuffed brinjals) and other vegetarian dishes at home."