Gone Fishin'

I’ve always made my intentions 100% clear when it comes to matters of gastronomical kind. If you know me, you know that I’d pursue good food to the ends of the earth. Which is why, I found myself uncharacteristically abandoning a Sunday dinner at home and heading down to Versova last weekend for the annual Seafood Festival.

I’d heard mixed reviews about the festival from various sources, but the universal consensus was that for any seafood lovers, this was a must visit. Making our way through the crowded little bylanes of Versova gaon, walking past tiny, colourful bungalows, absorbing the strong smell of the coast and the lively chatter from the tightly knit community which was out in full force…we barely felt like we were in Bombay any more! Very evocative of the road trips I’d been on with my family down the Malvan coast, where we had passed though innumerable tiny little fishing villages and coastal towns before finally choosing one to camp out in for the night.

We arrived at the venue and were instantly stunned by the hordes of people who’d apparently had the same idea as us! Foreigners and locals mingled in what seemed to be a large open air carnival, food stalls scattered at the edges and tables and chairs neatly organized into little clusters. Music blared from a large stage at one end of the venue, with a troupe of Koli dancers putting on a lively show for the large crowd that had assembled. The air was rank with the aroma (yes, it’s an aroma for the lovers of seafood) of frying fish, and happy faces milled all around us.

The Versova Seafood Festival 2013

We didn’t know where to start. Making our way past a counter that was selling fresh sol kadi, we decided to find ourselves a table and waste no further time in getting started. Rather intelligently, it was a service system rather than self service at the counter, so a lot of chaos and shoving was avoided, though it slightly increased the waiting time. We didn’t mind though. Our server, a pretty, young Koli woman, dressed in her traditional garb, recommended that we start with a tandoori pomfret and some masala tiger prawns. We added a plate of batter fried bombil to our order and waited, in eager anticipation.

Tandoori Pomfret

The tandoori pomfret was served first, slathered in fiery tandoori masala and garnished with a handful of chopped onions. A few drops of lemon juice added a delicious tang to the spicy, fresh meat. Crunchy, fried bombil followed, which were so fresh you’d think they were just pulled out of the ocean and cooked for us. We must have burnt our tongues raw in our eagerness to get at the hot fillets.

Batter fried bombil

The masala prawns were for the more stalwart, as they had not been de-shelled. The faint, sweet flavor of imli complemented the masala and onion stuffing that the prawns had been cooked with. Deciding to give my belly a break, I started to walk around to explore this place a little more.

The Seafood Festival, I heard was organized by the Koli community to not only promote authentic Koli cuisine at reasonable prices, but also to bring the community together. In this atmosphere of camaraderie and celebration, I’d say their objectives seemed to have been achieved. The young men jostled their way through the crowds, serving up plates of hot fresh fish to every table. The chefs behind the counters, the elder members of the community shared jokes between frying up pans full of fish, or stoking flaming hot tandoors on which plump red lobsters lay. The women had clearly decked up for the occasion, more than a touch of makeup in evidence, well accessorized, and dressed in vibrant hues.

Getting back to the table, we decided to go for round two. We ordered tisriya (clams) and a huge fillet of fried surmai. The spices that had been rubbed into the surmai added a nice crunch to the skin of the fish. The bite sized tisriya were so good that we ordered another two helpings before we were done. One prawn Frankie later, we were stuffed to the gills (if you’ll pardon the pun!).

Considering what we could have paid in a hotel for the amount we ate, the total bill of around 1000 per head turned out to be pretty satisfying. It was actually the pomfret that had upped the bill amount, but at this point, no one was complaining. One cold sweet paan later, and everyone was ready to hit the sack.

The Versova Seafood Festival ultimately exceeded my expectations. The freshness of the fish, fine quality of preparations and general bonhomie did it for me. For the sticklers – the entire setup seemed pretty hygienic, and there were a fair number of foreigners who seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. For those who like a little extra kick with their fish, alcohol was served at reasonable prices, and you could actually bring your own along. A well worthy way to spend an evening, one wish I now wish would happen more than once a year. I’m hooked!