Reviving the Tides of Tradition: The Comeback of Saraswat Cuisine with Chefs Anjali Walavalkar & Divyanshi Patel

In an age where global gastronomy often overshadows regional flavours, the quiet resurgence of Saraswat cuisine feels like a deeply personal, cultural homecoming. Rooted in Goa’s sun-soaked coastlines and the Konkan belt’s fertile soil, this ancient culinary tradition is reclaiming its rightful space on the Indian plate not as nostalgia, but as a vibrant, living cuisine.

At the heart of this revival are collaborations between generations of chefs who see value not only in preserving recipes but in translating them for today’s audience. One such collaboration is between Chef Anjali Walavalkar, a veteran of Saraswat kitchens, and Chef Divyanshi Patel, one of India’s youngest Culinary Directors, who together bridge the wisdom of heritage with the curiosity of modern gastronomy.

Rediscovering Coastal Roots

“When I started, Saraswat cuisine had almost no presence in the commercial sector—it was limited to homes and community gatherings,” recalls Chef Anjali, whose culinary journey began by observing her grandmother and mother cook. “Over time, I realised our food is nutritionally complete and perfectly suited to our climate, but it wasn’t being showcased.” Her decision to introduce the first Saraswat Shravan Thali at Delmon in Panjim in 2000 marked a turning point, a bold declaration that the cuisine deserved a space beyond family kitchens. Over the years, she has remained a torchbearer for these flavours, emphasising balance and sustainability: “Goa’s Saraswat cuisine doesn’t go to extremes with chillies or oil. It’s nourishing yet light that balance is the soul of our cooking.”

Chef Divyanshi, who joined hands with Chef Anjali for The Chilli Trails of Konkan pop-up, offers an outsider’s admiration for the cuisine’s layered complexity. “What fascinated me were the varieties of chillies across India’s coastlines,” she says. “Saraswat and Malvani kitchens are often clubbed together, but once you start peeling back the layers, you realise how distinct they are, different spice blends, different souring agents, different relationships with the sea.”

Tradition Meets Innovation

For Chef Divyanshi, the challenge of introducing a lesser-known cuisine to a younger audience is not a burden but a creative calling. “I don’t see it as a challenge. I see it as a responsibility,” she explains. “At Deck88, our goal is to make coastal cuisines approachable without losing authenticity. We go to the source—speak with families, cook, taste, and understand why certain practices exist.”

The duo’s recent pop-up was designed to intrigue and educate, using storytelling as a tool. “Gen Z and millennials are curious; they want to know the why behind what they’re eating,” she adds. “So we created a ‘curry flight’ allowing diners to compare spice profiles, much like a craft beer tasting — and paired it with cocktails using kokum and local chillies. It’s playful, immersive, and rooted in tradition.”

Chef Anjali believes such reinterpretations are key to sustaining heritage. “The recipes that take time and require patience like slow-roasted coconut gravies are at risk of fading away. But collaborations like this keep them alive in new ways,” she says. “It’s less about preserving them in a museum-like way, and more about keeping them evolving.”

The Power of Community and Conversation

Beyond recipes and plating, both chefs emphasise that food revival begins with community. For Chef Anjali, Saraswat cuisine is more than a menu it’s an emotion. “Cooking Saraswat food is passion and therapy for me. It connects me to my roots,” she says. “But with the younger generation, that connection is fading. They prefer pizzas and pastas, while our traditional meals perfectly suited to our health and climate are being forgotten.” Chef Divyanshi echoes that sentiment, citing her admiration for culinary historian Odette Mascarenhas, whose work around Goan food has inspired her to see cuisine as community. “Preserving a cuisine is not just about recipes, but about people, conversations, and the culture that binds them,” she notes.

At its heart, Saraswat cuisine is an ode to the coast, to seasonal abundance, subtlety of spice, and the wisdom of eating for one’s geography. From the tang of kokum to the distinctive Mapusa and Canacona chillies, every element tells a story of place and people. Chef Anjali’s favourite,Khatkhate, captures that philosophy perfectly: “It’s a vegetarian dish with locally grown vegetables in coconut gravy. It’s hearty, flavourful, and deeply tied to our festivals,” she says with pride. For the next generation, she recommends starting simple “a classic fish fry”. It’s quick, wholesome, and captures the spirit of Saraswat food - honest, balanced, and deeply coastal.

Future-Proofing Tradition

When asked about “future-proofing” Saraswat cuisine, Chef Divyanshi answers with clarity: “It means two things - documentation and reinterpretation. We must record recipes and ingredient knowledge before they disappear, and we must reintroduce them in formats that resonate with modern diners.”

The movement to revive Saraswat cuisine isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about reclaiming a cultural identity that almost slipped away in the noise of modernisation. And thanks to chefs like Anjali and Divyanshi — who honour both tradition and innovation — Saraswat cuisine is once again being cooked, celebrated, and shared. As Chef Anjali puts it beautifully, “I don’t expect the younger generation to give up global food trends, but I hope they recognise the value of Saraswat meals — for their balance, health benefits, and cultural roots. That’s how our food will not just survive, but thrive.”

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