Centuries ago, standing knee-deep in a paddy field somewhere on the Western Maharashtra coast, an enterprising Agri kaki must have thought hard about how she could tie together the primary supplies her community had long traded in: fish, salt and coconut. And there emerged the Agri Masala. Use this spice blend in any non-vegetarian dish, especially seafood, and watch it elevate to deliciousness.
Provenance
The word Agri comes from the Marathi term aagar for godown. Western Maharashtra’s Agri community owned grocery storehouses to stock fish, salt and coconut. The Agri Masala adds flavour and fire to their seafood preparations, and pairs wonderfully with rice. While each family devises its own masala recipe, we can confirm that ours constitutes 20 spices slow-roasted and ground assiduously to perfection.
About The Seller
Mother and daughter duo, Neelima Madhukar Naik and Snehal Pravin Naik, laid the foundation of Naik’s Konkan Food Bazaar way back in 2006. Neelima’s confidence in her long-perfected recipes combined with the highest quality of local ingredients fuelled their modest business providing Konkani food essentials including pickles, papad, flour and speciality products under one roof. 15 years later, the family business employs nine hardworking women and is run by her grandson Siddharth who takes utmost pride in his Aaji’s recipes and describes her as a relentless woman, who even at the age of 75 insists on making her own pickles and mixes.