Born into a business family, Goa-based Arati Naik was always inclined towards starting her own enterprise, specifically something related to food.
In London, she completed a four-month certification at the well-known Leiths School of Food And Wine and had planned to stay on in the UK, but the pandemic brought her back to Goa.
She entered the food space with Isabella's Tapas Bar in Panjim, specialising in Spanish and Portuguese cuisine.
"My father is a technocrat, and I was groomed to take over his thriving IT networking business. But after over a decade in the corporate world, I felt a strong pull toward something more fulfilling," Arati tells Adrika Anand. "Food has always been my love language, shaped deeply by my family."
While fascinated by global cuisines, she adds, "At my core, my heart belongs to my home Karwari food."
Karwar, a coastal town in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, is known for its many culinary traditions, reflecting the numerous communities that make this region their home.
Her love for her bachpan cuisine led her to host small Karwari pop-ups at her Mumbai apartment to introduce the cuisine's richness. What began as a small initiative soon grew, prompting her to pursue it seriously.
This gave rise to Jev Karwari Kitchen, with a vision to showcase Karwari cuisine across Goa and beyond. The menu emphasises seasonal vegetables and fresh seafood, with recipes drawn from her grandmothers, mother, aunts, each dish rooted in childhood nostalgia.
"Over the years, my cooking has evolved from instinctive to creating recipes that are accessible and easy to recreate," she explains, adding that Karwari cuisine is often mistaken for Goan or Mangalorean, though it differs in both technique and flavour.
Tracing its beginnings, she says, "My culinary lineage lies in the Konkan Maratha community, who migrated from Goa to Karwar during Portuguese rule, many linked to Shivaji Maharaj's army, bringing strong Maharashtrian influences." As a result, Karwari cuisine blends Goan, Maharashtrian and Kannada elements.
A community of farmers, their food is hearty and rustic. The day begins with rice bhakri, garlic chutney and the hot, spice-based beverage called kashay, followed by mid-morning pez (parboiled rice and kanji) with vegetables, pickles or seafood like clams and tiny prawns.
Lunch features fish curry, fried fish and rice. Festive meals might include Chicken Shagoti (a coconut chicken curry akin to Chicken Xacuti) and polle (soft dosa).
Staple vegetarian dishes are Mooga Gathi (sprouted mung curry) and Dali Aambat (dal with vegetables and coconut) were staples. A unique tradition is hay-smoked mackerel, which enhances the fish's umami and preserves it for days.
Arati uses local ingredients like byadgi chillies, teppal (Indian Sichuan pepper), sun-dried raw mango, homemade pickles, papads and ash gourd wadis.
"Today, Jev has grown from a small pop-up and cloud kitchen into something far more meaningful. We now host supper clubs in Goa, Mumbai and Bengaluru and have also taken our cuisine to Kochi through a week-long festival at a five-star hotel," she elaborates.
Arati offers recipes for two Karwar specials. The first is Tisryachi Ek-Shippi, a Karwari preparation of clams, where the shellfish is cooked in their single shell. Ek-shippi literally means 'one shell'. The clam meat remains attached to one half of the shell, allowing it to soak up the rich, aromatic coconut masala. This dish pairs beautifully with bhakri or polle.
The second dish, Ananasache Sasam, a sweet and spicy pineapple curry, seasoned with mustard seeds, is traditionally made with seasonal mangoes or ghotas in Karwar. It is an extraordinary balance of sweet, spice and a gentle tang. This recipe calls for pineapple, which is available throughout the year.
Tisryachi Ek-Shippi
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 1 kg clams
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or any neutral oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 potato, peeled, diced into 1-inch pieces
For the masala:
- 1 cup shredded or scraped fresh coconut
- 2 onions, roughly diced
- 5 dried red chillies
- 1 tbsp brown dhania or coriander seeds
- 4 black peppercorns
- ¼ tsp methi or fenugreek seeds
- ½ tsp rai or mustard seeds
- 3 lavang or cloves
- 1-inch piece dalcheeni or cinnamon
- 1 tsp shahi jeera or black cumin
- 1 tsp saunf or fennel seeds
- 1 tsp khuskhus or poppy seeds
- 1 tbsp imli or tamarind paste
- 1 cup water + ½ cup extra
- Salt to taste, about 2 tsp
- ½ tsp jaggery
Method
- Clean the clams thoroughly.
Break each clam shell into two and retain only the half with the meat attached.
Discard the empty shells.
You may remove a few clams completely from their shells, if preferred.
Keep refrigerated until use. - In a frying pan, dry roast the diced onions, grated coconut, over low heat, until lightly browned.
Take off heat and cool. - In the same pan, over low heat, lightly dry roast the dried red chillies, coriander seeds, methi seeds, mustard seeds, cloves, cinnamon, shahi jeera, saunf, poppy seeds.
Take off heat and cool completely. - First grind the roasted spices into a fine powder.
Then add in the roasted coconut-onion mixture and grind again with 1 cup water to form a smooth masala paste.
Keep aside. - Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the finely chopped onion, diced potato.
Sauté for a few minutes without browning.
Add the prepared clam shells and about ½ cup water.
Bring to a boil.
Add the ground masala, tamarind paste.
Mix well, cover and cook until the potatoes are tender and the clams are fully cooked.
Season with the salt and a pinch jaggery or sugar. - Serve hot with bhakri or polle.
Ananasache Sasam
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
- ½ a pineapple, diced into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tsp rai or mustard seeds
- 1 tsp hing or asafoetida
- 7-8 curry leaves
- Salt to taste, about 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp jaggery
- 1 cup water + extra for grinding the masala
For the ground masala:
- 1 cup scraped fresh coconut
- 3 dried red chillies
- ¼ tsp rai or mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp methi or fenugreek seeds
- 2 tsp brown dhania or coriander seeds
- 1 tsp haldi or turmeric powder
Method
- Dry roast the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chilies, coriander seeds until aromatic over low heat.
Take off heat and cool.
Grind the roasted ingredients with the coconut, turmeric and a little water to a rough paste, not too smooth.
Keep aside. - In a large saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.
Add the mustard seeds and let splutter.
Then add the hing, curry leaves.
Add the pineapple pieces and a little water and let this cook for 1-2 minutes.
Now, add in the ground masala.
Stir well and add the salt, jaggery.
Mix until well combined and the pineapple has softened.
Add a little more water if the consistency is too thick.
Bring it a boil, take it off heat and serve with chapatis or steamed rice.
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