East Meets West: India's Two Great Seafood Coasts

India has more than 7,500 kilometres of coastline, and almost every stretch of it has its own way with fish. But step back and two great seafood traditions come into focus: the West Coast, running from Maharashtra down through Goa to Kerala, and the East Coast, from Bengal down to Tamil Nadu. They share a continent and very little else.

The West Coast: coconut, kokum and Portuguese echoes

The West Coast is the one most people picture when they think of Indian seafood. The Arabian Sea delivers pomfret, mackerel, king prawns and squid, and the kitchens of Goa, Mangalore and Kerala cook them with coconut, curry leaf, tamarind and kokum - a tart, plum-like fruit that gives Konkani curries their distinctive sourness. Centuries of Portuguese trade left their mark too, in dishes like Goan balchao, a fiery preserve of shrimp, chilli and garlic.

This is the territory Chef Nand Kishor Semwal knows intimately, from Karnataka squid pepper fry to a Konkani stone bass in green mango and coconut. If you have eaten our wild tiger prawns, you have already had a taste of what this coast does best.

The East Coast: mustard, panch phoron and the Bay of Bengal

Cross to the East Coast and the flavours change entirely. Bengali cooking leans on mustard oil, mustard seed and panch phoron - a five-spice blend of cumin, fennel, fenugreek, nigella and mustard. Freshwater fish like rui and the prized hilsa take centre stage, steamed in banana leaf or simmered in light, sharp gravies. Further south, Andhra and Tamil Nadu bring heat and tamarind, with prawn and crab cooked in chilli-dark masalas.

Why we cook them as separate chapters

Trying to cram both coasts onto one plate flattens what makes each special. That is why we treat them as chapters. The West Coast comes first this summer; the East Coast is one we hope to bring to the table later. It is the same thinking behind our regional tasting menu, which travels across India rather than settling in one place.

Taste the coast in Surbiton

You do not have to fly to the Konkan to eat this way. Coastal dishes run through our regional tasting menu and the wider kitchen, so you can book a table any evening and ask the team what has come in fresh. Koyal is at 59-63 Brighton Road, Surbiton.