Maharashtrian cuisine
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Maharashtrian (or Marathi) cuisine is cuisine of the Marathi people, those from the state of Maharashtra in India. Maharashtrian cuisine covers a wide range from being extremely mild to very spicy dishes. Although gaining popularity in India, it remains a mystery to most westerners. Wheat, rice, jowar, vegetables, lentils and fruit form important components of Maharashtrian diet. Popular dishes include puran poli and aamras.
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[edit] Staple dishes
The staple dishes of Maharashtrian cuisine are based on bread and rice:
- Poli or chapati - unleavened bread made of wheat flour, more common in urban areas.
- Bhakri - bread made of all kinds of flours, mainly jowar and bajra, form part of daily food in rural areas.
- Rice - is eaten throughout Maharashtra and is a large part of the daily meal, although Maharashtrians are not totally dependent on rice alone. Normally meals contain some form of bread, some bhaji (vegetables) and some rice with dal.
The bhaji is typically a vegetarian dish made from a vegetable, with some masala essentially consisting of onion, garlic and mustard. A particular variant of bhaji is the rassa. Vegetarians prepare rassa out of potatoes and or caulifower with tomatoes or fresh coconut kernel and plenty of water to produce a more fluid behaviour than bhaji. Dishes are usually cooked with groundnut oil. The one masala that gives Maharashtrian cuisine its authentic flavor is the goda masala or kalaa masala.
Non-vegetarian dishes are mainly popular with the predominant Maratha - warrior community and those really are very popular amongst a lot of people. They are normally chicken or mutton dishes. The taambda rassa (red curry) and pandhra rassa (white curry) of Kolhapuri chicken and mutton dishes from the southern city of Kolhapur and the varhadi rassa or (varhadi chicken curry) from the Vidarbha region are especially well known throughout the Marathi speaking world.
[edit] Appetizers
There are lots of snack and side dishes in Maharashtrian cuisine. Some quintessentially Maharashtrian dishes are:
- Chiwada: Spiced flattened rice also known as bombay mix very famous overseas. *
- Pohay: pohay or pohe is a snack made from puffed rice flakes. Maharashtrian Pohe Recipe. It is most likely served with tea and is probably the most likely dish that a Maharashtrian will offer his guest. During arranged marriages in Maharashtra, Kanda Pohe (literary translation, Onion + flattened rice.) is most likely dish over which the boy's and girl's families meet during their first engagement talks. Its so common that sometimes arranged marriage itself is referred colloquially as "kanda-pohay". There are many variations of the poha snack besides kanda pohe- you can have batata pohe (where diced potatoes are used instead of onion shreds); dadpe pohe, in which are added shredded coconut and lots of green chillies and lemon juice to give it a tangy taste; and kachche pohe, wherein the pohas are applied minimal embellishments of oil, red chili powder, salt and unsauteed onion shreds.
- Upma or sanja or upeet: This snack is similar to the south Indian upma, but which is essentially porridge made of coarse wheat flour perked up with spices.
- Surali Wadi: Chick pea flour rolls with a garnishing of coconut , coriander leaves and mustard.
- Vada pav: Popular maharashtrian dish consisting of fried mashed potato (vada) dumpling, eaten between two pieces of bread (pav). This is referred to as Indian version of burger and is almost always accompanied with the famous red chutney made from garlic and chillies.
- Matar-usal- pav :Its another simple dish made from green peas in a curry made of onion, green chillies and sometimes garlic. Its eaten with a western style leavened bun or pav.
- Misal- pav:Quintessentially from Pune. This is made from a mix of lentils, topped with batata-bahji, pohay, sabudana khichadi, Chivda. Also some times eaten with yogurt. Bread is a must.
- Pav bhaji: A speciality dish from lanes of Mumbai and Pune.
- Thalipeeth: A type of pancake similar to the Dosa. Usually spicy and is eaten with curd.
- Zunka-Bhakar: A native maharastrian chick pea flour reciepe eaten Bhakri.
- Sabudana Khichadi: Sauted sabudana (Pearls of sago palm), a dish commonly eaten on days of fast.
- Khichadi: Made up rice and dal with mustard seeds and onions to add flavor.
- Bakarwadi: Fantastic tea time snack...Especially famous is from "Chitale" In pune.
- Bhadang: Spiced puffed rice
- Sheera Semolina pudding
- Chana daliche dheerde
- Ghavan
- Ukad
Maharastrian cuisine like most of the Indian cuisines is laced with lots of fritters. Some of them are
- Kothimbir vadi: Coriander (Cilantro) mixed with chick pea flour and maharastrian spices. There are plenty of variants of this dishes some deep fried, some stir fried and some steamed.
- "Kobi chya wadya" Cabbage rolls: Shredded cabbage in chick pea flour.
- Kanda Bhaji: Onion fritters
- "Batata bhaji": Deep fried, fine potato slices coated in chick pea flour batter.
- "Mirchi Bhaji": Deep fried, chillies. Some people prefer these coated in chick pea flour batter.
- "Alu wadi": Colocasia leaves rolled in chick pea flour, steamed and then stir fried.
- Mung dal wade
- Sabudana Wada
- Surana-chi wadi
- Methi wade
- Bread Pattice
- Vegetable Cutlets
Some fast food recipes
- Bhel
- Sev Puri:
- Ragda Pattice
- Pani Puri
- Dahi Puri
- Dabeli
[edit] Vegetable and lentil preparations
- Batatyachi Bhaji (Potato preparations)
- Bharli Vangi (Stuffed Aubergines/Eggplant)
- Dalimbya (Beans)
- Farasbichi Bhaji (French beans)
- Palkachi Takatli Bhaji (Spinach cooked in buttermilk)
- Kelphulachi/Fansachi Bhaji (Jackfruit preparation)
- Walache Birdha
[edit] Meat preparations
- Mutton Kolhapuri Taambda rassa (Red curry)
- Mutton Kolhapuri rassa (White curry)
- Varhadi rassa
[edit] Soups and consommes
Unlike western eating habits where soups are consumed before the main course is eaten, soups are consumed along with the main course. Some popular soups are:
- Sol - kadhi
- Tomato saar
- Kokam Saar
- Varan
- Aamti
- Kadhi
[edit] Pickles and condiments
- Ambyacha lonche (mango pickle)
- Limbacha lonche (lemon pickle)
- Awlyacha lonche (amla pickle)
- Mohoricha lonche (mustard pickle)
- Haladiche Lonache (turmeric pickle)
- Mirachi che Lonache (Chilly Pickle)
- Dangar
- Papad
- Miragund
- Sandage
- Methamba
- Thecha
[edit] Jams and jellies
- Muramba (A kind of jam, made from jaggery and seasonal fruits)
- Sakhramba (A kind of jam, made from sugar and seasonal fruits)
[edit] Sweetmeats
- Puran poli: is one of the most popular sweet item in the Maharashtrian cuisine. It is made from jaggery (molasses or gur), yellow gram (chana) dal, plain flour, cardamom powder and ghee (clarified butter.
- Modak: is a Maharashtrian sweet typically steamed (ukdiche modak). Modak is almost exclusively prepared during the Ganesha festival around August, when it is often given as an offering to lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, as it is reportedly His favorite sweet. For more info, visit http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Modak there are mainly two types of modak
one is called as ukadiche modak n the other are modak stuffed with saran ( a sweet mixture mainly prepared from coconut)
- Karanji: is a deep fried dumpling with a filling of grated coconut sweetened with jaggery and flavoured with powdered cardamom seeds. It is also known as kanola.
- Gulab Jaam: are balls made of dense milk (Mava/Khava) fried in ghee (clarified butter) and then dipped for a while in sugar syrup.
- Kheer: is prepared by cooking shevaya (rice or semolina vermicelli) in milk. The preparation is sweetened with jaggery or sugar, flavoured with powdered cardamom seeds and finally garnished with chopped nuts.
- Anarsa
- Chirota
- Jalebi: Called Jilbi in Maharashtra.
- Shankarpali
- Basundi: Sweetened dense milk dessert.
- Gulachi poli is similar to puran poli but this does not include chana daal. It is made up of grated jaggery, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.
- Aamrus: Pulp/Thick Juice made of mangoes, with little bit sugar if needed and milk at times.
- Shikran: An instant sweet dish made from banana , milk and sugar.
- Shrikhand
[edit] By regions of Maharashtra
The saying 'Anna he poornabrahma' aptly summarises what Maharashtrians feel about the food they cook. They consider 'anna', or food, equal to 'Brahma', or the creator of the universe. Food is God, to be worshipped. Little wonder that Maharashtrian cuisine not only fills the stomach, but also fills the soul - with content!
The cuisine of Maharashtra is largely influenced by the landscape, the people and the crops grown in various regions. It is not only memorable for its subtle variety and strong flavours, but also because of the legendary hospitality of Maharashtrians. In affluent homes, feasts often start at mid-day and end when the sun turns towards the western horizon.
The people are known for the aesthetic presentation of food, which adds extra allure to the feasts. For instance, in formal meals, it is a practice to sing sacred verses to dedicate the meal to God. The guests sit on floor rugs or red wooden seats and eat from silver or metal thalis and bowls placed on a raised 'chowrang', or a short decorative table. Rangolis or auspicious patterns of coloured powder are drawn around the thali or the chowrang. To avoid mixing flavours, each guest is given a bowl of saffron scented water to dip the fingers in before starting on the next course. There is a specific order of serving of savouries and sweets, curries and rice or rotis, and a person who does not know this is not considered to be well trained in the art of hospitality. Agarbattis spread fragrance everywhere and the host believes the satisfaction of his guests to be his true joy.
[edit] Konkan
The traditional crops of the Konkan region, the West coast of Maharashtra, are coconuts, mangoes, cashews, rice and a variety of pulses. The region also grows a great quantity of kokum, a sweet-sour fruit. Fish is available in vast varieties and seafood is in abundant supply. All these ingredients find place in the traditional and exotic Konkani food. Be it the mild, naturally fragrant vegetable mixture served with local papads, or a spicy-hot fish and meat curry with a coconut milk base, Konkani food is a gourmet's dream come true.
[edit] South Maharashtra
This region is rich in sugarcane fields, rice farms and milk. Well-irrigated farms produce plump, juicy fruit and vegetables throughout the year.
In the winter months, southern Maharashtra becomes a crucible of bubbling sugarcane juice, heated to make jaggery and sugar. This season offers a feast of coconut kernels cooked in the syrup and eaten with peanuts and fresh chana. Winter also means plenty of milk, and typical milk sweets like basundi, masala milk, shreekhand and kheer. It is a social event in these areas to go to the riverbank for a picnic or row down the river to eat young roasted corncobs (hurda) with pungent chillies and green garlic ground to make a tongue-scorching chutney. Milk, nuts, rough bhakaris of jawar, hot meat curries and chilli-spiked snacks are favourite foods here.
[edit] Vidarbha
Though the Konkan strip and southern Maharashtra have their own excellent cuisine, nothing can beat the exoticism and variety of the food offered by northern Maharashtra - Vidarbha and Khandesh. The central Indian plateau is not as lush as the coast; therefore, coconuts and mangoes do not grow here. But Vidarbha is rich in peanuts, rice and, most of all, citrus fruit, like oranges and sweetlimes. In the winter, lorry-loads of oranges criss-cross the highways, taking mountains of juicy tangerines all over the state.
Vidarbha's cuisine is spicier and more exotic than that of the coastal and southern regions. The ingredients commonly used are besan, or chickpea flour, and ground peanuts.
[edit] Pune
Home to the Peshwas and Brahmin communities, Pune is a historic city. The food of these communities is delicate, sparsely designed and entirely vegetarian. Puneri misal, thalipeeth, puri bhaji and dalimbi usal are not only tasty and nutritious, but inexpensive to make. These foods are available at traditional Brahmin restaurants in Pune and Mumbai .
Pune's restaurants have sold this sort of food for centuries and preserved the ambience of the cuisine - laid-back, simple and served with hospitality.
[edit] Kolhapur
Kolhapur is as famous for its spicy meat curries as its Mahalaxmi temple or palaces. Popularly called 'Matnacha rassa', red-hot meat dish is served with robust chappatis, a white gravy to dilute its pungency or a chilli gravy for the bravehearts experts in the art of digesting pure fire. Frankly, this curry can make the ears sing, and is not for all.
[edit] Aurangabad
The cuisine of Auguranbad has been highly influenced by the North Indian method of cooking, as a result of the long Moghul rule in the region.
Aurangabad's food is much like Moghlai or Hyderabadi food, with its fragrant pulaos and biryanis. Meat cooked in fresh spices and herbs is a speciality, as are the delectable sweets.
[edit] Nagpur
The city of Nagpur inherits a glorious history and varied rich cultural influences and has burgeoned in recent times as a gourmet city. There are unusual snacks, curries, pulaos and sweets to pamper avid eaters. The food is generally spicy, with a good amount of ghee, and peanuts, dried copra and dal are often the basis of the flavours.
[edit] Festival Delicacies
Maharashtrians celebrate their festivals with characteristic fervour and food forms an integral part of the celebrations. Special sweetmeats are identified with particular festivals:
[edit] Diwali
Diwali inspires a variety mouth-watering preparations like karanji, chakli, kadboli, anarsa, shankarpali, chirota, shev and ladoos, consumed in Maharashtrian households by children and adults alike
[edit] Ganesh Chaturthi
The most delectable offerings during Ganesh Chaturthi are modaks, small rice or wheat flour dumplings stuffed with coconut and jaggery. They are best when served with shudh ghee.
[edit] Holi
On this spring festival day, people enjoy a puran poli, a sweet, stuffed chappati made of channa dal and refined flour (maida), served warm with clarified butter or a bowl of milk.
Other delicacies prepared exclusively for festival days are shrikand, motichur ladoo, basundi and kheer.
