Maharashtrian cuisine Totally Explained

Everything about Maharashtrian Cuisine totally explained

Maharashtrian (or Marathi) cuisine is cuisine of the Maharashtrian people, those from the state of Maharashtra in India. Maharashtrian cuisine covers a wide range from being extremely mild to very spicy dishes. Wheat, rice, jowar, vegetables, lentils and fruit form important components of Maharashtrian diet. Popular dishes include puran poli and aamras.

Staple dishes

The staple dishes of Maharashtrian cuisine are based on bread and rice:

Poli or chapati - unleavened flat bread made of wheat, more common in urban areas.
Bhakri - bread made of all kinds of flours, mainly millets like jowar and bajra, form part of daily food in rural areas.

The bhaji is typically a vegetarian dish made from a vegetable, with some masala essentially consisting of some combination of onion, garlic, ginger, red chilli powder, green chillies and mustard. A particular variant of bhaji is the rassa. Vegetarians prepare rassa or curry of potatoes and or caulifower with tomatoes or fresh coconut kernel and plenty of water to produce a more fluid behaviour than bhaji. Varan is nothing but plain dal, a common Indian lentil stew. Aamti is another variant of the curry, typically consisting of a lentil (tur) stock, flavored with masala, tamarind, jaggery (gul) and in some cases coconut as well. One of the masalas that gives Maharashtrian cuisine its authentic flavor is the goda (sweet) masala or kalaa (black) masala.
Non-vegetarian dishes mainly use chicken, mutton (lamb, sheep or goat), fish and other sea food. The Kolhapuri taambda rassa (red curry) and pandhra rassa (white curry) of chicken and mutton from the southern city of Kolhapur and the varhadi rassa or (varhadi chicken curry) from the Vidarbha region are especially well known throughout Maharashtra. The coastal regions of Konkan are more famous for the fish and seafood dishes.
A typical lunch or dinner usually starts with Poli (bread), accompanied by one or more bhaji(s) and a koshimbir (salad) along with some side (usually pickles). This is usually followed by a second course of varan,aamti or rassa with rice. As with most of Indian cuisine however, each region has it's own quirks, preferences and variations of the above general format.

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 flattened rice. 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, pohe prepared with onion) is most likely the dish served when the two families meet. Its so common that sometimes arranged marriage itself is referred colloquially as "kanda-pohay". Other variants on the recipe are batata pohe (where diced potatoes are used instead of onion shreds). Other famous recipes made with Pohe (flattened rice) are dadpe pohe, a mixture of raw Pohe with shredded fresh coconut, green chillies, ginger and lemon juice; and kachche pohe, raw pohe with minimal embellishments of oil, red chili powder, salt and unsauteed onion shreds.

Upma or sanja or upeeth: This snack is similar to the south Indian upma. It is a thick porridge made of semolina perked up with green chillies, onions and other 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 dumpling (vada), eaten sandwitched in a bun (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, and fried green chilles.

Matar-usal- pav :It is a dish made of green peas in a curry with onions, 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 curried sprouted lentils, topped with batata-bhaji, pohay, Chivda, farsaan, raw chopped onions and tomato. Also some times eaten with yogurt. Bread is a must.

Pav bhaji: This speciality dish from lanes of Mumbai and Pune has mashed steamed mixed vegetable cooked in spices and butter. The vegetable mix is eaten with soft bun shallow fried in butter.

Thalipeeth: A type of pancake. Usually spicy and is eaten with curd.

Zunka-Bhakar: A native maharastrian chick pea flour reciepe eaten with Bhakri.

Sabudana Khichadi: Sauted sabudana (Pearls of sago palm), a dish commonly eaten on days of religious fasting.

Khichadi: Made up of rice and dal with mustard seeds and onions to add flavor.

Bakarwadi: This spicy fried pastry is eaten as a tea time snack. Especially famous is from Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale 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
Vegetable and lentil preparations

"Amti" (Sweet and Sour Lentil Curry, made with Tamarind and Jaggery)

Batatyachi Bhaji (Potato preparations)

Bharli Vangi (Stuffed Aubergines/Eggplant)

Dalimbya (Beans)

Farasbichi Bhaji (French beans)

Palkachi Takatli Bhaji (Spinach cooked in buttermilk)

Kelphulachi Bhaji (Banana/plantain bloom)

Fansachi Bhaji (Jackfruit preparation)

Walache Birdha
Meat preparations

Mutton Kolhapuri Taambda rassa (Red curry)

Mutton Kolhapuri Pandhra rassa (White curry)

Varhadi rassa
Soups and consommes
Unlike western eating habits where soups are consumed before the main course is eaten, in Indian cuisine, soups are consumed along with the main course. Some popular soups are:

Kadhi

Sol kadhi

Tomato saar

Kokam saar

Varan

Aamti

Katachi aamti
Pickles and condiments

Ambyache lonche (mango pickle)

Limbache lonche (lemon pickle)

Awlyache lonche (amla pickle)

Mohoriche lonche (mustard pickle)

Ambe-haladiche lonache (fresh turmeric pickle)

Mirachiche lonache (Chilly Pickle)

Dangar

Papad

Miragund

Sandage

Methamba

Thecha
Jams and jellies

Muramba (A kind of preserve, made from jaggery and seasonal fruits)

Sakhramba (A kind of preserve, made from sugar and seasonal fruits)
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 prepared during the Ganesha festival around August, when it's often given as an offering to lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, as it's reportedly his favorite sweet. For more info, visit http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Modak. Modak can also be fried with various sweet stuffings.

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) and bleached wheat flour fried in ghee (clarified butter) and then dipped in sugar syrup.

Kheer: is prepared by cooking shevaya (vermicelli) in milk. The preparation is sweetened with jaggery or sugar, flavoured with powdered cardamom seeds and finally garnished with chopped nuts. Kheer is also made of Rice, Semolina, and Dudhi (white gourd).

Anarsa it's made by the rice jaggery or sugar

Chirotamade by combination of rawa and maida

Jilbi: Sweetened chick-pea flour deep fried in spiral shapes.

Shankarpali: Sweetened flour deep fried in small square/diamond shapes.

Basundi: Sweetened dense milk dessert.

Gulachi poli is similar to puran poli but this doesn't include chana daal. The filling is made of grated jaggery, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.

Aamrus: Pulp/Thick Juice made of mangoes, with a bit of sugar if needed and milk at times.

Shikran: An instant sweet dish made from banana, milk and sugar.

Shrikhand: Sweet yogurt.
By regions of Maharashtra
The cuisine of Maharashtra is largely influenced by the landscape, the people and the crops grown in various regions. It isn't 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's 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 doesn't know this isn't 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.
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.
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.
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 isn't as lush as the coast; therefore, coconuts and mangoes don't 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.
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. Chitale bakarwadi, Sujata mastani,
Kolhapur
Kolhapur is as famous for its spicy mutton curries as its Mahalaxmi temple or palaces. Popularly called 'Matnacha rassa', red-hot mutton 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 isn't for all.
   Kolhapuri misal is one of the spiciest dish.It is very famous in Maharashtra.
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.
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.
Festival Delicacies
Maharashtrians celebrate their festivals with characteristic fervour and food forms an integral part of the celebrations. sweetmeats are identified with particular festivals:

Diwali
Diwali inspires a variety mouth-watering preparations like karanji, chakli, kodbali, anaras, shankarpoli, chiroti, shev, chivda and varieties of ladoos like Dink ladoo, Besan ladoo, shingdana ladoo, Rava ladoo, and so on are consumed in Maharashtrian households by children and adults alike. Diwali is considered one of the most auspicious festivals in Maharashtra.
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 ghee.
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.

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