Maharashtra's 8 Maha-Mouthwatering Dishes

Like how Butter Chicken and Mango Lassi don’t define Indian cuisine, there’s more to Maharashtrian food other than popular offerings Misal Pav and Puran Poli, says Mayur Sanap.

 

Pic: Mayur Sanap/Rediff

The state's 5 regions, Vidarbha, Marathwada, Khandesh, Western Maharashtra/Desh, Konkan, each has a unique culinary identity. Time to unravel their flavours, ingredients, cooking methods...

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Khandesh Cuisine

Thanks to the proximity to Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh's borders, there’s a heavy influence of these states in 2 of Khandesh’s most popular dishes: Shev Rassa Bhaji & Varan Batti.

 

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Khandesh Cuisine

Varan Batti is Khandesh’s take on Rajasthan’s famed Dal Bati (yes, the similarities in their names!). This batti is steamed, cut into large chunks, fried, dunked in a lightly-tempered yellow dal.

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Khandesh Cuisine

Khandeshi Shev Rassa Bhaji is a dry coconut-onion based gravy with a generous topping of a thicker variety of besan sev. The bhaji is typically served with millet bhakris.

 

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Western Maharashtra/Desh Cuisine

Be it the spicy deliciousness of Nashik’s misal pav or the simplicity of Satara’s chickpea flour stir fry zunka with jowar (sorghum) bhakri, Western Maharashtra cuisine is a hearty mix of simple and tantalising.

 

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Western Maharashtra/Desh Cuisine

It is the really the non-vegetarian dishes that supply the food identity of this region. Like Satara’s kharda chicken/mutton (meat cooked in a zesty green chillies-coriander paste)... 

 

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Western Maharashtra/Desh Cuisine

Or Kolhapur’s chicken/mutton thalis that come with signature pandhra and tambda rassa. The big, bold, spicy flavours of this cuisine won't fail to leave a lingering warmth for your tastebuds.

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Konkan Cuisine

The mild sweetness of fresh coconut and *kokum's tingling sourness dominates the Malvani curries of the coastal Konkan region.

*the sweet-sour Garcinia indica fruit 

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Konkan Cuisine

The region is also popular for a variety of rice-based fermented preparations like ghavane, amboli, wade.

 

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Konkan Cuisine

The wade, contrary to popular medu wada, has poori like shape and it finds its way in most Malvani thalis paired with fish/chicken/mutton curries.

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Marathwada Cuisine

Travel to any corner of Maharashtra and thaskedaar spices is the dominant flavour in most signature dishes. The Marathwada region is no exception.

 

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Marathwada Cuisine

Known for its onion-coconut based, rustic kaala masala (black gravy), the spices are roasted over a chulah, there are many vegetarian and meat-based dishes to be enjoyed in this part of Maharashtra.

 

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Marathwada Cuisine

Aurangabad is specifically known for its meat-based gravies, like Naan Qaliya that is now a must-try-before-you-leave-the-city dish. The simmering plate of rich, aromatic mutton gravy is paired with soft, flaky naans, freshly popped outta the tandoor.

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Vidharbha Cuisine

The Varhadi cuisine of Vidarbha region is about pungent, enticing flavours with a heavy dependence on bold spices.

 

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Vidharbha Cuisine

Take the Saoji variant of the region: The signature masaledaar gravy comes from a unique blend of spices with a bright red-coloured tarri (the oil-rich layer) gleefully floating on top.

 

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Vidharbha Cuisine

This gravy can be a base for any dish; meat, fish, eggs, vegetarian (like besan-based Pattori). Interesting too is the pairing of Matka Roti/Randani Roti with a Saoji curry. 

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Vidharbha Cuisine

A very thin aatta-based roti (thinner than rumalis!) made from locally-grown Lokwan wheat flour, that’s skilfully turned into a very slimy dough. It is then stretched into a thin shape and slapped onto an inverted earthen pot (matka) to luscious rotis.

 

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Vidarbha Cuisine

To make this dough involves special skills and painstaking efforts which is why only a handful of Nagpur restaurants have Matka Roti on their menus. Watch YouTube videos for its prep and you would concur: It's a real culinary art, sadly almost lost with time.

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