Maharashtrian cuisine

Potato filling used in batata vada this is dipped in batter and fried to make the finished product. Maharashtrian meals (mainly lunch and dinner) are served on a plate called thali . Each food item served on the thali has a specific place. The bhaaji is served in the plate on the right hand side while the chutney, koshimbir are served from left going up the periphery of the circular plate. The papad, bhaaji are served below the koshimbir with the rice and poli served at the bottom of the circle c losed to the diner's hand. The puran is served at the top in the inner concentri c circle. The amti, rassa is served in separate bowls placed on right hand side of the diner. Water is placed on the left hand side. It is considered ill manner ed to use left hand while eating. The FPO India Survey conducted by Government of India shows that Maharashtrian f ood due to its high chilly and/or galrlic content may at times be injurious to p eople from other parts of the country or the world who are not habituated to hav e Spicy foods. The staple dishes of Maharashtrian (nagpur)cuisine are based on bread and rice: Ghadichi Poli or chapati - unleavened flat bread made of wheat, more common in urban areas. Bhakri - bread made from millets like jowar and bajra, form part of daily food in rural areas. The bhaajis are vegetable dishes made with a particular vegetable or a combinati on of vegetables and requires the use of Goda masala, essentially consisting of some combination of onion, garlic, ginger, red chilli powder, green chillies and mustard. Depending on the caste or specific religious tradition of a family, on ion and garlic may not be used in cooking. For example, a number of Hindu commun ities in Maharashtra and other parts of India refrain from eating onion and garl ic during Chaturmas (broadly equates to the rainy monsoon season). A particular variant of bhaaji is the rassa or curry. Vegetarians prepare rassa or curry of potatoes and or caulifower with tomatoes or fresh coconut kernel and plenty of water to produce a soup like preparation than bhaaji. Varan is nothin g but plain dal, a common Indian lentil stew. Aamti is variant of the curry, typ ically consisting of a lentil (tur) stock, flavored with goda masala, tamarind o r amshul, jaggery (gul) and in some cases coconut as well. One of the masalas th at gives Maharashtrian cuisine its authentic flavor is the goda (sweet) masala o r kalaa (black) masala. Non-vegetarian dishes mainly use chicken, mutton (mainly goat), fish and other s eafood. 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 o r (varhadi chicken curry) from the Vidarbha region are especially well known thr oughout Maharashtra. The coastal regions of Konkan are more famous for the fish and seafood dishes. A typical Maharashtrian lunch or dinner usually starts with Poli (chapati), acco mpanied by one or more bhaaji(s) (cooked vegetables) and a koshimbir(vegetable s alad) along with some sides(usually pickles, Chutneys, or papad (Poppadom)). Thi s is usually followed by a second course of varan(lightly or unspiced Daal prepa ration), aamti (spicy Daal preparation) or rassa with rice. As with most of Indi an cuisine however, each region and /or community has its own quirks, preference s and variations of the above general format.

Koshimbir is very common and healthy addition to the plate. Typically made from raw vegetables mixed with yogurt and ground roasted peanuts (Danyache Kut). Rait as made with different types of vegetables such as cucumber or carrots are varia nts of koshimbir. Appetizers or snacks [edit]

Shira

Kothimbir Wadi

Misal

Sabudana Wada There are lots of snack and side dishes in Maharashtrian cuisine. Some quintesse ntially Maharashtrian dishes are: Chivda: Spiced flattened rice. It is also known as Bombay mix in Foreign countr ies especially Great Britain. Pohay: pohay or pohe is a snack made from flattened rice. It is most likely ser ved with tea and is probably the most likely dish that a Maharashtrian will offe r his guest. During arranged marriages in Maharashtra, Kanda Pohe (literal trans lation, pohe prepared with onion) is most likely the dish served when the two fa milies meet. Its so common that sometimes arranged marriage itself is referred c olloquially as "kanda-pohay". Other variants on the recipe are batata pohe (wher e diced potatoes are used instead of onion shreds). Other famous recipes made wi th Pohe (flattened rice) are dadpe pohe, a mixture of raw Pohe with shredded fre sh coconut, green chillies, ginger and lemon juice; and kachche pohe, raw pohe w ith minimal embellishments of oil, red chili powder, salt and unsauteed onion sh reds. 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 othe r spices. Surali Wadi: Chick pea flour rolls with a garnishing of coconut, coriander leav es and mustard. Vada pav: Popular Maharashtrian dish consisting of fried mashed-potato dumpling (vada), eaten sandwiched 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. Interestingly, rarely vada pav ar e home made. 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 pa v. Another form of Matar usal is made in konkan areas or by brahmins especially in Pune - this has a gravy of coconut, coriander, ginger-garlic and green chilly ground together and then fried into a Phodni. Some water and green peas are add ed and boiled till the peas are cooked and have absorbed the taste of all the co ndiments. Misal Pav:Quintessentially from Kolhapur. This is made from a mix of curried sp

routed lentils, topped with batata-bhaji, pohay, Chivda, farsaan, raw chopped on ions and tomato. Also some times eaten with yogurt. Bread is a must. Pav bhaji: This speciality dish from lanes of Mumbai has mashed steamed mixed v egetables (mainly potatoes, peas, tomatoes, onions and green pepper) cooked in s pices and table butter. The vegetable mix is served with soft bun shallow fried in table butter and chopped onion. Sometimes cheese, paneer (cottage cheese) are added. Thalipeeth: A type of pancake. Usually spicy and is eaten with curd. Zunka-Bhakar: A native Maharashtrian chick pea flour recipe eaten with Bhakri. Sabudana Khichadi: Sauted sabudana (Pearls of sago palm), a dish commonly eaten on days of religious fasting. Khichdi: 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 pop ular is that from Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale in Pune. Bhadang: Spiced puffed rice. Shira Semolina pudding Chana daliche dheerde [1] Ghavan. Ukad Kolhapuri misal and the pandhara rassa are some of the common dishes and popular throughout India Maharashtrian cuisine like most of the Indian cuisines is laced with lots of fri tters. Some of them are Kothimbir vadi: Coriander (Cilantro) mixed with chick pea flour and Maharashtri an spices. There are plenty of variants of this dishes some deep fried, some sti r fried and some steamed. "Kobi chya wadya" Cabbage rolls: Shredded cabbage in chick pea flour. Kanda Bhaji: onion bhaji fritters, one of the more popularly consumed Maharasht rian dish. It commonly sold by Vada pav vendors. "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 f ried. Mung dal wade Sabudana wada Surana-chi wadi Methi wade made with leaves of Fenugreek plant