MAHARASTRA CUISINE

Bombay may be the capital but pune, much further in land, i it oul! "hen #heat i
preferred by north and rice in outh, maharahtrian eat both but ue the rice in different
form$ from teamed rice flour dumplin% &M'(A)S* er+ed at ganesh puja to delicate
rice flour bicuit &Anara* er+ed at diwali.

Anarsa i a li%ht, airy, lacy bicuit #ith li%htly che#y te,ture and +ery difficult to ma-e!
.irt rice i oc-ed for e+eral day, in freh #ater each day, and then dried, pounded to
fine flour! It i then mi,ed #ith /a%%ery and little oil and left in a open tin for around 0
day! The mi,ture #ill ha+e a te,ture of oft dou%h! The dou%h i patted into thin round
on a leaf lined #ith poppy eed and then deep fried in medium hot oil!
In a typical #eddin% ban1uet, food are arran%ed on thali in a +ery pecial order li-e the
number on a cloc-, the left ide i for eaonin%, relihe and a+orie, the rite for
+e%etable, plit pea ad #eet! At 23o4cloc- poition i the mot baic eaonin%$ alt,
follo#in% it on left are the #ed%e of lemon, a freh coconut chutney, then 3 freh
relihe &)ohim bir* one made #ith cucumber bit and cruhed peanut$, other #ith
boiled and mahed pump-in #ith %round mutard and yo%hurt! Then a #eet and our
man%o chutney and then come the a+orie$ papadam, sago crisps and a fe# bhajjas
&+e%etable fritter*
To the rite hand ide of the alt came$ Aruchi bhaji another #et! Batata bhaji i popular
a a dry one$ potato coo-ed in cumin eed, curry lea+e lime /uice #ith a touch of
coconut and u%ar! "et one may be brin/al preparation fla+oured #ith Maharahtra4
famou Kala masala$&contain uually roated and %round cinnamon, cardamom,
eame, cumin and piece of blac- coconut*
Ne,t come #eet #hich include, jalebis, a pecial kheer made #ith emolina dou%h
rolled and cut to reemble rice!
Then placed on a masala bhat/ fried rice #ith +e%etable uch a cabba%e etc #ith puran
poli.
The firt coure i er+ed at 5 o4cloc- poition and may be a mall mould of rice #ith
too+ar dal and little pourin% of %hee!
The Maratha belon%in% to #or-in% cla and a%riculture #ere India4 bet #arrior! They
ha+e eaten and en/oyed #hat e+er come in their #ay! 'n hunt they marinate 1uail in
yo%hurt6 clo+e and blac- pepper #rap them in #et clay and put into houlderin% fire to
ba-e! Maratha eat their food hot and un#eetened! Kolhapur i famou for it hot lamb
dihe and +illa%er around )olhapur are -no#n to drin- up the ro%an of the dih!
Tra+elin% #et from )olhapur, one reache ratna%iri on the -on-an coat! Thi area ha a
ditinction of producin% bet man%oe in the #orld$ Alphanso. Maharahtrian only eat
freh man%o a a fruit but alo ma-e /uice and eat #ith frehly fried poories and chircoot
, a pice imilar to S7ech#ah peppercorn i ued on the -on-an coat for the preparation
of fih dihe!
Bombay the tate capital and alo #etern India4 principal ea port ha +ibrant blend of
different culture and food habit! Cra#ford mar-et #hich #a built in 2892i ued for
the ale of freh product$ bet oran%e from Na%pur, cherrie from )ahmir , #eet and
our lichis from (ehradun , u%ary baby melon from :uc-no# and Alphano from
Ratna%iri! In pite of different tate, there i one e1uali7er in Bombay to #hich e+eryone
uccumb$ that i Bhel-Puri. The time un do#n thi fa+ourite nac- i made of a toed
mi,ture of puffed rice , #heat flour crip , chopped onion , chopped boiled potatoe , 3
chutney one i made up of %reen coriander and %reen chillie and another a thic- #eet
and our tamarind and date and latly topped #ith e+, a fine +ermicelli made out of
chic- pea flour!
T'MAT' SAAR; Saar i not e,actly oup! They are oupy and eaten #ith Indian bread
or #ith rice!
.ARA<SI BHA=I; it i a %reen bean dih coo-ed #ith either urad , moon% or yello# plit
pea! The dih i coo-ed in a re+ere double boilere method$ the food i in the bottom pot
and #ater on top! In reult the food i coo-ed in the minimal #ater that drip do#n a
condenation! It i a nutritiou protein dih!
BATATA AMBAT; It i a potato dih coo-ed #ith tomatoe and freh coconut,
AR''>; it i a minced chic-en fritter contributed by Ira1i =e# #ho are ettled in
Bombay!
)':HA?URI MUTT'N; it i a fiery hot mutton dih , +ery much li-ed by mahratta
#ho #ere once the bra+et of Indian #arrior!
T'MAT' ?A:A) BHAT; rice dih cco-ed #ith tomato and pinach!