maharashtra cuisines

Maharashtra is much more than Shivaji, Ganesha Festival and Vada Pav. The Maharastrian cuisine is elaborate and diverse just the like the people who live there. The cuisine ranges from sweet to sour to spicy preparations which are all deliciously prepared.

There are a number of lip smacking desserts and savory dishes from Maharashtra. One stands out and has the tagline of being the most famous dish from Maharashtra. It is known to the world as Puran Poli. It can be described as chapattis which are stuffed with lentils cooked in jaggery that is generally flavored with cardamom and cinnamon. The stuffed chapattis are roasted on both the sides and served hot with clarified butter.

Puran Poli (पुरण पोळी) | Image Resource : pinterest.com

Another delicious sweet dish is the Shrikhand. It is a dessert made of yoghurt flavored with dry fruits. The yoghurt is first thickened and sugar is added to it and whipped. It is decorated with rose syrup and chopped dry fruits for added richness.

Shrikhand (श्रीखंड ) | Image Resource : sakasmilk.com

Another version of the shrikhand is the Amrakhand. Amrakhand is the same as shrikhand but pureed mango is added to it. Depending on the species of mango added, the flavor profile changes and garnishing is done with chopped almonds.

Amrakhand (आम्रखंड ) | Image Resource : youtube.com

Sheera is another favorite of the locals. It is a simple dish made with few ingredients and is a staple of most meals. It is a Halwa made from the beaten wheat grains, jaggery and ghee. More ingredients like ripe bananas or dry fruits are added in certain parts of Maharashtra.

Sheera (शिरा) | Image Resource : paakashala.com

Til Gul is a dessert revolving around the festival of harvest. It symbolizes the joys and sorrows of life. The til (sesame) portrays bitterness of life and the gul (jaggery) portrays the joy of life. The dish is served in a bowl directly and some prefer to make laddoos out of it and few others may serve it as a barfi.

Til Gul (तिळगुळ) ( | Image Resource : twicsy.com

It is a wonder how even the native dishes come with a twist in the different regions of Maharashtra. Each of them enriched with the simplicity of the local produce grown in that area.

Being a wanderer, I have developed a keen interest in travelling to popular getaways in Maharashtra. Each place has something unique to offer. While travelling to some of the popular destinations like Lonavala and Mahabaleshwar with friends on last Sunday, I have tried and tasted the local cuisines and street food. Trust me; the way these local vendors prepare it, you will definitely want to have more and more!

One of my favorite breakfasts- Kandapoha, which is the local cuisine of Maharashtra, is amazing with the namkeen and lemons. In nutshell, for those who are new to this, Kandapoha or the beaten rice flakes is one of the most healthy and time saving breakfast loved by Maharashtrians.
The well suited breakfast or snack is apt for the fast moving lifestyle here. When you are hungry and there are no much options, you can enjoy the yummy Kandpoha with hot piping tea. The light and crispy poha is cooked well with lots of onions, locally called as kandas and roasted peanut.

Kandapoha With Namkeen and Lemon (कांदापोहे) | Image Resource : kitchenaroma.wordpress.com

If you are in Maharashtra, you should never miss out the famous Sabudana Khichdi or often called as fasting meal. With years, this has become one of the complete breakfast for every Maharashtrian. On the way to Mahabaleshwar with friends, I tasted the Khichdi from a local stall.

Sabudana Khichdi (साबुदाणा खिचडी) | Image Resource : imnepal.com

Omg! I was just amazed by the perfect combination of everything. It’s not that I was new to this. But, the way the vendor had prepared was brilliant. Out of curiosity, I asked him to share his recipe. The man just smiled and said, it’s the way everyone will make it.

Whatever it was, I had two plates of Sabudana Khichdi to satiate my hunger and crave for the lovely dish. You can get it for minimal of 20 bucks a plate anywhere in Maharashtra.

Shrikhand Puri (श्रीखंड पुरी) | Image Resource : queenofmykitchen.blogspot.com

Well, let me introduce you to one of the most favorite sweet Maharashtrian dish called Shrikhand Puri. The name itself gives me a pleasure! This is generally prepared on the New Year or locally called as Gudi Padhwa. The sweet dish is prepared with strained curd, sugar, dry fruits and cardamom. You can enjoy this with hot puri to give a complete taste.