FOODIE SPECIAL.................... Maharashtra on a Platter

Maharashtra on a Platter

As Taj Wellington Mews unveils a menu dedicated to the state, Shraddha Shirodkar walks down a labyrinth of flavours to discover what unifies the diverse cuisine of this expansive region

Think of Maharashtrian cuisine, and one pictures a bowl of misal at a local restaurant or zunka-bhakar at a friend’s home. Such is the earthiness of the cuisine that it’s difficult to imagine it in a five-star setting—exactly why an invite to Taj Wellington Mews, Colaba, to taste their Maharashtrian menu piqued our interest. This state-of-the-art residential complex is home to several expats, who often express a desire to savour home-cooked meals—inspiring Taj’s restaurant Weli Deli to coo up a quintessential Maharashtrian menu that will be available till September end. Home-style outside home The platter, served like a Gujarati thali, featured popular dishes—kothimbir vadi, chicken kolhapuri, bharleli vaangi, batata sukhi bhaji, amti, masala bhaat, chapati, puri and shrikhand. All of this with papad and an assortment of chutneys. Chef Shrutika Koli truly nailed the brief of home-style Maharashtrian cooking proven best by the kothimbir vadi. While there are different ways to make it—in one typical method the vadi is chopped into brownie-sized chunks and shallow fried—but Chef Koli served us the classic home-style version marked by its dark green colour and crackling deep-fried crispiness. Viewed independently, almost every dish or preparation style was picked from a specific region of Maharashtra—while kothimbir vadi is a famous Konkan preparation, batata sukhi bhaji spiced with peanuts is seen in Brahmin households of Pune. Taj’s meal offered it all, giving us a taste of Maharashtra on a platter, whilst also showcasing the ‘unity in diversity’ of its flavours. Legacy of regional diversity The diversity in the cuisine results from the simple fact that meals belonging to specific regions are primarily governed by their local produce. Hence, while groundnuts are found in almost every dish of interiors such as Vidarbha that has vast groundnut plantations, they don’t feature in the coastal cuisine of Konkan and Malvan, known for generous use of coconut and cashew. Similarly, pronounced spice levels are seen in Kolhapur’s chicken curry as well as misal (sprouted moth bean curry topped with chivda and farsan). But just 200 km away, the misal prepared in Pune is comparatively demure. Food writer Kalyan Karmakar, says, “In Thane, you’ll get spicy misal, whereas in Girgaon it’s much sweeter, thanks to the Puneri influence and possibly also the preference of Gujaratis who now reside there.” “Paddy being a predominant produce in the coastal belt, means the Konkan and Malvan bhakris (round unleavened flatbread) are made of rice, whereas in interiors like Nagpur they are made of jowar and ragi,” adds Chef Koli. Moreover, the abundance of seafood along the coast has birthed the Malvani sub-cuisine cherished for its medium-spiced seafood and kombdi vade (fluffy, fried, rice-flour dumplings with chicken). Ingredients that unify Although each region lends its unique touch to Maharashtrian food, certain elements used universally across the state play a unifying role. One example is the goda masala (sweet masala). The subtle sweetness of this spice blend (made of cumin, cloves, black cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, sesame seeds, etc) offsets the heat or pungency of various dishes, including misal, masala bhaat, dal amti, bharleli vaangi and katachi amti. Incidentally, it was used in three of Weli Deli’s—cleverly bringing cohesiveness to the specialties of different regions. Additionally, since Maharashtrian diet is a balanced one, components such as koshimbir (salad of diced cucumber, tomato, onion and coriander in yoghurt base), ghee served on dal and rice, and lemon slices are ubiquitous to meals, irrespective of the region. Modern bites With changing times, the cuisine has also taken a practical turn. The owner of Aaswad Upahar, one of the few (and popular) restaurants in Mumbai that serves authentic Maharashtrian cuisine, Suryakant Sarjoshi shares, “Earlier, items like puran poli (roti with sweet lentil filling) and ukadiche modak (sweet steamed rice/wheat dumplings filled with coconut and jaggery) were never sold in shops. Now, given the demand, such specialty food items are easily available.” Food is said to reflect culture and the quintessential Maharashtrian cuisine does just that—demure, earthy, it’s sometimes fiery, but always ends on a sweet note, just like your friendly neighbourhood Maharashtrian family. shraddha.shirodkar@dnaindia.net;