Maharashtrian Cuisine

Maharashtrian cuisine is hearty, spicy,yet comforting with lots of homegrown flavours. Quintessential homemade spice mixes, masalas from granny’s pantry and heirloom recipes are quite the trademark. With a diverse range of preparations spanning vegetarian and non vegetarian recipes, this cuisine is a minefield for a true lover of Indian food. So this weekend meal features just a small sampling of Maharashtrian and Konkan inspired cuisine, to whet your appetite for more.

This weeks #SaturdayLunch features a simple 3-course meal starting with appetisers, a wholesome main course with all the requisite elements, and some homemade dessert options that will soothe your tastebuds after the riot of flavours the meal is sure to have. Choose as many appetisers or desserts as you wish, but from the make sure you make a complete meal with multiple selections from the main course section. We hope you enjoy this as much as we have enjoyed putting it together for you.

“A recipe has no soul, You as the cook must bring soul to the recipe”

1 – Appetisers

The traditional Kothimbir Vadi is a fritter made of coriander bound together with spices and fried until crisp. You could also try the Thenga Vada typically made for Gokulashtami, but equally delicious as a crunchy starter/appetiser. And just to keep things healthy, we have a super-salad of Carrot Beet Amaranth Salad to add some wholesome crunch. 

2 – Main Course

No traditional Indian meal is complete without a little bit of every essential component on your thaali or meal plate. Get your veggie quotient with this delicious stir fry of tossed greens, Shepuchi Bhaji and a Palak Raita for extra measure. Bharleli Vaangi, Aloo Bhujne are perfect accompaniments for Dal Vangi and Maharashtrain Amti are packed with the warm and spicy flavours of Goda Masala and are best eaten with either this Multigrain Thalipeeth or the traditional Masale Bhaath, which forms a comforting and nutritious meal. Wash it all down with a soothing cup of Sol Kadhi.

3 – Desserts

End the meal with festive, yet easy to make desserts. Try this easy Shrikhand Recipe, or for something simpler, yet indulgent, Doodanche Fov or Kesar Paneer Ki Kheer will do the trick just as well.

Recipes:

1. Kaju Kothimbir Vadi
2. Batata Vada
3. Zunka Bhakri
4. Pav Bhaji
5. Bharleli Vangi
6. Puran Poli
7. Kolhapuri Vegetables
8. Aamti

“Cooking is like love, it should be entered into with abandon, or not at all” – Harriet Vorne Horne

1. Kaju Kothimbir Vadi

• Recipe Servings: 4
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Total Cook Time: 55 mins

Make delicious kothimbir vadis at home with the richness of cashew nuts. A classic Maharashtrian snack.

Ingredients Of Kaju Kothimbir Vadi

• 1 cup gram flour (besan)
• 30 cashew nuts
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp tamarind pulp
• Salt, to taste
• 4 Tbsp oil + to shallow fry
• 2 Tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

How to Make Kaju Kothimbir Vadi

• 1.In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except oil. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and mix well to make a very thick batter.
• 2.Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a frying pan over a low heat. Add the prepared batter and cook, stirring continuously, for 15 to 18 minutes till the mixture comes together to make a thick doughy batter. Remove from heat.
• 3.Grease a small tray and spread the mixture evenly 1 inch thick. Set aside to cool and steam it for at least 30 minutes so that it sets. Cut into 2 inch squares.
• 4.Heat the oil in frying pan and shallow-fry the squares till golden and crisp. Remove and drain on absorbent paper.
• 5.Serve hot with coriander chutney, mint chutney or ketchup.

2. Batata Vada

• Recipe Servings: 4
• Prep Time: 05 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Cook Time: 35 mins

About Batata Vada Recipe: A popular snack from the streets of Maharashtra. Batata translates into potato in English. Mashed masaledar potatoes coated in a thick besan (chickpea flour) batter and deep fried till golden. Served with a tangy chutney, batata vada is a street food delight tat you can easily prepare at home during the monsoon season or usually as an evening snack. These are simple and quick so you can easily dish up this chatpata snack when unexpected guests arrive.

Ingredients Of Batata Vada

• 600 gms potatoes
• for deep frying oil
• Tempering:
• 5 gms mustard seeds
• 2 gms curry leaves
• 5 gms turmeric powder
• 3 gms red chilli powder
• 10 gms green chillies
• 10 gms ginger
• 10 gms garlic
• 1 lime
• 10 gms coriander leaves
• Salt
• Batter:
• 200 gms gram flour
• Water
• 5 gms red chilli powder
• 5 gms turmeric
• 3 gms cumin (crushed)
• Salt
• 2 gms soda bi-carb

How to Make Batata Vada

• 1.Cook the potatoes until soft, peel and mash coarsely.
• 2.Chop or crush together the green chillies, garlic, ginger and the coriander leaves.
• 3.Using the mentioned ingredients make a thick batter.
• 4.Heat oil and add mustard seeds, after they crackle add the curry leaves.
• 5.Mix in all the rest of the tempering ingredients and add to the mashed potatoes.
• 6.Divide the potato mixture into equal sized portions, approximately the size of a lemon.
• 7.Dip each ball in the batter and deep fry until golden brown in color.
• 8.Serve hot with a chutney.

Key Ingredients: potatoes, oil , mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chilli powder, green chillies, ginger, garlic, lime, coriander leaves, Salt, gram flour, Water, red chilli powder, turmeric, cumin (crushed), Salt, soda bi-carb

3.Zunka Bhakri

• Recipe Servings: 2
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Cook Time: 35 mins

A traditional Maharashtrian dish, Zunka Bhakri has a chickpea flour base and a tempering of fried onions, mustard seeds, ginger-garlic. This side dish is eaten with jowar or bajra rotis.

Ingredients Of Zunka Bhakri

• For the ghol:
• 1 glass water
• 2 onions, chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 6-7 curry leaves
• 7-8 coriander leaves
• 1 cup besan or gram flour
• For the sabzi:
• 4 tsp refined oil
• 1/2 tsp rai or mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp zeera or cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp green chillies
• 1/2 tsp salt to taste

How to Make Zunka Bhakri

• 1.First you need to prepare the ghol.
• 2.Add water in bowl. Mix in the onions, red chilly powder, turmeric, curry leaves, coriander leaves, besan.
• 3.Stir all well. The consistency should be liquid like. Keep it aside.
• 4.In a kadahi heat some oil. Add mustard seeds and zeera.
• 5.Mix in the ginger and garlic paste.
• 6.Add the onions and green chillies.
• 7.Saute till the onions turn brown. (2-3 minutes)
• 8.Once done add the ghol prepared previously to the above masala.
• 9.Cook for about 5 minutes, till all the water evaporates and a thick yellow somewhat paste like residue is left.

4. Pav Bhaji

• Recipe Servings: 2
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Cook Time: 40 mins

About Pav Bhaji Recipe | Pav Bhaji Masala Recipe: Pav Bhaji is one of the most popular Indian snacks, specially in Maharashtra. It is a delicious combination of different vegetables cooked and mashed together. This is one dish, loved by people of all ages and cooked with different variations in different households. Pav Bhaji is the smartest way to have all the healthy vegetables together without compromising on the taste. Here is a spicy, easy and low fat Pav Bhaji recipe for you to easily cook this iconic dish at home.

Ingredients of Pav Bhaji Recipe | Easy Pav Bhaji Recipe: This famous Mumbai street food item, Pav Bhaji is an amalgamation of all sorts of healthy vegetables which you might not like when eaten individually. You may add vegetables of your choice or even skip the one’s you don’t like. Pav bhaji is the most delicious dish through which kids can eat as many veggies as you want them to! Potatoes, tomatoes, green peas all mashed together with spices and lemon and paired with buttery buns is a feast in itself.

Best Way to Enjoy Pav Bhaji : Pav bhaji is a dish that can be enjoyed at any hour of the day, be it for brunch, lunch or even dinner. It is a quintessential Indian snack recipe. The best way to feast on Pav bhaji is to serve it with roasted pav buns, some chopped onion and lemon with sliced tomatoes to go with it. Don’t forget to garnish the Bhaji with loads of butter on top!

Ingredients Of Pav Bhaji

• 1 tsp oil
• 4 cubes large butter, finely chopped
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 cup lauki, chopped
• 1/2 cup capsicum, chopped
• 1 cup potatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup beetroot, chopped
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 3 tsp pav bhaji masala
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1 cube butter
• 1 bunch coriander leaves
• For Pav:
• Butter
• Pav
• Pav bhaji masala

How to Make Pav Bhaji

• 1.Heat oil in a pan. Add cubes of butter along with onion
• 2.Saute till golden brown and then add ginger garlic paste. Mix well.
• 3.Now add chopped lauki along with coriander and mix well, followed by a cup of chopped potatoes. Mix and mash well together.
• 4.Add chopped beetroot, salt, chilli powder and pav bhaji masala to the mashed mixture. Mix well.
• 5.Now add the tomato puree.
• 6.Mix the tomato puree thoroughly and then add butter followed by coriander leaves to the cooked bhaaji. Mix thoroughly.
• Prepare Pav:
• 1.Spread some butter all over the pav.
• 2.Sprinkle pav bhaji masala over it.
• 3.Toast it on the pan for a while till it becomes golden brown.
• 4.Serve hot along with a lemon wedge, chopped onion and green chilli.

RECIPE NOTES

Make sure to chop and boil the vegetables finely to easily blend it while cooking in the gravy.
You can either make a Pav Bhaji Masala at home or get a ready made one. Key Ingredients: oil, butter, onion, ginger-garlic paste, lauki, capsicum, potatoes, beetroot, salt, chili powder, pav bhaji masala, red chili powder, tomato puree, butter, coriander leaves, Butter, Pav , Pav bhaji masala

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