Talk about tea time in India, and the mind will immediately wander around some crispy, crunchy snacks to go with the hot cup of chai. No wonder we have so many fried snacks to binge on. While Pyaz Pakoras, Kachoris and Samosas are a staple, Indian cuisine boasts many other regional snacks that deserve a place on the global food map.
Maharashtrian cuisine, for instance, is one that comes with a variety of mouth-watering delicacies, some of which are just perfect for your evening indulgence along with tea. Maharashtrians love their food that comes with a balance of sweet and spicy flavours. And it goes beyond the steaming hot Vada Pav and Pav Bhaji. The cuisine has an inexhaustible variety of foods, with an exciting play of desi masalas, using some of the most basic food items and it also boasts different local cooking styles.
So, if you haven’t already tried their snacks, it’s time you try them. Here are five drool-worthy vegetarian Maharashtrian snacks that can be paired with your evening cuppa.
1. Aluvadi
Popular in both Maharashtrian and Gujarati cuisine, Aluvadi or Patrode is primarily a Malvani snack which is deep fried and made with spinach or colocasia leaves. The leaves are stuffed with spiced potatoes and rolled after being smeared with besan paste, before frying. It can be either steamed or fried, and is the best way to satiate your evening hunger pangs.
2. Shankarpali
Call it Shankarpali, Shakkarpara, Khurma, Laktho, Murali, or Lakdi Mithai, this is one of the most popular Maharashtrian snacks and is traditionally enjoyed during festivals. It has different names and has slightly different recipes in different parts of the country like Shakkarpara in Gujarati and Shakerpara in Bengali. Shankarpali is a sweet treat made with milk, sugar or salt, ghee, semolina, and maida, and it can be sour, sweet or salty. It can be stored for a longer time, compared to other snacks.
3. Kothimbir Vadi
Kothimbir is a Marathi word that means coriander, and Kothimbir Vadi means coriander fritters. A perfect evening snack usually enjoyed with tea or coffee, it is made with a mixture of gram flour, coriander leaves, and sesame seeds. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? Think of Mumbai’s monsoon, and then imagine sitting beside a window or your balcony with rain drops falling at your pane, classic Bollywood music playing in the background, and you have yourself a steaming cup of tea and a plate of freshly fried Kothimbir Vadi to go with it.
4. Batata Vada
A classic Mumbai snack, batata vada consists of a mashed potato patty coated with chickpea flour, deep fried and served piping hot with chutney. An absolute favourite street food of Mumbaikars, besides Vada Pav of course, this snack is enjoyed the most with a cup of tea on a rainy day.
5. Thalipeeth
A popular multigrain pancake, Thalipeeth is such a staple in Maharashtrian homes, that people make Thalipeeth Bhajani, a multigrain flour made with whole grains, millets and spices, in large amounts and stored to make Thalipeeth later. And if you have not tasted this absolutely heavenly snack yet, you have missed out on an authentic Maharashtrian experience. Besides flour, coriander seeds, wheat, rice, and cumin seeds are also used to make Thalipeeth. You can also experiment with various vegetables while making the dough to enhance the flavour.