India is a land of diversity. And if there is one state that captures this diversity accurately, it has to be Maharashtra. This state is famous for the glamorous city of Mumbai, but it has so much more than that. While speaking about its culinary offerings, the local food is what Maharashtra is famous for.
From misal pav to vada pav, from kanda bhajji to batata poha and more, there is a never-ending list that makes the local cuisine of Maharashtra so delectable. If you consider yourself a true foodie, you must try this delicious breakfast for an authentic Maharashtrian experience.
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Kanda-Batata Poha
Kanda-Batata Poha is a Maharashtrian breakfast dish made with flattened rice (poha), onions (kanda) and potatoes (batata). It is light and filling, seasoned with mustard seeds, turmeric, and green chillies and garnished with coriander and lemon. To make it, temper mustard seeds in oil, then sauté onions and potatoes until soft. Add soaked poha, mix well with turmeric, salt and green chillies and cook until everything is combined. Finish with coriander and lemon juice.
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Misal Pav
Misal Pav is a spicy and flavourful Maharashtrian dish made with a curry of sprouted lentils (misal) served with soft pav (bread rolls). The curry is full of spices and topped with farsan (crispy fried snacks), onions and coriander. To prepare Misal, cook sprouted lentils with a blend of spices like red chilli powder, garam masala and goda masala. Serve hot misal with pav and garnish with farsan, onions and a dash of lemon.
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Batata Bhaji and Puri
Batata Bhaji and Puri is a comfort food combination of potato stir-fry (batata bhaji) and deep-fried bread (puri). The potato bhaji is mildly spiced with turmeric, mustard seeds, green chillies and curry leaves, perfect to go with fluffy puris. For this recipe sauté mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies in oil, then add boiled, cubed potatoes and season with turmeric and salt. Serve with hot puris, which are made by rolling dough into small circles and deep frying until golden and puffed.
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Thalipeeth
Thalipeeth is a traditional Maharashtrian multigrain flatbread made from a mix of flours like jowar, bajra, wheat and besan along with spices and finely chopped onions. The dough is flattened by hand and cooked on a griddle until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. First combine various flours with chopped onions, green chillies, coriander and spices and knead into a dough. Pat small portions of the dough into flat discs and cook on a hot griddle with a little oil until golden brown.
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Kolache Pohe
Kolache Pohe is a Maharashtrian dish where poha is flavoured with jaggery (kol) giving it a slightly sweet taste. This is usually had as a snack or light breakfast. To make Kolache Pohe, heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Then add soaked poha along with jaggery, a pinch of salt and grated coconut. Cook until the jaggery melts and coats the poha evenly.
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Puran Poli
Puran Poli is a sweet stuffed flatbread that is a festive favourite in Maharashtra. It is made by stuffing a mixture of boiled and mashed chana dal (split chickpeas) sweetened with jaggery (puran) into a dough made from wheat flour and then rolling it out and cooking it on a griddle.
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To prepare Puran Poli, prepare the puran by cooking chana dal with jaggery, cardamom and nutmeg until thick and fragrant.