In Maharashtra, munching on a snack at tea time is a generations-old tradition in which piping hot cups of chai infused with cardamom, lemongrass, or tulsi are accompanied by sweet, salty, and savoury crisps. The aromatic properties of the chai bring out the simple flavours of these finger foods that get the taste buds salivating.
During monsoons, it is a singular delight to sit by a window overlooking the street, sipping chai and bingeing on chiwda or bakarwadi, staring at the downpour. Most times, these snacks are non-perishable and can be stored in airtight containers in kitchen cabinets for a sustained crunch. Many can even be prepared deftly at home and served warm on a steel plate without much ceremony but with every intention of gluttonous consumption. Read on below to learn more about the snacks that are most appropriate for the rainy season:
Bakarwadi
While this deep-fried dough disc is an inseparable part of Gujarat’s farsan, over the last six decades, it has become enormously popular as a favourite snack in Maharashtra. With some alterations to the Gujarati version, the dish made of dried coconut, poppy seeds, sesame, and just a hint of chilli has been recreated in the Nagpuri style like a pud wadi, or a spicy roll, by the confectioners, Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale. Today, this slightly spicier version of the bakarwadi is a much-loved crisp paired with tea.
Matar Karanji
A karanji or gujia is a sweet or savoury dumpling that consists of a filling of dried or fresh coconut or peas and potatoes stuffed into a thinly rolled dough of rice flour and maida and deep fried to a perfect golden brown. Variations of gujiya, or the half-moon dumpling, are popular across regional cuisines, each with its own signature stuffing put into the afternoon snack. In Maharashtra, a spicy mix of peas with coconuts, chillies, and ajwain is stuffed into the rolled-out dough and served with tamarind or coriander chutney.
Kothimbir Wadi
A delicious savoury and crispy snack popular in Maharashtra, the kothimbir wadi is made from coriander leaves, mixed with chilli and cumin powder and other assorted condiments, and steamed in a cooker before pan-frying or deep frying to a golden brown crisp. The kothimbir wadi is another variant of the pudachi wadi and is best served hot, with a steaming cup of masala chai.
Poha chiwda
Every household in Maharashtra has a different recipe to make poha chiwda, and most of these variations are full of taste and flavour. While some swap fried, dried green chillies in favour of red chilli powder, others do away with dried coconut shavings to instead be generous with peanuts. Either way, this lightly toasted crispy chiwda made from puffed or flattened rice is a favourite munching snack that is most relished by grabbing some with bare hands and popping it directly in the mouth.
Shankarpali
While shankarpali is a popular Diwali faral crisp, it can just as easily be fried during monsoons as a preferred afternoon snack. Both, savoury and sweet, the shankarpali is made by rolling out maida or semolina dough flavoured with salt, cumin, or some sugar with a rolling pin, breaking it into small diamond-shaped cuts, and deep frying them to crispy goodness. Shankarpali is a durable, crispy snack readily available in packets across sweet shops and is a quick, no-brainer choice on rainy evenings.
Chakli
This is another Diwali snack, but in recent years, it has become popular as an all-year-round munching option that can be enjoyed with afternoon tea. The butter chakli sticks, in particular, are a favourite across households—a no-turmeric, deep-fried, extra-crispy variation of the chakli lightly flavoured with salt and cumin. The spiral snack known as murukku in Karnataka is made from Bengalgram or rice flour, but while this southern Indian version has a soft exterior, the Maharashtrian chakli has a spiked surface and a deep orange and brown hue with just a tad bit of heat.