Situated in the western part of India, Maharashtra is renowned for both its vibrant cities and its rich and varied food offerings. From street nibbles to celebration meals, people adore food. Maharashtrian cuisine is a fusion of tastes, textures, and spices that captures the richness of the state's agricultural bounty and diverse cultural heritage.
The food of Maharashtra is quite varied. Maharashtrian cuisine is often mildly to extremely spicy. It combines aromatic masala with regional cooking techniques. Each area within the state has a unique take on a certain dish. Certain spices, such as goda masala, malvani masala, and kala masala, give food its flavour. While some people prefer spicy food over sweet, spicy food has contributed to the widespread popularity of Maharashtrian cuisine. The following is a list of the spiciest Maharashtrian foods that spice enthusiasts should try.
7 Spiciest Vegetarian And Non-Vegetarian Dishes From Maharashtra
Saoji Mutton
For anyone familiar with Maharashtrian cuisine, a fiery red curry made of mutton leaving your mouth racing is common. Ultimately, the region is home to several regional cuisines that mostly rely on fiery spices like red chillies. While many in India would likely associate Maharashtra's Malwani or Kolhapuri cuisines with this extremely spicy mutton curry, the dish is a part of the much less well-known but even hotter Saoji cuisine. Saoji mutton is thought to be the hottest in the state; it comes from Nagpur, the biggest city in the Vidarbha area of Eastern Maharashtra.
Misal Pav
The state of Maharashtra is a huge fan of misal, a spicy gravy-based dish. This meal is usually eaten for breakfast, as a midday snack, or sometimes as a stand-alone dinner, served with Pav. It's still a favourite snack since it's easy to prepare, doesn't cost much, and is filling.
Each area has its own variation, whether Puneri, Kolhapuri, Nashik, or Nagpuri. Misal comes in two varieties: Rassa, which is a thin, spicy gravy, and Ussal, which is a thick, spicy sprouting combination. The available gravies include Hirwa Rassa (Green Gravy), Kala Rassa (Black Gravy), and Laal Rassa (Red Gravy). The gravy tastes great and has a lot of flavour from the spices.
Varhadi Chicken
Originating in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, this hot chicken stew pairs well with rotis and jowar bhakris. The use of clay pots to make this dish improves the flavour of the chicken and the gravy. You must try this easy yet delectable meal from Maharashtra's diverse cuisine. When the curry is served with curd or raita as a side dish, the flavours of the meal go very well together.
Kharda/ Hirvya Mirchicha Thecha
Among the spicier foods in Maharashtrian cuisine is Kharda. Despite being on the spicier side, it's the simplest and one of the most popular recipes in a Marathi family. It is a side dish made by roasting garlic cloves and green chillies in a small amount of oil. After that, they are ground up with cumin, coriander, and peanut seeds. The perfect accompaniment to this dish is Jwarichi Bhakri or jowar flatbread.
Kolhapuri Tambda Rassa
The spicy and savoury Kolhapuri Tambda Rassa originates from the Maharashtra district of Kolhapur and is traditionally a mutton-based curry. For the combination of red chilli peppers and fragrant spices, it has a deep red colour and a rich, hot flavour. Onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and a variety of Kolhapuri spices—including Kolhapuri masala, a unique spice mixture that gives this meal its unique flavour—are commonly used to prepare the dish.
Kolhapuri Bhadang
Puffed rice (bhadang) is combined with crispy curry leaves, roasted peanuts, mustard seeds, turmeric, and salt to make Kolhapuri Bhadang, a spicy and crunchy Maharashtrian snack due to the red chillies used. In Maharashtra, this snack is a popular street food choice because of its addicting crunchiness and blast of spicy spices. It's ideal for having a fast and delicious snack on the road while sating your desire for spicy food.
Koli Fish Curry
The Koli community, traditional fishermen, have been developing this cuisine for ages. It is indigenous to Maharashtra. This seafood-based meal has a distinct taste that is hard to find in other Indian cuisines. Fresh ingredients and basic spices are used in koli cuisine to enhance the inherent flavours of the seafood.
The Koli Fish Curry, often called Koliwada Fish Curry, is one of the most well-liked foods in Koli cuisine. A spicy and tangy gravy is cooked with a variety of fishes, including pomfret, surmai, and kingfish, to make this curry. The dish is typically served with bhakri or steamed rice.
For those who love food, Maharashtra is the state to experience an excellent blend of flavours and gastronomy. There's something for everyone as the cuisine boasts both vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies. The bold flavours and robust flavours are something that you’ll become a fan of.