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The city of Solapur in Maharashtra is renowned for its intricate handloom industry and its varied wildlife. Beyond these attractions, Solapur offers a dazzling array of culinary delights, which include humble vegetarian specialties, such as bhakri and pithla as well as rich meat-based dishes like kala mutton. The city also offers several delectable desserts, including the melt-in-the-mouth modak, which is available at the Annapurna Mithai & Namkeen Bakery.
Although abounding in Maharashtrian flavours, the cuisine of Solapur is also influenced by South Indian sensibilities, given its close proximity to Karnataka. Therefore, the city’s dishes reflect a diverse range of flavours. Some of the widely consumed ingredients of Solapur include jowar and bajra; additionally, foods, such as lentils, legumes, garlic, ginger, and tamarind also feature prominently in the top dishes of the city.
Take a look at some of the most famous delicacies of Solapur.
Solapur Poha
This comforting rice-based dish is a fixture in several households across Maharashtra. Typically relished as a breakfast item, this dish comprises flattened rice that has been blended with a host of spices and seasonings, including mustard seeds, curry leaves, and turmeric. It is typically topped off with various ingredients, including peanuts and sev to give the dish some bite and crunch.
Recommendations: Mahadev Restaurant
Type: Vegetarian
Cost For Two: ₹200, approx.
Pithla
Image Credits: By Om Bankar - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons
Pithla is robust curry-based dish that is primarily prepared using gram flour. This specialty possesses a tangy flavour which makes it an ideal pairing with numerous flatbreads, including bajra and jowar bhakris, both of which are Maharashtrian staples; it can also be consumed with rice. The dish is bursting with flavour owing to the seamless manner in which it combines onions, mustard, garlic, and cumin, making for a wholesome meal.
Recommendations: Basveshwar Khanawal
Type: Vegetarian
Cost For Two: ₹200, approx.
Shengdana Amti
Also known as “peanut amti,” this curry-based dish is prepared using peanuts as a base. Apart from peanuts, its main ingredients include kokum, cilantro, cumin seeds, ghee, green chillies, and coconut. This nourishing dish is loaded with protein as well as vital minerals like zinc and iron, making it a healthy meal option. Shengdana Amti is typically consumed in Maharashtrian households during fasts, on the occasions of Navratri, Mahashivratri, and more; thus, this is a fast-friendly food.
Recommendations: Majha Upvas
Type: Vegetarian
Cost For Two: ₹200, approx.
Sabudana Khichdi
Image Credits: Freepik
Like poha, sabudana khichdi is traditionally savoured as a breakfast item in parts of Maharashtra, including Solapur. Made from sago, this aromatic and filling dish is seasoned with green chillies, peanuts, potatoes, and curry leaves. The different ingredients come together to give this dish a unique texture of sweet, salty, tangy, and crunchy, making it truly multidimensional. Sabudana khichdi is also a famous “upvas” food, meaning people typically eat it when they are fasting.
Recommendations: Majha Upvas
Type: Vegetarian
Cost For Two: ₹200, approx.
Masala Bhaat
Masala bhaat is a traditional Maharashtrian rice-based dice that is cooked with vegetables and a special local spice known as “goda masala.” The dish also incorporates tomato, coriander, cumin, peanuts, turmeric, and cinnamon, helping craft a delicacy that’s packed with flavour. An example of a one-pot meal dish, masala bhaat is occasionally eaten as breakfast; it is more commonly consumed during lunch, and serves as a convenient tiffin-friendly food.
Recommendations: Kolhapuri Mejwani
Type: Vegetarian
Cost For Two: ₹250, approx.
Puran Poli
Puran poli is a sweetened, festive flatbread that’s consumed in parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The bread is stuffed with a sugary lentil filling; the Maharashtrian version of the stuffing is typically prepared from chana dal, also known as black chickpeas. The chickpeas are sweetened with jaggery, and flavoured with spices, such as nutmeg, fennel, and ginger, to form an exquisite dish that boasts numerous taste profiles. This dish is a fixture during festivals, such as Holi and Diwali.
Recommendations: Hotel Shrikrushna Thali
Type: Vegetarian
Cost For Two: ₹200, approx.
Modak
Image Credits: Freepik
Modak is melt-in-the-mouth sweet dish that is famously offered as a “prasad” to Lord Ganesha on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. A bite-sized dumpling of sorts, this dessert is crafted from rice flour, and is typically loaded with a mixture of grated coconut and jaggery, which give the modak its signature sweet taste. Modak is also healthier compared to most other sweet dishes as it is steamed, and not deep-fried unlike delicacies, such as gulab jamun and jalebi.
Recommendations: Anand Sweets & Savouries
Type: Vegetarian
Cost For Two: ₹150, approx.
