RAG Demo

Tag: Maharashtra

  • Misal Pav

    Misal is a breakfast institution across Maharashtra, with fierce loyalty to regional styles. Kolhapur's misal is the hottest, with a thin, oily red rassa; Puneri misal adds poha and potato; Nashik's is dark and black-masala heavy. All share the same structure: a bowl of spiced sprouted beans, a ladle of fiery gravy called kat or tarri, and a mountain of crunchy farsan on top.

    The base is usually matki (moth bean) sprouts cooked with onion and tomato, while the kat gets its colour and heat from Kolhapuri chilli and a roasted paste of dry coconut, onion and garlic. Eating it is a balance act: crunch from farsan, cool sharpness from raw onion and lemon, and heat from the rassa, which you pour in to your own tolerance.

    Misal is eaten with soft pav, often with a glass of buttermilk or a cup of tea to soothe the heat. Restaurants serve the kat separately so you can top up as you eat. Pune, Nashik and Kolhapur each claim the best misal in the state, and every town has its famous joint with a queue outside on Sunday mornings.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegan
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time60 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmatki sprouts / dry coconut / onion / farsan

    Ingredients

    For the masala paste

    • 1 tbsp oil
    • 1 large onion, sliced
    • 1/3 cup dry coconut (kopra), grated
    • 8 garlic cloves
    • 1 inch ginger
    • 1 tomato, chopped

    For the usal and kat

    • 2 cups matki sprouts
    • 4 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • A pinch of asafoetida
    • 10 curry leaves
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 2 tsp Kolhapuri or Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 1 tsp hot red chilli powder
    • 2 tsp goda masala or kanda-lasun masala
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 small piece jaggery
    • 2 kokum petals
    • 4 cups hot water

    To serve

    • 2 cups mixed farsan or chivda
    • 1 onion, finely chopped
    • 1/2 cup chopped coriander
    • Lemon wedges
    • 8 pav

    Method

    1. Heat 1 tbsp oil, add the sliced onion and fry on medium for 5-6 minutes until brown. Add the coconut and roast for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until it turns reddish-brown and fragrant. Add garlic, ginger and tomato for 1 minute. Cool and grind to a fine paste with a little water.
    2. Pressure cook the matki sprouts with 1 1/2 cups water, a pinch of turmeric and salt for 1 whistle only. They should be cooked but hold their shape.
    3. Heat 4 tbsp oil in a pot on medium. Crackle the mustard seeds, add asafoetida, curry leaves and the chopped onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft.
    4. Add the ground masala paste and fry for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until the oil separates and the paste darkens.
    5. Lower the heat, add turmeric, both chilli powders and goda masala and stir for 30 seconds without burning.
    6. Remove one-third of this masala to a separate pan for the kat. Add the cooked matki with its water to the main pot, plus 1 cup hot water, half the salt, jaggery and a kokum petal. Simmer for 10 minutes to make the usal.
    7. To the reserved masala add 3 cups hot water, the rest of the salt and a kokum petal. Boil for 10-12 minutes until a layer of red oil (tarri) floats on top. This is the kat.
    8. To serve, ladle usal into a bowl, pour kat over it, top with farsan, chopped onion and coriander, and add a lemon wedge. Serve with pav and extra kat on the side.

    Tips

    • Do not overcook the sprouts; mushy matki makes the misal pasty.
    • The red oil layer on the kat is the hallmark of a good misal; let it boil until you see it.
    • Add the farsan only at the table so it stays crunchy.

    Serve with

    Soft pav, buttermilk or cutting chai, and extra kat in a jug.

  • Pav Bhaji

    Pav bhaji began in the 1850s as a quick, cheap lunch for textile mill workers and cotton traders in Mumbai, who needed something hot and filling during long shifts. Vendors mashed leftover vegetables with tomatoes and spices on a large flat tawa and served them with bread rolls. Juhu beach and Girgaum Chowpatty stalls made it famous across the country.

    The bhaji is a thick, spicy mash of potatoes, cauliflower, peas, capsicum, onion and tomato, cooked down in butter with pav bhaji masala until everything melts together. It is bright red from Kashmiri chilli and rich from the butter. The pav is split and toasted on the same tawa with butter and a pinch of masala until crisp at the edges.

    It is evening food, eaten at the beach, at fairs and at family get-togethers. Serve it with raw onion, lemon wedges and another knob of butter on top. Leftover bhaji becomes a filling for toasted sandwiches. Juhu stalls also offer cheese pav bhaji and khada pav bhaji, where the vegetables are left in chunks rather than mashed, but the classic smooth version remains the favourite.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseStreet food
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time55 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientspotato / tomato / butter / pav

    Ingredients

    For the bhaji

    • 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
    • 1 cup cauliflower florets
    • 1/2 cup green peas
    • 1 small carrot, chopped (optional)
    • 4 tbsp butter, plus more to finish
    • 1 large onion, finely chopped
    • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 1 green capsicum, finely chopped
    • 4 large tomatoes, finely chopped
    • 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 2 1/2 tbsp pav bhaji masala
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 3 tbsp chopped coriander

    For the pav

    • 8 pav
    • 3 tbsp butter
    • 1/2 tsp pav bhaji masala
    • 1 tbsp chopped coriander

    To serve

    • 1 onion, finely chopped
    • Lemon wedges

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the potatoes, cauliflower, peas and carrot with 1 cup water for 3 whistles until very soft. Mash coarsely with a potato masher, keeping the cooking water.
    2. Heat 4 tbsp butter in a wide, heavy pan or tawa on medium. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft and pale gold. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir for 1 minute.
    3. Add the capsicum and cook for 3 minutes until it softens. Add the tomatoes and cook for 6-8 minutes, mashing, until they break down into a pulp.
    4. Stir in chilli powder, pav bhaji masala, turmeric and salt and cook for 2 minutes until the butter starts to separate and the masala smells fragrant.
    5. Add the mashed vegetables with their water. Mash everything together vigorously with the masher for 4-5 minutes, adding hot water to keep it at a thick, spoonable consistency.
    6. Simmer on low for 10 minutes, stirring and mashing occasionally, until the colour deepens and it tastes cohesive. Finish with lemon juice, coriander and a spoon of butter.
    7. For the pav, melt butter on a tawa with pav bhaji masala and coriander. Slit the pav, press them cut side down into the butter and toast for 1 minute, then flip and toast the outside until crisp.

    Tips

    • Kashmiri chilli gives the signature red colour without too much heat. A teaspoon of beetroot is the vendor trick for deeper colour.
    • Keep mashing as it cooks; the smooth, homogeneous texture is what distinguishes good pav bhaji.
    • Do not skimp on butter at the end; it carries the masala flavour.

    Serve with

    Butter-toasted pav, chopped onion, lemon wedges and a cube of butter on top.

  • Shrikhand

    Shrikhand is the strained-yogurt dessert of Maharashtra and Gujarat, made by hanging curd until it becomes chakka, a dense, cream-cheese-like mass, then beating it with sugar and flavourings. It is the centrepiece of Gudi Padwa lunches in Maharashtra and appears at weddings and festivals across both states. Amrakhand, with mango pulp, is the summer variation.

    The texture is smooth, thick and spoonable, cool on the tongue and gently tangy beneath the sweetness. Saffron gives a pale gold colour, cardamom and a little nutmeg add warmth, and chopped pistachios or charoli bring crunch. Good shrikhand is never grainy; passing it through a sieve after sweetening is what gives that silky finish.

    Shrikhand-puri is the classic pairing, with the hot, puffed puris used to scoop up the cold dessert. It is also served as a side in the festive thali next to batata bhaji and masale bhaat. Made at home it keeps well chilled for four days. Elaichi, kesar and mango versions are also sold in tubs across Maharashtra.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time0 minutes
    Total time20 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientscurd / sugar / saffron / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 1 kg fresh full-fat curd (yields about 450 g chakka)
    • 3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar, to taste
    • A generous pinch of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
    • 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
    • A small pinch of grated nutmeg
    • 1 tbsp chopped pistachios
    • 1 tbsp charoli (chironji) or sliced almonds

    Method

    1. Line a large sieve with a clean muslin cloth and set it over a bowl. Pour in the curd, gather the corners and tie into a bundle.
    2. Hang the bundle from a tap or place the sieve with a weight on top in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours, or overnight, until the curd is thick and no longer drips. It should hold its shape like soft paneer.
    3. Scrape the chakka into a bowl. Add the powdered sugar and mix with a spatula until the sugar dissolves completely; the mixture will loosen at first.
    4. Push the mixture through a fine sieve or a puran yantra with the back of a spoon. This step removes any lumps and makes it silky.
    5. Stir in the saffron milk, cardamom and nutmeg. Taste and add a little more sugar if needed.
    6. Fold in half the nuts, transfer to a serving bowl and top with the remaining nuts. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

    Tips

    • Hang the curd in the fridge, not on the counter, or it will turn too sour in warm weather.
    • Use powdered sugar rather than granulated so it dissolves without leaving grains.
    • Keep the drained whey; it is excellent for kneading chapati dough or in kadhi.

    Serve with

    Hot puris and batata bhaji, as part of a Gudi Padwa thali.

  • Vada Pav

    Vada pav was born in the 1960s near Dadar station in Mumbai, when Ashok Vaidya started selling batata vadas inside pav to mill workers who needed something cheap, filling and quick. It became the city's signature street food and an emblem of Mumbai itself, sold at thousands of stalls from early morning to late night.

    The vada is a ball of mashed potato tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, plenty of garlic, ginger and green chilli, dipped in a thin besan batter and fried until crisp. It goes into a soft, split pav smeared with red dry garlic chutney and a tangy green chutney. Bits of fried batter, called chura, are often sprinkled inside for extra crunch.

    It is eaten on the go, standing at the stall, with a fried green chilli sprinkled with salt. At home it makes a good monsoon evening snack. The vadas can be made ahead and fried just before eating. The garlic chutney is the soul of the dish, so make a good batch with dry coconut, garlic and red chilli and store it in a jar for weeks.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegan
    CourseStreet food
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientspotato / besan / pav / garlic

    Ingredients

    For the potato filling

    • 4 medium potatoes (about 500 g), boiled, peeled and coarsely mashed
    • 2 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • A pinch of asafoetida
    • 10 curry leaves
    • 8 garlic cloves, 1 inch ginger and 3 green chillies, pounded coarsely
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 1 tsp lemon juice

    For the batter

    • 1 cup (100 g) besan
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric
    • 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
    • A pinch of baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • About 3/4 cup water

    To assemble

    • 8 ladi pav
    • Dry garlic chutney (lasun chutney)
    • Green coriander chutney
    • 8 green chillies, slit
    • Oil for deep frying

    Method

    1. Heat oil on medium, crackle the mustard seeds, then add asafoetida, curry leaves and the pounded garlic-ginger-chilli. Saute for 1 minute until the raw garlic smell fades.
    2. Add turmeric, then the mashed potatoes and salt. Mix well for 2 minutes, turn off the heat and stir in coriander and lemon juice. Cool, then shape into 8 balls slightly flattened.
    3. Whisk the besan, turmeric, chilli powder, soda and salt with water into a smooth batter, thinner than pakora batter, that coats a spoon in a thin layer.
    4. Heat oil to medium-hot, about 175 C. Dip each vada in the batter, coat fully and slide into the oil.
    5. Fry 3-4 at a time for 3-4 minutes, turning, until the coating is crisp and light golden. Drain. Drizzle a little leftover batter into the oil to make crunchy chura and drain that too.
    6. Fry the slit green chillies in the same oil for 30 seconds until blistered, then toss with salt.
    7. Slit each pav horizontally without cutting through. Spread green chutney on one side and sprinkle dry garlic chutney generously on the other. Add some chura, place a hot vada inside and press lightly.

    Tips

    • Mash the potatoes by hand, not in a mixer, so the filling has texture and does not turn gluey.
    • A thinner batter gives the thin, crisp shell of the street version; thick batter makes it doughy.
    • Warm the pav on a tawa for a few seconds if it is a day old.

    Serve with

    Fried salted green chillies and cutting chai.