Marathi or Maharashtrian cuisine is a food of the Marathi people who live in the state of Maharashtra in India. The staple food of Maharashtra includes wheat, rice, jowar, bajra, vegetables and fruits. Marathi non vegetarian dishes consist of specialities in sea food like Bombay duck, pomfret , prawns, crabs, shellfish and lobsters. On the vegetarian side brinjal is the most popular vegetable. All vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are eaten with rice or bhakris which are rotis made of rice flour.
Pitla Bhakri
Pitla Bhakri is a rural food of Maharashtra but has become popular among the cosmopolitan city people as well. Pitla is a dish prepared from a powdered version of Dal. It is eaten with Bhakri which is bread made from jowar or bajra .
Bhakri is a round flat roti made of jowarflour, bajra flour, and rice flour.
Recipe of Pithla
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Gram Flour
- Green chillies 2
- A pinch of Asafetida
- 1/4 tspTurmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 tspCumin seeds
- 1 tspMustard seeds
- Chopped Fresh Coriander leaves and
- Lemon juice out of 1 lemon
- 2 cups of Water
- 2-3 tablespoonOil
Method
- Mix together Gram flour, salt and turmeric powder in a mixing bowl
- Heat oil and splutter cumin seeds and mustard seeds in kadhai. Add green chillies and asafetida and then the gram flour batter slowly , constantly stirring for 2 minutes.
- Cover and cook for 5 minutes , stirring it in between. When the oil separates from the mixture put off the flame.
- Gently mix coriander leaves and lemon juice.
- Serve hot with bhakri
Bhakri
Ingredients
- Jowar flour 500gms
- Salt 1tsp
- Hot Water as required
- Butter/ghee 1 tablespoon
Method
- Knead jowar flour and salt with hot water to make it soft dough.
- Divide the dough into 4 parts
- Pat them on a chakla to make round bhakri.
- Moisten the upper side of the bhakri with water and transfer it on the hot tawa , but cook it on low flame until brown spots appear.
- Roast bhakri on both sides directly on gas flame with the help of a tong.
- With the help of tongs roast bhakri directly over the gas burner from both sides.
- Apply ghee or butter over the bhakri and serve hot.
Wada / Vada Pav
Wada / Vada Pavis a famous fast food snack which consists of spicy, deep fried potato patty called vada which is placed between ta thick square bread called pav. It is served with chutney and fried salted green chillies.
How to make Vada Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 large potatoes, lightly mashed
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- Few curry leaves
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 green chilies, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 tbsp. oil
Batter:Make a smooth paste with water; Icup besan,2 tbsps. rice flour with salt to taste, little chili powder and a pinch of cooking soda.
Method
- Heat oil in a kadhaiadds the mustard seed and allows them to splutter.
- Add the cumin seeds and let them brown lightly. Add the mashed potatoes, green chilies, curry leaves and ginger-garlic paste,sauté for a minute and add the onions.
- Cool the mixture and make small balls.
- Heat oil in a heavy pan for frying.
- Dip the balls in the batter and deep fry to golden brown.
- Place between square bread and serve with chutney.
Puran Poli
Puran Poli is one of the most popular sweet items made on all festive occasions.
Ingredients
For Kneading Flour
- Wheat flour or flour – 400 grams
- Salt – to taste
- Oil or Ghee – 1 tablespoon
Pooran
- 150 gms split Bengal gram
- 50 gms jaggery
- 8 green cardamoms
- 100 gms ghee
Method
Soak Bengal gram for 4-5 hours.
Boil gram in pressure cooker in 2-3 tablespoon water. Remove water and grind to a paste.
Heat 1 tablespoon ghee, add ground lentil and powdered sugar and fry for 5 minutes, cool and mix powdered green cardamom. Pooran is ready.
Make a small ball of the dough. Flatten and stuff a little pooran mixture. Seal and press them. Roll them lightly into 6inches diameter rounds. Fry the pooran poli on a hot tawa while applying oil on both sides till brown.