Maharashtrian food is as diverse as the different regions within the state that also boasts of a coastline. Photo Courtesy: Special Arrangement
Indian chefs say the awareness of Maharashtrian food is often limited to vada pav, puran poli, or poha. However, there is so much more that is cooked and made in homes but may often not be aesthetically pleasing in restaurants. Interestingly, there are some restaurants that are highlight different dishes in the cuisine (Image for representational purpose)
Vaalache Birdhe
While there are many dishes known in Maharashtrian cuisine like misal and more, chef Anshul Dhyani, executive chef at ITC Grand Central in Parel, says the Konkan coastal region boasts of Vaalache Birdhe, which is a sprouted hyacinth bean curry. Make it with a mix of Hyacinth beans, or sprouted vaal, freshly shredded coconut, cumin seeds, green chilli (optional), powdered turmeric, red chilli powder, jaggery, add salt to taste, oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, a pinch of hing, or asafoetida, and fresh coriander for garnish (Image for representational purpose)
Thalipeeth
All the way from Ranchi, chef Ranjeet Yadav, executive chef at Courtyard by Marriott in the city, says Thalipeeth is a multigrain masterpiece that is overlooked. The dish can be made with bhajani flour (or make your own: roasted jowar, bajra, wheat, rice, chana dal ground together), finely chopped small onion, finely chopped green chilies, chopped fresh coriander leaves, cumin seeds, turmeric powdee, salt to taste, Water, and ghee or oil for roasting
Malvani Masala Soft Shell Crab with Prawn Bisque Curry
Chef Akash Deshpande, who is the head chef at Luv Restaurant in Andheri, says you can use soft shell crabs to can make a Malvani Masala Soft Shell Crab with Prawn Bisque Curry.
To make the dish, start with the crab for which you need soft shell crab, Malvani masala as required, finely chopped fresh garlic, chilli flakes to taste, chopped fresh coriander, lemon juice a splash, salt to taste, black pepper to taste, tempura batter as needed (for coating), and oil for deep frying. For the curry, use oil, finely chopped or grated ginger, onion masala, In-house kanda (onion) masala as required, in-house prawn bisque, fresh cream, butter, salt, kokum, broth powder or concentrate, and chopped fresh coriander. When the dish is ready, serve it with freshly baked bun stuffed with caramelised onions
Taleli Kolambi
At HyLo, chef Pankaj, who is the senior chef at the restaurant, suggests making Taleli Kolambi, a seasonal take on the classic fried prawns dish, as it also uses mangoes. Make it with prawns (with the tail attached), raw mango pulp, ginger-garlic paste, green chilli paste, turmeric powder, salt, lime juice, cornflour, and refined oil for frying
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