Maharashtrian
cuisine is of two kinds - Konkani and Varadi. Despite its difference in
style of preparation, both the style use lot of seafood and coconut.
Peanut oil is the main cooking medium, and grated coconuts, peanuts and
cashew nuts are widely used in vegetarian dishes. Kokum is the most
commonly used digestive-appetizer and sol kadhi is served chilled.Butter fried and crisp bombil or bombay duck is the most popular seafood. Rice and bhakris are the main starch intake for Maharashtrians. Bharlivangi or baby brinjals stuffed with coconut is very popular. Maharashtrian food is incomplete without papads. Roti-stuffed puran poli, with a sweet mixture of jiggery and gram flour, and shreekhand is the most popular dessert in Maharashtra.
Food for Festival
Soonth panak and sprouted chana usal are prepared for Gudi Padwa, puran poli for Holi, coconut potali in Haritalika, karanji and chakli for Ganesh Chaturthi, shankarpali, badam halwa, chakli and karanji during Diwali, shengdana chikki in Makar Sakranti.
Food for Weddings
Vegetarian food prepared without garlic and onion is served on banana leafs on marriages. The menu includes vegetables in coconut gravy, green mango chutney, cucumber and peanut salad, rice, puris, golden dal called varan and a sweet dish like jalebi, creamy basundi or saffron-scented shrikhand. Mattha or coriander-flavoured, salted buttermilk complements the meal, and sums up with a sweet paan called vida.