The local
cuisine of Maharashtrians is rich & diverse ranging from the vegetarian
preparation of the Brahmins to the exquisite sea food-based cuisine of the Kolis. One of the most famous sweet dishes is the Shrikhand,
a thick of curd. It is a great favorite at Maharashtrian weddings &
festivals. Traditionally, a Maharashtrian wedding feast has to have 5 sweet
delicacies of which Motichur laddu is a must.
The Puran Poli is another Maharashtrian sweet
delicacy which is roti [wheat bread stuffed with flavored ingredients]. It is
generally associated with the Maharashtrian new year ‘GUDI PADVA’ & the
Maharashtrians love to have it with Aamti, the local
curry & bhaji, a mixed vegetable dish. Many of the Maharashtrians,
especially from the interiors, like Kolhapur, prefer spicy food.
Aamti, Bhaat, &
bhaaji is the essence of daily menu in the home of Maharashtra, Aamti is little hot, a little sweet, & a little tangy. Aamti is generally eaten with rice, roti, or Bhaakris.
The traditional Gujarati food is primarily vegetarian & has a high
nutritional value.
Gujarati cuisine has so much to offer & each dish has an absolutely
different cooking style. The traditional ‘Guajarati thali’ mostly encompasses Rotli, Dal, or Kadhi, Sabji, also known as Shaak &
Rice. Most of the Gujarati dishes are sweet, while other have a quite
larger concentration of sugar as compared to salt & spices. Sometimes,
jaggery is used as an alternative to sugar.
Gujarati food is mostly vegetarian & can be categorized based on
the geographical regions. The Southern region food comprising Surat etc., is
rich with ghee & spices & has a traditional flavor. Most common dishes
from this part are ‘Undhiyo’ & Dal Dhokli’, etc., Khichadi is another Gujarati food which is
now widely accepted in all regions of India.
A visit to Surat, Ahmedabad is incomplete without eating famous
‘Guajarati thali’. The meal starts with Chhash,
followed by a thali with various type of Farsans,
sweets, pickles, chutney, rice, vegetables etc. Gujarati dishes are very
simple & can be easily prepared using little oil & spices.
‘Surat nu Jaman ane
Kaasi nu Maran’; The food of Surat is like dying in
the holy city of Kashi [now Varansi in Uttar
Pradesh]. This popular saying praises the cuisine from the district of Surat in
Gujarat.
The cuisine of Punjabi food is usually relished by people of all
communities. In Punjab, home cooking differs from the restaurant cooking in
style.
In the preparation of Punjabi food, Onion, Ginger, & Garlic are
used extensively to enhance the taste of the food.
Traditional Punjabi thali consists of varied kinds of bread, some are
baked in the tandoor such as Tandoori Roti, Lachha
paratha, Naan, Kulcha, while other are dry baked on tawa like Chapatti &
Jawar ki Roti.
Punjabi food in itself is rich with items like, Chana, Choley or Rajma Lobia. Roti has
its own variety in the form of Tandoori Roti.
The Punjabis are very hard-working people & they love their food.
Parathas are meant for breakfast, Rajma, Rice or Chana Masala for lunch & Tandoori
non-veg is for dinner time.
Our Punjabi cook has chosen special Punjabi dishes which are most
popular part of Punjabi cuisine like Pindi Chana with
Roganjosh & Sarson ka Saag with Makki ki Roti.
The cuisine of Rajasthan is primarily vegetarian. Rajasthanis'
use ‘Ghee’ for cooking most of the dishes. Rajasthani food is well known for
its spicy curries & delicious sweets.
There is a popular sweet of each region like ‘Mawa
Kachori’ of ‘Jodhpur,’ ‘Rasgullas of Bikaner’, ‘Ghewar of Jaipur’, ‘Malpua of
Pushkar’, etc. Gramflour is the major ingredients in
the making of a Pakodi & Gatte
ki Sabji. Gramflour is a
mainstay of ‘Marwari’ food mainly due to the scarcity of vegetables in the
area. Major dishes of a Rajasthani include Dal bati, Tarfini, Rabadi, Ghewar, Bail Gatte, Panchkutaa, Chavdi, Laapsi, Kadhi & Boondi. Typical snacks include ‘Bikaneri Bhujia, Mirchi Vada, Pyaz Ki kachori,
& Dal Kachori.
Dal-bati is the most popular dish prepared in
the state. It is usually supplemented with ‘Churma’,
a mixture of finely grinded baked Rotis, Ghee & Sugar.
Traditional Rajasthani food comprises of special rotis like ‘Bajare ki Roti, Missi Roti,’
& Vegetables dishes like ‘Gatte ki Sabji,’ Kadhi, Dal Bati, Churma etc.
The cuisine of South India is known for its light, low calorie
appetizing dishes. The traditional food of South India is mainly rice based.
The cuisine is famous for its wonderful mixing of rice & lentils to prepare
Dosa, Vadas, Idlis, & Uttapams.
Sambhar is like a must in the main course. It is usually a companion to
most of the food items be it Idli, Vada or Dosa. Most
of Sambhar, Rasam, Veg Curry & Pachadi, Other preparation of rice include Coconut Rice,
Carrot Rice, & Fried rice made by using Coconut, Curry Leaves, Urad Dal,
Tamarind, Peanuts, Chillies, & Fenugreek Seeds.
South Indians do not make much use of Garam Masala & other dried spices.
It is well known that South Indian recipes are a favorite as they are
light & fast to make.
South Indian cuisine is traditionally vegetarian & includes tasty, lip-smacking
delicious varieties prepared from Grams, Lentils, Rice, Greens & Vegetables
with spices adding aroma & taste to the food. The special varieties include
dosas [crispy pancakes], Idlis [steamed rice
dumplings], Pongal [cooked Rice & Lentils flavoured
with Ghee, Pepper, Cumin Seeds, Cashew Nuts, & Ginger], Idiappam
[steamed rice noodles], Appam [baked pancake], delicately, spiced vegetables
like ‘Sambhar’ [seasoned Lentil Broth], Chutney [Coconut Paste flavored with
Green Chilies & Coriander Leaves], Rasam [Tomato,
Pepper & Cumin Seeds Broth] & Mounds of Rice.
Sweet are favorite with Sevaiya [sweetened
noodles], Payasam [sweetened lentil along with
Coconut Milk] being the favorite ones.
