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Snacks are a common fixture in Maharashtrian households. While vada pav, misal pav and kanda poha are the state’s more popular treats that can be found at street stalls and restaurants, there are some lesser known traditional snacks that are found exclusively in Maharashtrian homes. These snacks include both vegetarian ones and those made using meat and seafood. The variety of snacks in Maharashtra is such that it can rival even main dishes. We recommend some Maharashtrian snacks that you must try:
Thalipeeth
A kind of savoury multi-grain flatbread, thalipeeth is made with a flour called ‘bhajanee’, which is prepared with roasted grains, legumes and spices. The grains used include wheat, bajra and jowar, and the legumes used are chana and urad. On days when Hindus fast, thalipeeth is made with tapioca and amaranth flour instead of bhajanee.
Alu wadi
Well-known within both Gujarati and Maharashtrian cuisine, alu wadi is a snack made by rolling colocasia leaves, which are called ‘arbi ke patte’ in Hindi. The Marathi word for colocasia leaves is ‘alu’. Contrary to its name, this dish has nothing to do with potatoes. To make alu wadi, fresh colocasia leaves are rolled, steamed and then deep fried.
Talleli kolambi
Image credit: Instagram/mejwani_malvani_katta
Talleli kolambi is a dish of fried prawns. To make the dish, prawns are first marinated in garlic paste, tamarind paste, masala, haldi and salt. These are then coated with rice flour and shallow fry them in a frying pan with a bit of oil. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until steam appears. Flip the prawns and repeat the process until each piece is fully cooked and crispy on the outside.
Ratalyacha kees
‘Ratala’ translates to sweet potato in English and ‘kees’ means grated. The dish is essentially a grated sweet potato stir fry. It has sweetness from the sweet potato, and spiciness from the green chillies that are added to it. To make Ratalyacha kees, cumin seeds, chillies and mustard seeds are sauteed in hot oil or ghee, after which the sweet potato is added.
Kheemyache kanavle
Kheemyache kanavle is made using mutton keema, to which onions, ginger, garlic and spices are added. Then, a marinade of yogurt, turmeric powder and salt is mixed in. The keema is then cooked on a low flame until its water evaporates. A dough of rava, water and salt is prepared separately. This dough is rolled into circles and keema is stuffed between two of them. These are then deep fried until crispy.
