As the third largest state by area in the Indian subcontinent, Maharashtra is unsurprisingly diverse. With a range of topography from coastal backwaters to chilly hill stations, there are a number of geographical factors that shaped the different cuisines of the state. With this much diversity and cities that range from sea facing Mumbai all the way to Nagpur which falls in central India, it’s impossible to say that ‘Maharashtrian Cuisine’ is a singular entity that can be defined under the same banner.
Konkan
Along the edge of the Western coast lie Raigad, Mumbai, Thane, Sindhudurg, and Ratnagiri. Along this stretch of the Arabian Sea the cuisine – as you might expect – is replete with seafood. But although they all have equal sea access, the cuisines up and down the coast can change vastly in accordance with how they use the ingredients available to them such as coconuts, rice, kokum and fish. There are also a large number of gourds that are used in both sweet and savoury dishes as a number of local rice varieties that are served with curries or used to make flatbreads.
Desh
This region also known as Pashchim Maharashtra refers to the more internal part of the state around the Deccan Plateau including Pune, Satara and Kolhapur. As the hub of the Maratha Empire, it has a rich history and remnants of that past have seeped into present-day cuisine. Kolhapuri cuisine, for example, has a lot of spices and game meat while in Pune vegetarian food can still be found abundantly as it was home to the Peshwas who were Brahmin. Peanuts, toor dal, Jowar and sorghum also crop up more frequently in dishes of this region.
Khandesh
To the north of the state lie areas such as Nashik. Ahmednagar Jalgaon which make up the Khandesh region. This area sees more influx from Rajasthan, Deccan, Malwa and Gujarat and the cuisine has developed accordingly. Geographically, this area has major drought seasons and as such jowar, bajra and brinjals are eaten more since they’re hardier crops. There’s also a distinct influence of Mughal, Yadav and Chalukya cultures.
Marathawada
Beed, Nanded, Latur, Aurangabad and Jalna are some of the main cities of the Marathawada region. The climate is often hot and arid which makes it ideal for grains and pulses like wheat, toor, bajra and jowar. However this heat also makes growing fresh vegetables more of a challenge and as such sun-drying is an integral part of the cuisine. Everything from tender veggies like beans and okra to greens like methi and sun dried to preserve them through the year. Chutneys too are often made to get around the limited resources.
Vidarbha
The areas surrounding Nagpur, Chandraput, Bhadara and Amravati are known aas the Vidarbha region. Since they share borders with Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, these areas have adopted a lot of that culture too. The cuisine is known to be a mix of sweet, spicy and fried dishes which are loved in equal measure. Summers also call for a lot of sun-dried ingredients but in winter, vegetables like pumpkins take precedence. It is also the home of Saoji cuisine which is legendary for fiery and smoky flavours.
