MAHARASHTRIAN GASTRONOMY

Marathi cuisine is famous for its astounding variety and diversity. Vegetarian, non - vegetarian, sweet, savories, delicious and filling each delight is ready to serve gourmet. Much like medical terminology the names of Maharashtrian preparations are indicative of process. BHAJANEE refers to preparation of flours by broiling process called BHAJANEY. It could be Chaklee Bhajanee, Upvaas Bhajanee (specially used for fast, upvaas means fast), Thalipeeth Bhajanee etc. There are innumerable permutations and combinations with no specific ingredients for any Bhajanee and varies from region to region. CHAKLEE comes from word CHAKRA meaning circular. Thus CHAKLEE is actually a savory preparation circular in shape, with sharp edges known as KAATA. The PEETH in Thalipeeth refers to flour and since traditionally it is prepared by pressing dough ball with palms, the process being called THAPNE, hence the word Thalipeeth. Thus whether it is prepared using Upvaas, Chaklee or any other Bhajanee, the product is called Thalipeeth.

MODAK and POORUN POLEE are classical sweet preparations from Maharashtra . MODAK a delicacy offered to Lord Ganesh is actually a dumpling, which can either be steamed or deep fried, two very different processes. It's constituents can vary as far and wide from rice flour to wheat flour, with stuffing comprising of coconut, jaggery and flavoring. Be it any method the product is still called MODAK. Similarly POORUN POLEE is actually a sweet pancake. Polee means roti and as stuffing changes from jaggery to khoya its nomenclature changes to GULACHI POLEE to MAWYACHI POLEE CHI means "of the". Coming back to POORUN POLEE, the POORUN meaning complete derived from word PURNE is a mixture of Bengal gram again with combination varying from sugar to jaggery. Each of the combination gives distinct output which is totally different from other one. Yet it is called POORUN POLEE.

CHUTNEY is accompaniment to any type of food. The word comes from CHATAK meaning tangy and it gives tickling sensation to tongue. It can be prepared with groundnut (DANYACHI CHUTNEY), sesame (TILACHI CHUTNEY), black sesame (KARALYACHI CHUTNEY) etc. Unlike rest of India where chutneys are in semi liquid state, majority of Maharashtrian chutneys are more or less in powder form and eaten dry.

KOSHIMBEERS are basically salads of grated or coarsely chopped vegetables and are mostly tempered and with or without addition of groundnut powder, yet everything is called KOSHIMBEER derived from word KOCHNE or CHOCHNE meaning coarse chopping.

Much like in French cuisine there are soups in Maharashtrian foods too called SAAR and KADHAN. KADHAN are extracts of pulses thickened with butter milk or coconut milk. Coconuts are extensively used throughout all the courses Of Maharashtrian menu. SAAR means gist of anything and that more or less is perfectly near to definition of soups - extracts of vegetables etc. in liquid - in Catering Technology.

RASSA are generally hot taste liquid vegetable or non - vegetarian preparations. RASSA is derived from word RUS meaning juice. The RASSA'S always carry adjectives of ingredient or style followed in particular region. Thus you have BATATYCHA RASSA (made of potatoes) or KOLHAPURI RASSA (prepared in and around region of Kolhapur . This is synonymous with word ' a la ' meaning "in the style of ", in Gastronomique nomenclature e.g. Poulet a la Kiev or Gite a la Noix.

CHIWDA is derived from word CHIVADANA, an action involving only finger tips like in finger foods. it can be prepared where in the basic ingredient can be processed by broiling, on one hand to deep frying method on the other. Even basic ingredients are heterogeneous. So where the pressed rice (poha) is broiled the preparation is called BHAJLELA CHIWDA and when it is deep fried it assumes name of TALLELA CHIWDA. When potatoes are used it becomes BATATYACHA CHIWDA. Again there is no specific ingredient or recipe for CHIWDA.

As state of Maharashtra spreads across various climatic zones, the food compositions are vast and varied. One has coastal belt called KONKAN on west side where rice, coconut and jaggery is used extensively to VIDARBHA region on east where use of wheat, flour and sugar is wide spread. The hot tongue tickler with extensive use of red chilies come KOLHAPUR belt in southern to mix of sweet and hot coming from KHANDESH in the northern region. Still everything is called the Maharashtrian food.

The distinctive feature of Maharashtrian food which sets it apart from rest of India is Plate - de - Jour. while in whole of India it is the vegetable or non-vegetarian preparation which is considered main dish of party, in Maharashtra it is the sweet preparation which stays as main course, be it Shrikhand or Poorun Polee or Basundi etc.

We are sure your tongues must have started rolling by now at the glance of mouth watering names.

Bon Appetit

VADANI KAVALE GHETA

NAAM GHYA SHREE HARI CHE

SAHAJ HAVAN HOTE

NAAM GHETA PHUKA CHE

JIVAN KARI JIVITV

ANNE HEY POORUNE BRAMHA

UDAR BHARANE NOHEY

JANEE JE YADNA KARMA

Opportunities in Food industry

Recently there was a report in newspaper about food processing industry. According to it , India has an annual turnover of over Rs 50,000/- crores in this industry. Out of this Pune region alone contributes to over Rs 10,000/- crores. Yet it is ironical that Maharashtrian food or delicacies are hardly available elsewhere in the country. That throws open a vast untapped market for budding entrepreneurs. 

AAPULKI, meaning belongingness , is a set up for Marathi delicacies at Delhi. It very often receives messages saying “Is it the office of Chitale Bandhu’ or Is it Chitale Sweets? Is it the shop of Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale? They have  to politely tell the caller, there is an element of similarity in family name and as well as the profession/business activity yet two are entirely different entities in form of nature of operation as well as geographic.

CHITALE BANDHU, KAKA HALWAI, DAGDU SHETH HALWAI (one of the reputed Ganapati idol in Pune is named after him) from Pune or be it Chandu Halwai from Mumbai or K.C.Das from Kolkata and not to forget Nathu Sweets, Ghantewala from Delhi. These all are well established names in sweets and savouries. Every nook and corner in our cities have people churning out yummy sweets and savouries. All of whom are commonly referred as HALWAI. Although a part of gourmet industry word, HALWAI is extensively misunderstood even by the professional in the trade.

The origin of the word HALWAI can be traced to Marathi word HALAVNE, meaning Shifting. Majority of Indian sweets and savouries extensively involve stirring process during major part of preparation or in the final lap. Give a close look to the way Shankaerpale (Shakarpara), Karanjee (Gujia) or the Gajar (Carrot) Halwa and many more are made. These products just cannot be prepared by leaving them on fire i.e. exposure to heat. They have to be kept in motion either circulatory or oscillatory. A close look in sweets and savouries in Western Cookery will reveal that constant fiddling has to be avoided and stirring is negligible. The products require steady exposure to heat or cold for setting as the case may be. These are produced by Specialist Pattisiers (Baker).

Halwai or Pattisier both actually bring the ingredients together, process them, expose them to various temperatures and thus churn out yummy delicacies. They too are true scientists and no mad people with weird thinking. Michael Ruhlmen author of “Soul of a Chef” and other books on chef’s psychology has said, “Just because you can do something does not mean you have to do it, do it, if it’s a pleasure to taste”.

Food has never been more global than it has become now, just take the example of growth and development of Chinese Food in India or the spread of Punjabi Food or South Indian Dishes across the country and abroad. Thus ensuring a well heeled and more aware gastronome. Ruhlman further says no matter how you do it , cooking comes down to fundamentals. Modern science provides room for more tricks, its no replacement for traditional techniques. Pino Malleo, another experimental chef from Boston agrees, ”It’s all about flavour, if people don’t say, Wow, this is bloody delicious, then all this is unnecessary”. He further says, “If science can make my cuisine better, then I’ll use it. I have opened my doors to anything”. That indeed is in spirit of true scientist following principles of observation, classification, analysis, assimilation and finally production.

Now days with customers willing to experiment with different tastes, Halwai’s too can come out of traditional mindset and play with chemistry of ingredients to churn out exotic new foods. “Today’s bold experiment is tomorrow’s classic dish”, says Peter Gordon-pioneer in Fusion Food in U.K. Fusion food is all about imagination and experimentation. With melting taste from here and fascinating flavour from there, the Halwai can do wonders.

Globally there is fast emerging trend of an increasing emphasis on regional cuisine juxtaposed with an increasingly Asian Influence on Western cookery. Similarly, there is tremendous scope for experimentation in Maharashtrian food. A chaklee, which in itself has innumerable permutations and combination, can be given chilly and garlic flavour from Northern India. Shankarpale (salted) can be infused with tomato and pepper. The list can be endless.

So that is what Halwai is truly and distinctly has relation to Molecular Gastronomy - a branch initiated by Spanish Chef Ferran Adria.

If done with right attitude the vistas for career and profession as a HALWAI can stretch to sky.