Bend it like Maharashtra

Maharashtrian cuisine is often viewed myopically We are all familiar with and have enjoyed Malwani and Kolhapuri delicacies However beyond the known there are several regions that have their own unique specialities For instance did you know that Raigad Latur Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg are home to indigenous forms of pasta that have absolutely no connection to Tuscany We meet food bloggers and home chefs for a peek into this gastronomical historyShengole from Marathwada and VidarbhaVaidehi Girish RaoVaidehi Girish Rao a Singaporebased food blogger originally from Kolhapur finds cooking therapeutic It is food that has kept her connected to her roots ldquoThe shengole or ukad shengole is akin to a hot and spicy pasta soup It originates from Marathwada and Vidarbha and doesnrsquot need exotic ingredients to whip uprdquo says Rao who has lived in Singapore for over 10 years now The dough is made with jowar wheat flour and besan It is then shaped into a tear drop Garlic and green chillies are added to amp up the spice levelsThe shengole is a tear dropshaped pasta made of jowar wheat flour and besanThe dumplings are cooked straight in a simmering broth flavoured with red chilli powder and turmeric Rao recounts the days when she would go to her grandmotherrsquos house in Latur for the holidays and aajirsquos shengole used to be the most awaited meal of the year A large vessel full of shengole would be prepared and the grandchildren would gather around the pot ldquoNot only would we participate in shaping the dough in the traditional tear drop style but we also made our own shapesrdquo Since this pasta is a one pot meal it doesnrsquot take long to prepare and is quite filling One can enjoy the dish with a dash of lemon and ghee on top and papad on the side ldquoIt tastes heavenly especially on cold winter nights or on rainy daysrdquoGavhale Kheer across the stateThe dough is shaped like gahu a type of wheat grainA chartered accountant by profession Amarendra Balchandra Mulye is promoting Maharashtrian cuisine by dredging up old recipes Gavhale kheer being one ldquoIndian festivities have a tradition of preparing foods that mark some significance with a ritual Gavhale is one such item that has great significance in weddings and thread ceremonies In fact making it was an occasion in itselfrdquo he saysThe creamy kheer is the most popular item made with gavhale Mulye says you can substitute milk and sugar with condensed milk to make it richerGavhale is made from maida or a mix of fine semolina and maida and is believed to have been named after a wheat grain known as gahu It is also known as valvat in some parts of Maharashtra ldquoAs per my knowledge there are five types of gavhalemdashgavhale maaltya fanole mohor and nakhole These pastas get their names from their shapes much like the Italian pastaReady to serve gavhlyanchi kheerThey were prepared ahead of ceremonies and were displayed as rukhwat the showcase of a bridersquos talents in front of her inlaws During Maharashtrian weddings all these five types of gavhale were stored in glass containers and given to the bride so that she could prepare instant kheer for guests during the first few days at her new homerdquo The most popular dish made with gavhale is kheerAmarendra Balchandra MulyeCooked in milk and sugar and topped with cardamom powder nutmeg powder saffron and dried fruits the dish is offered to goddess Gauri as naivedya during Ganesh Chaturthi Mulye says you can substitute milk and sugar with condensed milk to make it richer A healthier version can be made by substituting sugar with stevia and using low fat milkSaravle from coastal MaharashtraSaher KhanzadaSaher Khanzada founder of the Bombay Glutton blog and cofounder of the Khandaanrsquos Kitchen belongs to the Konkani Muslim community The ethnic sect inhabits the coastal stretches of Mumbai Thane Raigad Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra ldquoThe community emerged as an outcome of intermingling of the local population with the Arab traders who flocked western India for tradeSaravle dough is woven around a sirkand or stickHence the cuisine is a beautiful meacutelange of native Maharashtrian and the Middle Eastern culinary styles And itrsquos true that we Konkani Muslims love pastardquo explains Khanzada A popular one is the saravle or miniature ringshaped wheat pasta ldquoTraditionally wheat was ground into flour using grinding stones at home and the flour was obtained by sifting the coarse flour multiple timesThe sweet saravleThe dough would then be stretched out by hand into thick threads and then woven around a lightweighted wooden stick called sirkand and allowed to dry in the summer sun until hardrdquo she explains This dehydration process would shrink the dough causing the threads to easily come off the stick as rings Saravle is cooked in both the savoury style with mutton or chicken with a dash of coconut milk and as dessert infused with green cardamom powder sugar and a pinch of saltThe savoury chicken saravleEggs are added in a final flourish after which the dish is garnished with dry fruits and poppy seeds The Middle Eastern culinary influence in the tradition of saravle is evident in the way the recipes use egg and meat The sweet version is relished more in the community as a breakfast item and the savoury one for main course To date this pasta is not available at online grocery stores and shops and continues to be made by hand in homes