Missing the local flavour

As cuisines from the world over tantalise Pune's taste buds,is Maharashtrian food getting a cold shoulder at restaurants?

Restaurants,old and new,that have mushroomed around the city have introduced in us a liking for cuisines from across the globe. But in this party featuring Italian,South-East Asian,Mexican,Thai,even Punjabi and South Indian foods,is Maharashtrian cuisine getting relegated to the quiet corner? Maharashtrian cuisine needs a particular ambience and set-up to help promote it amongst people in the city, says Siddharth Shirole,owner of Shabari restaurant located on Ghole road. With most of the restaurants in the city focusing on either South Indian or Iranian cuisines,there was no space left for the local cuisine to grow. Eventually it got relegated to being served mostly in roadside stalls and smaller restaurants in the old city.

At Dal Chini,a multi-cuisine restaurant located at Pimple Saudagar,some of the most popular Maharashtrian dishes are the Phodni Bhaat,Dahi-bhaat,Kolambi Bhaat (Maharashtrian-style prawn biryani),Veg Maratha,Murg Maratha,and Marathi Baingan Masala. But Ashwin Shetty,GM,does admit that the number of Maharashtrian dishes is comparably fewer. That’s because when localites dine out,they want to eat something different.

Another reason why the popularity of Maharashtrian dishes is not very high is because of the flavours they incorporate. Surinder Singh,general manager of Vivaanta by Taj – Blue Diamond,says,Most Maharastrian dishes have a lot of strong flavours. Also restaurateurs have been partly responsible in not educating the people about the cuisine. However 40 per cent of the menu at Mystic Spice,our Indian cuisine restaurant,is reserved for Maharashtrian dishes. Marketing is another critical factor amiss in this scheme. Maharashtrian food has not been marketed the way,say,North Indian or South Indian cuisines have been, says Rayomund Pardiwalla,executive chef at Holiday Inn,Hinjewadi.

Ironically Shirole also reveals how Mahrashtrian dishes like Thalpeet,Pitla Bhakri ,Kolhapuri Mutton and Misal Pav have traditionally been sold at cheaper prices. It will take another five to seven years for people to probably start building multi-cuisine restaurants with a Maharashtrian ambience and traditional Maharashtrian look. That will make people realise that the cuisine is not an inexpensive roadside treat but one that has a lot of class and taste attached to it, he says,also offering an interesting solution. I personally feel that schools and colleges should have a course where students can be taught about the importance and types of the local cuisine that is available in the state.

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