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With this guide, indulge in the rich and diverse culinary heritage of Maharashtra through the must-visit eateries in Mumbai and Pune.
If you love food, you must visit Maharashtra. As the entertainment and finance hub of the country, the state boasts a rich culinary heritage that draws influence from its long coastline, resulting in a diversity of cooking techniques and plenty of mouth-watering dishes. The third-largest state in India, Maharashtra promises a smorgasbord of flavours that cater to all tastes and budgets. The unique blend of local ingredients and spices result in a range of strong and distinctive flavours that warrants further exploration. Whether you are a fan of spicy curries, crispy snacks, or tasty desserts, there is something for anyone wanting a taste of Marathi food.
The capital city of Mumbai is known for its Malwani cuisine and Saraswat Brahmin-style of cooking that hails from the coastal part of the state. Malwani cuisine mainly features non-vegetarian dishes that use coconut in different forms, such as dried, grated, fried, as a paste or as coconut milk. The food from this region is packed with big, bold flavours and is served as a combination of seafood, sweet and sour gravies along with a side of rice. If you are lucky to try this food in a traditional setting, you'll notice that the food is served course-wise, with a palate cleanser between each course. In addition, there is a set order in which the food is meant to be eaten. When I was living in Mumbai, I had the opportunity to explore the city's local cuisines, which are a unique blend of different regional flavours and techniques of cooking. One of the first places I visited was Aaswad (Sanskruti Building Gadkari Chauk, 4, Lady Jamshedji Road, opposite Shiv Sena Bhavan, Dadar West), a local eatery that has been around for about 30 years and has become somewhat of an institution in its own right. While all the dishes that I tried here were delicious, the one dish that stood out was misal pav—a spicy curry made with sprouted lentils and served with soft, fluffy pav. Aaswad is a great choice for an inexpensive yet hearty meal.
Next, I recommend you head over to another well-established eatery called Chaitanya (33, SK Bole Marg, Dadar West, Prabhadevi) to continue your culinary journey through Maharashtrian cuisine. Be sure to try the home-style seafood dishes. Among my personal favourites here are the crab lollipops—deep-fried chunks of crab meat in local spices, what’s not to love? Now for some wholesome breakfast options. Look no further than Mee Marathi (Alfa building, Parleshwar Road, Agarwal Market, Vile Parle East), a popular Maharashtrian eatery. Try their famous kanda poha, which is a favourite among the locals for its "energising qualities" to power up and push through a hot day. It is advisable to reach early if you want the freshest food. For an authentic snack experience, head to Mama Kane’s Swatchha Upahar Griha (222, Smruti Kunj, Senapati Bapat Marg, Dadar West). This spot is known for its hot and spicy local snacks, such as batata vada and kanda bhaji, among others. However, snacks can only take one so far. In my opinion, nothing beats the flavours and textures of a traditional Maharashtrian thali, which offers the ultimate culinary experience. I highly recommend Jai Hind (multiple locations), which is a must-visit for food enthusiasts, especially seafood lovers. A typical thali here comprises fish, coconut curry, rice, and roti. Their surmai fish thali is a must-try.
If you're looking for a standout restaurant in the city, visit Diva Maharashtracha (Mili Building, Takandas Kataria Marg, next to Goa Portuguesa Restobar, T.H, Shivaji Park) in Mahim. The unique feature of this place is that it serves three different Maharashtrian cuisines spanning the state. My go-to order here always includes kothimbir vadi and kelfulache wade, which features banana flowers with groundnut powder, onions, and coconut chutney. That said, I find myself always coming back to Konkani Katta (Jangid Enclave, opposite Laxmi Park, Kanakia Road, Jangid Arcadia, Beverly Park Road, Mira Road East) whenever I'm craving crab curry. It's the coconut shavings that add to the deliciousness of this spicy dish. No trip to Mumbai is complete without a plateful of sabudana khichdi. For the best sabudana khichdi in town, check out Gokhale Uphar Gruh (Baji Prabhu Deshpande Road, near Gokhale Road, opposite Saraswat Bank, Naupada, Thane West). The place is so good that it is sometimes difficult to find a table here. But that also goes to prove just how good the food is!
I decided to take a break and head out to Pune for a few days. The experience was eye-opening—I was especially fascinated with the thali system here and how it exemplifies the way most people eat in Maharashtra. While it is common to think that inexpensive food tends to compromise quality, it couldn't be further from the truth in Pune. Most Punekars have different thali meals throughout the week. To experience the best of the local thali, head to the famous Durvankur dining hall (Tilak Road, Hatti Ganapati Chowk, Shop No. 1166, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Road, near Sahitya Parishad, Sadashiv Peth). Here, a typical thali will include dal, rice, khichdi, three types of vegetable preparations, dahi wada, papad, salad, bhakri, thalipeeth, and roti—all for an affordable price of approximately Rs. 300! Another superb dining hall here is Vasantpushp (Shivneri Building, 04, Sinhgad Road), situated opposite PL Deshpande Garden. Here, you can ask for a combination of everything and truly appreciate the diversity of flavours that this cuisine has to offer. Be sure to add it to your list of must-visit spots the next time you visit Pune!
The incredible variety of dishes I tried at the many restaurants in Mumbai and Pune gave me an idea of just how great Maharashtrian cuisine is. If you want to sample some spicy Maharashtrian food, explore the cuisine of the Desh region that comprises Pune, Satara, Solapur, Kolhapur, and Sangli. This region, which was once part of the Maratha Empire, is particularly famous for Kolhapuri cuisine. Moving on to the cuisine of the Khandesh area, which is majorly influenced by the surrounding states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. The cities of Nashik, Jalgaon, and Ahmednagar are must-visits here. The Marathawada region comprises the districts of Nanded, Beed, Jalna, Aurangabad, and Latur. This is an arid area that was once ruled by the Nizams, and the dishes here are characterised by rustic flavours and generous use of chillies. The Vidarbha region consists of Nagpur, Amravati, Bhandara, Chandrapur, and Akola. The staples in this region are jowar, bajra, and toor. In fact, a total of almost 24 spices are used to cook a single meal, so watch out! However, what makes their dishes unique is that they boil the spices instead of dry roasting them. It's a good idea to mention your tolerance for spice (or the lack of) before eating these dishes. There is still so much to be explored and sampled when it comes to the vast cuisine of Maharashtra. I hope to try more on my travels next time.
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