Maharashtra

The food of the large state of Maharashtra is fiery, as both chillies and black pepper are used with great relish. Peanuts and cashew nuts are another distinctive feature of Maharashtrian cooking, and peanut oil forms the basis for many dishes. Pulses, sugarcane and wheat are also plentiful.

The people here have a sweet tooth, and use a lot of palm sugar (jaggery) and kokum, a purple berry-like fruit with a pleasant sweet-and-sour taste. Mumbai (Bombay), the capital of Maharashtra, is a historic and cosmopolitan city, also known as the ‘Gateway of India'. Here, all sorts of dishes have been created by the different communities that have made Mumbai their home - it is a real food-lover’s paradise and is probably the only city in India where you can sample food from almost anywhere in the country, as well as recipes that owe much to foreign influences. The newest arrival in Mumbai is the Bollywood film industry, helping to maintain a high level of excitement and artistic passion in the city.