Flavors of India: A mouth watering culinary experiences of 3 Indian States

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Indian cuisine is delectably diverse. Travel in the north to discover rich, spicy thalis. Head south for subtler coconut-based flavors. On the coast, you can feast on fresh fish curries. India is a foodie paradise. Let us take you on a journey of our favorite cuisines of Maharashtra, Goa and Andhra.


Maharashtra Cuisines
Its prominence increased with the rise of Shivaji Bhonsale in the 17th century. The food prepared in the royal kitchens of Maharasthra was a wonderful treat to watch. Every meal was a great combination of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, each uniquely balanced to give different tastes and flavors. Let’s watch a short video on 8 must try local delicacies of Maharashtra.

From the exquisite coastal delights of the Konkan, where fish curry and Rice are considered a staple, to the Deccan plateau's fine delicacies, to the fiery fare of Vidharbhan cuisines in the east, the Maharashtrian food is truly a hotpot of uniqueness. The leading staple food of Maharasthra is wheat, rice, jowar, bajra, lentils, seasonal fruits, and vegetables.

Maharashtrian cuisine strictly follows the Ayurvedic principles, making it one of the most healthy foods in India. For example, during the Sankranti festival, Til (Sesame seeds) is used in the food. It is believed that Til (Sesame seeds) helps to build immunity.

Similarly, Kokum Sharbat, an all-natural drink, helps in cooling your body and alleviates indigestion.

Another famous cuisine is Malawani Cuisine. As the name suggests, this beautiful cuisine comes from Malvan, a town located on the west coast. The most remarkable thing about the Malawani Cuisine is Coconut's usage in every form: dried, grated, coconut milk, or even paste, every form is used to prepare a meal. Some other ingredients that make this cuisine unique are Kokum, amsul, tamarind, and raw mango. Kombadi Vade and Solkadhi are the two most famous dishes in this region that one shouldn't miss. Another popular coastal cuisine that is famous on the western coast is Saraswat cuisine.

Another interesting cuisine found in Maharashtra is the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) cuisine, brought by the Kayastha clan. You will find rich mutton curry gravies and dishes made with coconut, raw mango, red chilies, fish, and seashells.

If you get an opportunity to try any of the CKP cuisines, you must try the Kolambi (prawns).

Maharashtra's North-Western region, which covers areas like Jalgaon, Malegaon, and Nasik, is known for its too spicy curries. The cuisines of this region are called the Khandeshi cuisine. Khandeshi cuisines are the hottest cuisine you will ever taste in Maharashtra. The main highlight of this cuisine is Peanut oil, dry Coconut, and the Lavangi Mirch (chilli). If you ever want to know if a dish served to you is Khandeshi, look out for the spicy red oil (Tawang or Tarri) that floats atop the dish. After having a fiery dish, you can enjoy the dessert, Khaprachi Puran Poli, which will most certainly soothe your mouth.

While touring Maharasthra, don't forget to try some of the dishes from the Kolhapuri cuisine. Kolhapuri cuisine, as the name suggests, comes from a town named Kolhapur. This is another spicy regional cuisine. Do try the mouth melting Kohlapuri Mutton Sukka and the Kohlapuri Missal.

Goa Cuisines

The Arabian Sea flanking on the west, Goa is a paradise for beach lovers. Considered as the home to the best beach destinations in India, this small state's cuisine is mostly based on its Hindu Saraswat origins and on the Portuguese (who ruled Goa for around 450 years) Goan Christians' cuisine. Enjoy a culinary adventure in this short video.

Due to its vast coastline, Sea-food is part of almost all the cuisines, be it the Hindus families or the Christian families. Another staple food of the Goan diet is Rice.

Known for tickling the taste buds, the Goan dishes are known for quite a punch. Until 1961 when Goa was liberated from Portugal, it had a strong influence on the culture and eating habits of Goans. One of the critical ingredient in Goan food, the chilies, was introduced by the Portuguese.

The Portuguese are also associated with introducing tomatoes, pineapple, potatoes, guavas, and cashew nuts to the local Goans. Feni – a strong alcoholic drink is fermented from cashew apples. However, fermenting to brew a strong alcoholic drink was practiced well before the introduction of cashew trees in Goa. Earlier, people would use coconut palms for brewing alcoholic beverages.

Beef and pork are also considered as a gift of the Portuguese.

Some of the ingredients which are liberally used in Goan cuisines are Coconut and Kokum (Garcinia indica). Both of them help balance the flavors in most dishes and tones down the chilies' intense heat. Kokum is an excellent source of Vitamin C, which aids indigestion, and it also helps to cool the body down during summers.

Some of the Hindu kitchen's key ingredients are Bamboo shoots, tubers, pumpkins and gourds, lentils, curry leaves, mustard, fenugreek, and asafoetida. As catholic cuisines are profoundly influenced by the Portuguese, vinegar is used in most of the dishes.

For seafood lovers, Goa is nothing less than a paradise.

The variety of seafood cooked in Goa is a treat to eyes and heaven for the stomach. The way Crab, mussels, squid, clams, lobsters, oysters, prawns and shrimps, and many types of fish, including tuna, mackerel, kingfish, pomfret, and shark fish are cooked can make any person drool.


Andhra Cuisine

Spiciest of all forms of Indian cooking, the Andhra cuisines boast of many delicacies. One of the most famous types of Andhra Cuisines is 'Nawabi' style food, which is part of almost all the restaurants worldwide. Traditionally, Andhra's gastronomy lies in the usage of Coconut oil.

Being the largest producer of Rice in India, Rice is considered to be the staple food grain. Therefore, you will find most of the traditional dishes are Rice based. The beauty of Rice is, it goes well with vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals.

To add flavor to the dishes, Coconut, spices, and fresh herbs are often added liberally.

One of Andhra food's most loved delicacies includes 'Murku' (roundels of rice flour paste deeply fried), and 'Appadams.' Another unique food of Andhra is 'Pulihara' a tamarind rice dish served with green chilies.


'Putharekulu,' 'Kakinada Kaja,' 'Bobbatlu,' 'Booralu,' 'Payasam,' 'Sheer Khurma,' and 'Bandhar Ladoo' are some of the most famous sweets. Like Kerala or Tamil Nadu, an Andhra meal is traditionally served on a banana leaf.

If you are a gastronomy enthusiast, India has many flavors to keep your stomach happy and quench your thirst for flavor. Select one of your preferred places and explore some mouthwatering cuisines while traveling with us! We, at Indo Asia Tours, are all about the handcrafted tours, memories, and moments you take out of your trip, and believe us, this escapade will be a life-changing one!