4 Spicy dishes from Kolhapur you must try at least once in your life

If rustic cooking and earthy fare appeals to your palate, then you must try some of Kolhapuri cuisine.

By Aditi Balsaver

Updated on Feb 22, 2022 | 12:54 AM IST | 835K

Spicy dishes from Kolhapur you must try at least once in your life

The best part about travel is that you taste the culinary heritage of places through the food. And if you’ve been wanting to visit Kolhapur, then you should know that the city is known for a lot more than the famous Kolhapuri chappal. The city has an unusual five-spice blend that is used in much of its cooking. This results in fiery fare with a number of curries that are bejewelled with meat. If rustic cooking and earthy fare appeals to your palate, then you must try some of Kolhapuri cuisine.

Kat wada or usal vada shall appease those who love a piping hot and spicy preparation for the recipe has a myriad of tangy sauces. Interestingly, it is usually a yoghurt-based snack that has a batata vada drenched in spicy gravies crafted from a whole range of Kolhapuri spices. Take a look at this recipe-

Probably the most famous of dishes in Kolhapur, the tambda rassa or red gravy is a tad spicier than its cousin the pandhra rassa. You will need mutton as a core ingredient for this one along with lots of red chillies. It can be made in nearly an hour of cooking time, but the blend of spices for this dish is complex. Everything from red chili powder, black pepper and turmeric to cardamom is used in this dish. Vegetables like tomato, onions and coriander give it a fresh element. It is best had with roti or bhakri.

Decoding the recipe to this famous Kolhapuri dish is easier said than done because it has evolved over the years. Festivities in the city are incomplete without Pandhra rassa and chicken and you can savor this tempting curry made of several spices and herbs. The cooking style itself prepares the masala in Kolhapuri style and uses ingredients like red chilli seeds, coconut milk, poppy seeds, etc.

In case you enjoyed, Puneri Missal then you are all set for a treat when you tray Kolhapuri missal pav. Not only is Kolhapuri misal sure to set your tastebuds on fire with its spice, it excludes the pohe you find in Puneri missal. Moreover, it is dished up with thick slices of bread, instead of pav.