Pathare Prabhu Thali On Sunday

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When Soumitra Velkar invited us for lunch,both Bonny (of Hungry Cat Kitchen) and me got super excited.It was a year back that we had gone over to his place and enjoyed a Pathare Prabhu meal (first time for Bonny).This time the menu was different.




Gram flour doesn't agree with me so I was thrilled to have Pangojis which were zesty prawn fritters made with wheat flour.Oh so delicious!! The basis of fried snacks in Pathare Prabhu cuisine was the fact that the members of the community worked very hard,left early for work after a brunch and came back famished.These savories served as a source of calories



The main course included Beetroot Sambhare which is basically a gravy made with coconut milk.Having tried the Pineapple Sambhare at Bimba Nayak's and Rahul Velkar's place,I knew this would be great too.It tasted as good as it looked!! Here's a link on how to make  Pineapple Sambhare.Soumitra explained that a Pathare Prabhu meal is typically complete when accompanied by a coconut milk curry to go with the rice.Sambhaare,Gode-Aatle,Kalvan and Sheer are all subtypes of the same.A proper Sunday meal has mutton-pav,fried savory and shiryache with rice.He had made Gavsane for us which were made of modak ukad stuffed in chapati dough and shaped like a paratha and cooked.





The pickle-like gravy Prawns Lonche was tantalizing! Prawns were perfectly cooked and gave you that zingy feeling!!




The Kali Miriche Mutton was made of pepper and cooked in a cast iron vessel/kadai which was termed Tazla by Pathare Prabhus (Tazlyatle Mutton).Even Sukke Mutton is made in this vessel.I first heard about the dish in an article that mentioned how Kunal Vijayakar's mother used to make this dry mutton dish for childhood picnics.Years ago,he demonstrated the Picnic Mutton at the Upper Crust food show,which I never got down to making as he said it requires "loads and loads of oil" :D Here is the recipe 




Soumitra,like all Pathare Prabhus refers to his heirloom book "Gruhini Mitra" by Laxmibai Dhurandhar.If only someone would translate it and re -publish it for the rest of us.


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