Maharastran Festival for Indian Zing April 4th-22nd 2006 Indian Zing in London's King Street, recipient of critical acclaim recently, is running a Mahastran Festival for the the coming three weeks. Maharashtra, the second largest state in the Indian Union with a population of 96 million, is located in central India on the west coast. Its capital is Mumbai, erstwhile Bombay and the people and language, Marathi. Like the land, the people are hardy, farmers, great scholars, administrators, artists and famed warriors. Before the advent of the East India company and after the fall of the great Moghul Empire (The Marathas being a vital cause), the Maratha confederacy expanded rapidly bordering Punjab and warring with the Afghans in the south to embrace major chunks of the peninsula. Maharashtran food however, has also absorbed large influences from within the Indian sub-continent. The Imperial Maratha Army controlled the largest chunk of the Indian landmass. From Attock on the Afghan border they learnt the basics of the gentle roast. Cuttack in the east provided the use of mustard. Maratha control of Hyderabad also had a great culinary benefit introducing a sophisticated cuisine of the nizam. These earthy and simple people absorbed cultures and cuisines from all over their empire, yet essentially retained their real roots. Marathi cuisine is wholesome, healthy, uncomplicated and tasty. Some of the simple dishes that are part of a staple diet that we are showcasing in this food fest are, bhujung biryani (puffed rice Biryani), Sol Kadhi (Literally the soul of a coastal Marathi diet, a refreshing cool beverage of Kokum extract, a tropical fruit of medicinal value, and coconut milk with a dash of ginger, garlic, chilli and coriander), Masala Bhat (spiced rice with vegetables, a must at any feast), Zunka Bhakker (the traditional shepherd's diet of hearth baked bread of jowar grain and a thick broth of gram flour and mild spices, kullith (chicken soup thickened with grounded pulses and Nachni grain served with whole grained unpolished red rice) chicken durandhar (chicken with pineapple and raw mango) fish tikhale (fish steaks served with fish essence,spices and herbs). Prawn kalwan (prawns poached in simple stone ground spices and herbs), Scallops lonche (pickled scallops with aubergine, potatoes) lobster lonwas (lobster seared in east Indian bottled masala)   top