The spicy Marathi fare

Misal Pao

If you are traveling along the Konkan coast and in mood for some spicy cuisine, do yourself a favor and visit the city of Kolhapur.

Kolhapuri Mutton Curry

There you will find some of the spiciest dishes along the west coast of India. A reasonably priced restaurant of Hotel Opal will give you an authentic and non-pretentious Kolhapuri dining experience. I tried several  specialty dishes including mutton (goat) curry, mutton pickle, chicken and mutton fry, chicken malvani and pandra rassa (white curry). There were all outstanding.

If you want to test your tolerance for high levels of spice, I would recommend trying Misal Pao, another common dish found in the city's quick service establishments. This dish is prepared with a local bhel mixture, sprouts and a spicy red curry and is usually had with pao (bread). I tried this on several occasions, but my most fond memories are those served in dhabas (road side food-stalls).