MTDC’s week long food festival opens at SCZCC

Nagpur: A week long Maharashtra food festival was inaugurated by tourism minister Jay Kumar Rawal and minister of state for tourism Madan Yerawar on Wednesday at the SCZCC premises. Organized by MTDC in collaboration with Lokmata Sumatitai Suklikar Pratishthan, the festival is being held to promote tourism through food by bringing to the city various culinary specialities of Maharashtra.
The inauguration which was to be done by chief minister who could not be present, was marked by a dhol pathak performance by a local group and the formal opening of MTDC’s resort in Bodalkasa by the tourism minister.
The festival features ten stalls from various regions of Maharashtra like Marathwada, Khandesh, Malwani, Konkan and Vidarbha. Rest forty stalls on the sprawling campus of SCZCC are displaying food and handicraft products by various women’s self help group.
The major attraction is a stall from Aurangabad which represents the Marathwada region where all food items are being prepared on firewood. “We are following the traditional methods of cooking practised in the rural areas of our region,” said Vijay Giri who has come from Aurangabad. Giri recommends Mutton Ukad which is a simple preparation of boiled mutton, mutton masala, gaorani chicken and jowari and bajra bhakri made with a coating of til.
The Khandesh region which includes Jalgaon, Bhusawal, Yawal and Buldhana was represented by another group of caterers who too have come from Aurangabad. “This is an entirely different style of cooking and the popular dishes of this region include vangi bharit, mande mutton which is a big roti served with mutton curry, daal batti and Nagle papad which are made of jowari,” explained Prakash Suradkar who has set up a stall of these items.
The Malvani and Konkani cuisine is being presented by Praveen Sheteye from Mumbai. The stall displays a fine array of fish items that include kombadi wadi. “Different styles of fried fish forms the basis of this cuisine which comes from the region around Sindhudurg,” explains Sheteye. “Sea fish is used by cooks who belong to the koli or fishermen tribe of the region. The cooking style is authentic Malwani and we are carrying fish from Mumbai which will keep getting replenished during this festival,” he added.
The food festival will also have cultural programmes on the sides. Performing on the first day was singer Savani Ravindra and local artists.