The Foodie's Guide to Pune

I know I have not been updating this blog lately-was busy with examinations (the last exam of my LIFE! Yippeee!!) and then was away on a much-enjoyed vacation. As a result, this blog has suffered.
But not any more!
I just got back from Pune and it is a foodie’s HEAVEN. Unlike Mumbai, where restaurants are really crowded only on weekends, in Pune, every single restaurant is overflowing with people every single day. Plus there are shops selling snacks like wafers and the like which ALSO sell fresh-from-the-fryer goodies like matarchya karanjya (green pea dumplings), batate wade (spiced potato croquettes), sabudanyachi khichadi (a Maharashtrian delicacy, just cant translate into English) and more….. I wonder if Puneites bother to cook at home at all!
In recent years Pune has undergone a metamorphosis – from being an academic centre with small-town charm, with green, leafy lanes, old bungalows and an unabashedly Marathi feel it has gone to being a sprawling metropolis with all the traps of a modern city – flyovers, thousands of smoke-spewing cars, international chain stores, malls – you name it.
Of course, there are advantages of this – you can now scarf down some fried chicken a la KFC or some pizza (Pizza Hut, Dominoes), buy your Nikes/Reeboks/designer wear without a trip to Mumbai. But gone is the ‘Puneri’ feel of small stores often tended to by gruff and rude store owners, the (in)famous ‘Puneri Patya’ (signboards) outside/inside shops which had nitpicking, mean instructions to pedestrians/shoppers, and the Marathi feel of the whole place.
In all fairness, some parts of Pune do retain their original culture – the old city across the river, for instance, and some parts of the (now-) hip shopping-and-eating-out-area of Deccan Gymkhana. But new districts like Aundha, Baner, Koregaon Park are all a tribute to metropolism.
Coming back to food, luckily, the influx of international (read US) fast food hasn’t diluted the stronghold of Marathi food in Pune. You can get amazing Maharashtrian food in Pune – way better than any other city in the state. And the variety is to die for! I can go on and on about the epicurean delights that Pune offers, but to keep things concise, I have compiled a list of must-eat and must-shop delicacies when in Pune. I haven’t bothered to include all the Greek/Thai/Chinese/American (is there such a cuisine at all?) joints in the city – I believe that when in Pune, one must sample the USP of the city, which is authentic and yummy Maharashtrain food (With a few notable exceptions). After all, all your international stuff is readily available in Mumbai (or any other metro). But Marathi food sure isn’t found everywhere.

Must-Eat:
1. The thali at Krishna Dining Hall (there are several ‘dining halls’ of repute in Pune, but this is my favourite).
This place on Law College Road serves a set meal of piping-hot and tasty Maharashtrian food – but is not afraid to experiment with the cuisine, with delicious results.



2. Appachi khichadi
Fabulous sabudanyachi khichadi (a savoury dish made of sago and patotao), served with a sweet yoghurt-and-cucumber koshimbir (salad). I don’t know who ‘Appa’ is, but his shack (yes it is that) serves up an amazing sabudanyachi khichadi thrice a week – Mondays, Thusdays and Saturdays. The kind that Ajji made.

3. Joshi Misal (Tulshi Baag)
Misal is a jumble of spiced lentils, crunchy fried chivda and poatatoes and onions.
This place sevres not the eye-wateringly spicy Kolhapuri version, but a milder one suited to the palate of Puneri Brahmins. :P

4. Kolhapuri dishes at PurePur Kolhapur
This restaurant has 2 outlets, one at Kothrud and the other at Peru Gate. Authentic, spicy Kolhapuri curries.

5. The Gavraan thali at Mathura (J. M. Road)
A set meal of ‘gavraan’ (village/country cuisine) dishes

6. Jhunka Bhakar at Shabri (F.C. Road)
Traditional Marathi-heartland fare comprising bhakari (thick roti-like bread made of jowar/bajra) and jhunka (tasty, toasted chickpea flour paste)

7. Parathas at Chaitanya Parathas (F. C. Road)
Authentic and delicious Punjabi parathas at extremely affordable prices (Rs 45-55 per HUGE paratha). Served with a generous dollop of butter and refreshing mint chutney. Also on offer – other Punjabi dishes like daal makhani, bharta, rajma etc and soothing lassis.

8. SPDP at Wadeshwar
SPDP stands for Shev Puri-Dahi Puri. This chaat dish is better known as Dahi Batata Puri, but Puneites like to call it SPDP, for some reason. Wadeshwar also serves nice appe, mini idlis and Set Dosas which you wont get easily at other South Indian restaurants

9. Chicken Roll at Marz-o-rin (M.G. Road, Pune Camp)

10. Chana Bhatura at Mona Foods (M.G. Road, Pune Camp)
Too yummy for words, botht eh above dishes, and consistently good, over the decades!

I know several Puneites will gnash their teeth when (rather, if) they read this post – since I have skipped their beloved restaurant-duo of Vaishali/Rupali and the famous Puneri Mastani.
But face it guys- Vaishali is more hype than good food and Mastani is just milkshake with icecream.

Must-shop:
1. Bakarwadi at Chitales
Chitale is a Pune institution with several branches (and stockists) around the city. The bakarwadi (a fried savoury snack) is their signature product. Also yummy are their chivdas, the malai barfi and their fresh snacks like matar karanji. They also stock melt-on-the tongue, sweet, crisp chirote (made elsewhere)

2. Shrewsbury biscuits and plain/Mawa cakes at Kayani Bakery (East Street, Pune Camp)
This family-owned bakery used to be notorious for their stubbornly limited production of biscuits and cakes (which would be sold out by noon) They have bowed to public pressure, though, and now churn out consistently delicious cakes and melt-in-the-mouth Shrewsbury biscuits all day long.

3. Potato Wafers/Potato Sali (sticks) at Budhani Wafers (M.G. Road, Pune Camp)

4. Chirote from Bedekar Misal (Sadashiv Peth)
A chirota (pl: Chirote) is a million-layered puff of fried dough (creamy white, despite the frying) dusted with snow-like castor sugar. Heaven in a bite.

There are MANY more eateries and shops which boast of delights I havent even started sampling yet, so the list is definitely NOT exhaustive! But it certainly is a good palce to start. J