both kanda(onion) poha(beaten rice) and vada pav are staple food for maharashtrians. in mumbai you can see stalls almost on every street selling these hugely popular snacks.a mumbaikar cannot do without either of the two.such is the hold these iconic snacks have over the mumbai manoos. only few people are aware that vada pav is basically a north indian dish.whether raj thackeray knows or not is anybody's guess.
politicians don't miss an opportunity to jump on the band wagon.opportunism and politics go hand in hand.uddhav thackeray,son of bal thackeray,has chosen to give vada pav a strong fillip.he wants to have a vp stall at every railway station in maharashtra.and he has challenged lalu yadav to do it if lalu claims that he loves maharashtra. i wonder whether lalu said that for a peaceful chat puja this year in mumbai. uddhav has also ambitious plans for globalising vada pav. he roped in mcdonald's and coca cola(what an irony),iconic american brands,to sponsor a recent vadapav sammelan.the meeting was called for to put the vadapav brains together to standardise the taste of vadapav. a la mac burger. after all didn't uddhav's dad say "if marathis cannot get jobs,let them sell vada pav".cash prizes were offered for the vada pav sellers for the best in taste and consistency. and then the topper will be selected for the "shiv vadapav'.the new brand name for shiv sena's vada pav.
not to be undone,the congress has jumped into the fray.they too plan to hold a sammelan."both kanda and poha are produced in maharashtra,hence we are planning a kanda poha festival", said a congress spokesperson. their strategy is simple. create greater job opportunities and garner more votes.whether this works to their advantage we will know in the next elections.
what will poor raj thakeray do? he has been keeping a low profile ever since 26/11 and a bihar court's nonbailable warrant on him.he also has to fight the elections. maybe he will think of branding sabudana wada or thali peet.both are popular maharashtrian snacks.sabudana is always taken on upvaas(fasting) day by maharashtrians.raj may break his silence and outsmart his cousin and his congress rivals by promoting sabudana wada. let us wait and watch.
7 comments:
Happy New Year GS, hope you have a spectacular 2009!
Poha is indeed a typical maharashtrian snack food, but I would think that the Vada Pav was created in the Khao gullies of Mumbai probably?
Not to be left behind I second that the other Thakeray should indeed bestow glory on the much less famous but incredibly fantastic Sabudana wada...I do have a soft corner for any dish created with Sabudana!
Wishing you Happy New Year 2009 dear GS.
Why are you after Raj Thakre? He does n't need any dish to attract his followers. He must be having "Thecha" in his daily meals. If you can't understand this typical dish in Maharashtra, please ask some one from Kolhapur.
Mangesh
hi rupa
thanks for your comments. nice to see you back.wish you and your family a smashing 2009.
vada pav is definitely not of maharashtrian origin though kanda poha's origin is clear. all southies have this soft corner for sabudana.i know many who regularly prepare various veggie items with sabudana in it.
hi mangesh
my best wishes to you for a fantastic 2009.
actually,raj is a smart guy.but living in a metropolitan city like mumbai and sending his children to the best of english schools,his behaviour borders on stupidity.if he is so parochial in his attitude as he demonstrates presumably for votes,then he is not fit to be a true leader. his recent actions has cost him potentially more votes than he would have gained.
thanks for introducing me to the word 'thecha'. actually i have had this many times always being referred to as chutney. and i like it. in fact yesterday i went for a light snack with a friend.as i had missed lunch, i ordered for veg pattis and potato chips. lo and behold it came alongwith 'thecha'.
Dear gs,
If you are interested to know some of the Abhangs from Marathi poetry, there is :
"Kaanda Mula Bhaaji, Avaghee Vithabaai Maazi"
Please find the meaning from any one of your Marathi freinds and let me know, how you like it.
Waman
Hi there GS! As for me, I'd first sign up to be the deciding judge between these dishes and take my time doing so. It's almost funny that these guys think that the fastest way to a man's politics is through his stomach. Almost but not quite....Wish you a very happy new year!
hi maya
all these are delectable maharashtrian snacks which we often prepare at home.there is another one which is very popular with the weaken sections of society.jhunka bhakra.you can search my blog for more on this.when shiva sena was in power they gave this snack a marquee status.thousands of jb stalls mushroomed all over the state.and when they were ousted,it lost its sheen.just like a wife who thinks that she can capture her husband's love through his stomaqch,the politicians dream of capturing the comman man's vote through such stunts.
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