Food is an important link to our cultural heritage. Every culture brings its own taste and history, as it is said, “Food is very individual and social at the same time”. Thinking of how food, culture and society unite us, a multicultural city is another way to explore the cultural and symbolic meaning of food. Brought up in Mumbai, I have had the chance to taste various cuisines, but the Maharashtrian food stayed close to my heart primarily because of its obvious authenticity in Mumbai. For a quick grab, vada pav, sabudana items, poha were always available around the corner. Slowly, they become an integral part of your food preference and only when you move to another city, you realise it. Adapting to new food culture isn’t a challenge I had foreseen because Bengaluru too offers a wide variety of options. Only the poha, vada pav are replaced with idli, bhaat, dosa etc.
When I moved to Bengaluru a few years back, being a foodie, I tried everything on the menu and found it absolutely lip-smacking. But now down the line, there are days when I crave for what I have grown up on. So my search begins, I try, I try and try but just can’t find the exact match. Until, I discovered this authentic Maharashtrian restaurant called Purnabramha. They have two outlets, one in HSR and other in Whitefield. I have only tried the HSR outlet and as I ate the first bite of vada pav, I said to myself "finally"! Since then, I have been regular here and have tried a lot of items from their menu like the Poha, sabudana vada, dadpe pohe, vada pav etc. This place becomes my only choice when I crave for any of these or any Maharashtrian dish. They cook all their dishes in homemade masala's and don't use any preservatives.
The ambience is quite simple and I love to be seated on the ground for a meal. They have comfortable cushions to sit down and regular chair-table for people who do not prefer ground seating. The restaurant gives you a complete feeling of home with subtle colours, comfortable cushions, Maharashtrian music, steel pots, glass, and plates. So even if you haven't tried the Maharashtrian food before, you must tag along with a Maharashtrian friend who knows or asks the management for suggestions. But remember the cuisine is known to be spicy so have solkadhi or kokam along with the food and end it with puran poli to balance spices. The sabudana khichdi or vada is served with traditional curd with grounded peanuts in it. I would totally recommend misal pav, dadpe pohe, kothambhir vadi with tamarind peanut chutney, vada pav, zhunka bhakri, shrikhand puri or try out the meals for a taste of what Maharashtrians eat.
When I moved to Bengaluru a few years back, being a foodie, I tried everything on the menu and found it absolutely lip-smacking. But now down the line, there are days when I crave for what I have grown up on. So my search begins, I try, I try and try but just can’t find the exact match. Until, I discovered this authentic Maharashtrian restaurant called Purnabramha. They have two outlets, one in HSR and other in Whitefield. I have only tried the HSR outlet and as I ate the first bite of vada pav, I said to myself "finally"! Since then, I have been regular here and have tried a lot of items from their menu like the Poha, sabudana vada, dadpe pohe, vada pav etc. This place becomes my only choice when I crave for any of these or any Maharashtrian dish. They cook all their dishes in homemade masala's and don't use any preservatives.
The ambience is quite simple and I love to be seated on the ground for a meal. They have comfortable cushions to sit down and regular chair-table for people who do not prefer ground seating. The restaurant gives you a complete feeling of home with subtle colours, comfortable cushions, Maharashtrian music, steel pots, glass, and plates. So even if you haven't tried the Maharashtrian food before, you must tag along with a Maharashtrian friend who knows or asks the management for suggestions. But remember the cuisine is known to be spicy so have solkadhi or kokam along with the food and end it with puran poli to balance spices. The sabudana khichdi or vada is served with traditional curd with grounded peanuts in it. I would totally recommend misal pav, dadpe pohe, kothambhir vadi with tamarind peanut chutney, vada pav, zhunka bhakri, shrikhand puri or try out the meals for a taste of what Maharashtrians eat.
