Gudi Padwa Special: 'Consuming Neem Leaves With Jaggery, Taught Us To Accept Both Sweet & Bitter Moments In Life,' Says Chef Prakash Patil

The festival of Gudi Padwa is deeply rooted in family, food, and tradition in Maharashtrian culture. Chef Prakash Patil fondly recalls his childhood celebrations, describing how the occasion was marked by prayers, togetherness, and a rich spread of traditional dishes. He reminisces about watching his mother and grandmother busy in the kitchen, preparing festive meals, and shares insights into what a typical Gudi Padwa feast looked like in his home.

Childhood memories of Gudi Padwa

Visit amunra-opinie.pl for more information.

Growing up in a Maharashtrian family, Gudi Padwa was an important and meaningful festival for us. We began the day with an early oil bath, wore traditional clothes, and proudly hoisted the gudi outside our home as a symbol of prosperity and new beginnings.

We performed puja, offered prayers, and followed the ritual of consuming neem leaves with jaggery, which taught us to accept both the sweet and bitter moments in life. Celebrating with traditional food and family togetherness helped instill strong cultural values and respect for our traditions from a very young age.

Staple food at home on the occasion

My mother and grandmother would be busy in the kitchen preparing traditional dishes like puran poli, shrikhand puri, and simple homemade sweets. Making pooris was always a family activity, and I loved watching the elders patiently rolling the soft dough.

The dishes central to our Gudi Padwa spread were poori-shrikhand, batayachi bhaji, vatana chi usal, val che birde, and an assortment of bhaji including kotimbir vadi and batayache kachare. 

Gudi Padwa 2026: Top Spots To Witness Iconic Shobha Yatra On March 19 In Mumbai & Thane; Everything You Should Know

Learning to cook Maharashtrian dishes from his mother

My mother was my first and most important teacher in the kitchen. Watching her cook, the way she balanced spices, the patience she brought to every dish, and the love she put into each recipe, shaped the way I approach food even today.

Many of the dishes I am bringing to my Gudi Padwa brunch at Hillview Café are drawn directly from her recipes, the ones I grew up eating as a child.

Secret to cooking a good Maharashtrian meal

The secret lies in simplicity and respect for the ingredient. Maharashtrian cooking is not about complicated techniques, it is about using fresh, local produce, grinding your own masalas, and allowing the natural flavours to speak for themselves.

Patience is key. Whether it is slow cooking a dal or getting the tempering just right, every step matters. Of course, cooking with heart, that is the one ingredient no recipe can teach.

A Maharashtrian thali and poori with shrikhand

Local ingredients and how they lend authenticity to a dish

Maharashtrian cuisine draws its authenticity, depth, and regional identity from a distinct set of local ingredients shaped by the state's coastal belt, Deccan plateau, and tribal regions. These ingredients are not just functional, they define aroma, texture, heat, and balance.

The key ingredients I work with include fresh coconuts, home-grown spices especially turmeric, and fresh ginger and garlic. Using these locally sourced ingredients is what keeps the food honest and rooted, and what makes a Maharashtrian meal taste like home.

Sticking to age-old recipes and traditional ways of cooking

There is a reason these recipes have survived generations. They have been tested, refined, and passed down not just as instructions but as lived experience and memory.

In today's world of constant reinvention, there is something deeply powerful about food that takes you back to your grandmother's kitchen, to a festival morning, to a feeling of belonging.

Gudi Padwa 2026: Here's How Morni-Themed Fashion Took Over Girgaon's Shobha Yatra Last Year

Chef Prakash Patil's Top 5 Maharashtrian dishes to try on Gudi Padwa

1. Poori Shrikhand: The quintessential Gudi Padwa combination, creamy saffron-infused shrikhand with light, fluffy pooris.

2. Puran Poli: A sweet flatbread stuffed with jaggery and chana dal, best served warm with ghee.

3. Val Che Birde: A subtly spiced field bean curry that is both nourishing and distinctly Maharashtrian.

4. Kotimbir Vadi: Crispy coriander fritters that are an irresistible festive snack.

5. Vatana Chi Usal: A hearty green pea curry, best enjoyed with a fresh bhakri or pav.

Chef Prakash Patil has whipped up a Gudi Padwa Brunch at Hillview Café, Le Méridien Navi Mumbai on March 19 from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Read full story at source