To do justice to the vibrant cuisine of Kolhapur, it is essential that I devote at least one more week on this land of fairs and festivals. What makes the food of Kolhapur simply outstanding is its people. The chilli, hot taste of this food matches the fiery temperaments of the warrior race that hails from Kolhapur.

The proud Maratha community, feed exceedingly well on pulses, vegetables, bhakris made of various grains, rice and meat. The meat used today has shown a definite shift towards white meat, primarily chicken, but it is mutton that the Kolhapuris relish the most. This region was famous for hunting because of the thick jungle engulfing the area. Common game animals were sassa (rabbit) and hiran (deer). Game birds were normally brought home but barbecued on site. Hunting has been a popular sport in this region and still continues to be quite popular in spite of government regulations against it. I was informed that to date there are hunting camps being organised where one could go and participate in actual hunting operations. These camps are generally a fortnight long but invitations to guests are not extended beyond one or two days. In case someone wants to join such a camp for a day or two, he has to know the core group exceedingly well to get invited. Game animals are cooked by experts accompanying the group.

Mutton is still rated as the meat for celebration and Kolhapuris are very particular about the source of meat. Pandarpur and Baarshi are two places that feed the market of Kolhapur with mutton carcasses. In villages, a full animal is slaughtered and distributed (wata) amongst a number of families. Kolhapuris pay great heed to the quality of mutton they use for their dishes. To say that one particular cut of mutton is more popular than the other would not be correct. One thing that is common is the fact most Kolhapuris like to buy mutton themselves and would rarely ever delegate this job to others. Each family has their family butcher, like a family doctor, the butcher would know exactly what is preferred by his regular customers. Most butchers distribute the carcass with such ease and finesse that each customer feels that he or she is the closest to the butcher and is getting the best value for money. This in no way undervalues the knowledge of an average meat-eating Kolhapuri. Their knowledge about different cuts of meat is much more than the average meat-eating Indian.

So much about meat and not a word for our vegetarian readers! People of Kolhapur like to show their hospitality by serving non-vegetarian dishes. However their meat is not complete if it is not accompanied by Dahi Kandha and Kharda -- a true vegetarian chilli treat! So, for our vegetarian readers here is Vilas Patil's version of Kharda (straight from Arjun Vada). Chill out!

Note: One should always exercise caution while using fresh green chillies as they can burn the fingers if the skin is in constant touch with the cut green chillies. Do not rub your eyes with same fingers if you are working with chillies.

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor is working as executive chef at Centaur Hotel, Juhu and also hosts a weekly cookery show Khana Khazana on ZEE TV.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.