Khandekar believes that some Marathi dishes are even facing extinction. This change in our approach to cooking has to do with changing lifestyles and also with a general lack of enthusiasm. For instance, Khandekar talked about souring agents, such as tamarind, dried mango, Kokum, etc., which are now used rarely, having been replaced by the tomato-a relatively late entrant to Indian cuisine-as a base for all curries. A lot of uses of ingredients seem to have slipped out of collective memory. The author pointed out that not more than 50 years ago, there were twice as many utensils in an average kitchen, and each utensil was designed for a specific purpose. But this cooking approach is in stark contrast with what happens in traditional kitchens.

And everything from rice and meat to vegetables and sprouts is now pressure-cooked in order to save time and in the name of some theory of healthy cooking which she thinks is debatable. According to the author, an average urban Indian kitchen has a handful of basic utensils-at least one pressure cooker, a pan and a wok. This was one of the reasons she included chapters on cooking methods and utensils in the book. She feels that the younger generation has lost touch with their culinary roots. It was important for Khandekar to guide readers on the nuances of Maharashtrian cuisine. In the authorвЂ™s words, вЂњ Pangat is my discovery of the cuisine of Maharashtra through personal gustatory experiences and a fair amount of research.вЂќ Kadbu. Khandekar has focused on traditional styles of cooking, giving information about the ingredients and utensils crucial for preparing an authentic Marathi meal. She also explores the geographical and socio-cultural influences that have shaped this cuisine. She narrates her experiences and several anecdotes related to Marathi cuisine. Even though there are over 200 recipes in Pangat, the book is an easy read with the authorвЂ™s personal touch. In her own cookbook, Khandekar has tried not to overwhelm the reader with meticulous lists of ingredients and step-by-step cooking procedures. Over time, I began reading food books, including recipe books, like one would read fiction.вЂќ About her inclination towards culinary arts, the author said, вЂњI was always interested in food, which of course means that I enjoyed eating but thanks to the way my maternal grandmother shaped my culinary upbringing, I also grew to enjoy the stories that were associated with the food I was eating. Pangat is her second book after the well-acclaimed Crumbs!: Bread Stories and Recipes for the Indian Kitchen, which released in 2016. Khandekar has been a food writer and culinary consultant for more than a decade. Unless we spoke about the sub-cuisines of the state in one compendium and in a language that made it accessible to Marathi speaking people as well as those unfamiliar with the language, we would only end up watching the cuisine die a slow death.вЂќ It occurred to me then, that there was a need to speak about the variety of the foods eaten in Maharashtra, in a language that was universal. Around me, people in general and food experts and gourmands in equal measure, were only exposed to a handful of dishes popularised (and wrongly represented) by commercial restaurants. I looked through books on the history of Indian cuisine, and found to my utter dismay, that there was barely a fleeting mention of Maharashtra. The author said, вЂњIn order to understand the cuisine better, I began referring to old recipe books, most of them in Marathi and very community-specific.

Marathi recipes book