While Navi Mumbai has immense options for Punjabi, Mughlai, Chinese, Thai as well as Pan Asian and Italian cuisines, it doesn’t leave you with enough options for authentic Maharashtrain cuisine.Though the numbers have increased in the past few years with a handful of restaurateurs venturing into this much-awaited territory, a quality plate of Missal Pav or Thalipeeth is still not at a walking distance for most Navi Mumbaikars.Search any well-known food outlet’s website and you will know that the whole of Navi Mumbai has just five Maharashtrian cuisine restaurants, that too, most of them catering to Konkan and Malvani cuisine. Though there are not many big players in this sector, a lot of small eating joints have tried to fill the void.Seawoods residents are lucky to have two Maharashtrian food joints in their locality. One of them is 10-year-old Annapurna, a takeaway joint that has a vast Maharashtrian vegetarian menu. From bhakris to kothimbir wadi, gavar and bharli vangi (stuffed brinjal), you get everything that is popular in a Maharashtrain household.A small joint at Vashi called Vaibhavshali also offers sumptuous Maharashtrian cuisine in the form of Thalis. Their vegetarian thalis comprise two vegetables, varan (dal), chapattis, papad and rice. Their non-vegetarian variety is extremely palatable. “We often have mutton or chicken rice plate here. They make the curry in typical Maharshtrian style with roasted coconut masala and it is extremely spicy, like it is supposed to be. Secondly, their fish fry and curries are also to die for,” says Aditi Sarvade, a resident. They have a wide variety of fried fish like mackerel, Bombay ducks and pomfrets. This place is not just popular for its food, but also for its solkadhi (which is a post-meal drink prepared from coconut milk and kokam). Sakshi Sawant, owner of Annapurna and Solkhadi (its non-vegetarian kin) says it was the regular customers at Annapurna who suggested the idea of starting an authentic Maharashtrian non-vegetarain cuisine outlet. “Solkadhi offers Malvani style fish curry, kombadi vade, dry fish, crab masala, mutton vade and bhakri, etc. In fact, something as authentic as Bombay duck bhaji (pakodas made out of the fish) are also available at this restaurant. Though we are just six months old, the response we’ve garnered is over-whelming,” says Sakshi.There are two restaurants in CBD Belapur that offer a fairly good taste of Maharashtrian cuisine like bharli vangi, amti, usal, and a range of vegetarian fare. While one of them is a fine-dining restaurant, the other one is a slightly small setting named Konkan Rassa. This restaurant has managed to attract Maharashtrians as well as non- Maharashtrians, thanks to its authentic flavours. Unlike other restaurants that offer only select Maharshtrain cuisines (especially non-vegetarian), this comes like a breath of fresh air.Girish Kadam says that his restaurant is the only one in Navi Mumbai to offer ukdachi modak on the dessert menu. “It is something very unique. Ours is a fine-dining restaurant and we are the only ones to offer traditional ukdiche modak (steamed modak) to our guests. Very few eateries in the city have that option, that too not throughout the year. It is usually during festivals that they offer modaks,” says Kadam.