Dalit Kitchens of Marathwada
SHAHU PATOLE
TRANSLATED BY BHUSHAN KORGAONKAR
“This is the food my parents ate and their parents ate ... It is an acquired taste, especially one acquired through centuries of discrimination.”
A landmark publication in Marathi, Shahu Patole’s book Anna He Apoorna Brahma was the first ever to document Dalit food history through the culinary practices of two Maharashtrian communities—Mahar and Mang. Fashioned as a memoir with recipes, it explores the politics of maintaining social divisions through food, along with a commentary on caste-based discrimination—what food is sattvic (pure) or rajasic (fit for a king), what is tamasic (sinful) and why.
Now translated as Dalit Kitchens of Marathwada, this book presents the poor man’s patchwork plate, one devoid of oil, ghee and milk, and comprising foods not known to savarna dictionaries. It also examines Hindu scriptures that prescribe what each varna should eat—and questions the idea that one becomes what one eats. From humble fare to festive feasts, the recipes carefully woven into the narrative show you the transformative power of food in connecting communities and preserving cultural identity.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SHAHU PATOLE, a distinguished Marathi-language writer and retired government officer, has a master’s in economics and journalism. He was selected for the Indian Information Service by the UPSC in 1991 and has held positions in the Press Information Bureau, Defence PRO, Directorate of Field Publicity, All India Radio and Mumbai Doordarshan (news sections). Shahu passionately addresses caste, religion, food, politics, sex and social issues in his books, articles and on social media. He divides his time between Osmanabad and Aurangabad in Maharashtra.
BHUSHAN KORGAONKAR is a writer, translator and theatre producer. He has been engaging with the traditional Lavani artists in Maharashtra since 2004, which led him to write his award-winning Marathi book Sangeet Bari, published by Rajhans Prakashan in 2014. This is now a critically acclaimed theatre production, performed across the country and abroad. Bhushan writes fiction in Marathi which deals with relationships, sexuality and crime. His audiobooks on the Storytel app are widely popular. He also writes Lavani songs, two of which are commissioned by Agents of Ishq – an online portal (the music videos are available on YouTube). He also conducts Lavani Lyrics Writing Workshops.
INFORMATION
Imprint: HarperCollins
Published: 2 June 2024
ISBN: 9789356295834
Format: Paperback
Pages: 386