Maharashtra on a Plate at Mazzo
Home chef Swati Mawlankar brings the essence of Maharashtra to Hyderabad, offering a nostalgic dining experience that features traditional dishes like Kolhapuri chicken and sweet puran poli, perfect for both Maharashtrians and newcomers alike.
As 2026 begins, the comforting aromas of Maharashtra drift into Hyderabad, turning dinner into a deeply nostalgic affair. For four evenings, Mazzo at the Marriott Executive Apartments Hyderabad transforms into a celebration of home-style Maharashtrian cooking, led by home chef Swati Mawlankar, a familiar name in the city for her handmade modaks during Ganesh Chaturthi.
Originally from Maharashtra, Swati has been cooking since she was 22, carrying with her the everyday flavours of Marathi households. While she runs her own restaurant back home, her journey to Hyderabad began through word of mouth within the Maharashtrian community. What started with her uncle preparing modaks here has now grown into a much-loved annual ritual. Last year alone, she rolled out nearly 5,000 modaks during the festive season — proof of how much the city craves authentic Maharashtrian food.
At this four-day pop-up at Mazzo, Swati brings the same warmth and familiarity she would serve at home. The menu reflects a spread that Maharashtrians instantly recognise — food that doesn’t try to impress, but comforts. Starters arrive crisp and fragrant with sabudana vada, kothimbir vadi and batata vada, alongside favourites like kachori, bakarwadi and fiery thecha.
Vegetarian mains stay rooted in everyday kitchens with matki usal, bharli vangi and masala bhath carrying the unmistakable aroma of Maharashtra’s spice blends. For non-vegetarians, the menu leans towards Kolhapur and the Konkan coast, with bold Kolhapuri chicken and mutton, pandhra rassa and Konkani-style prawns. Cooling koshimbir raita balances the heat, while live counters serving fresh thalipeeth and pithla bhakri recreate the rhythm of a Maharashtrian home kitchen.
True to tradition, peanut oil and ghee are used generously, staying loyal to the way these dishes are meant to taste. Swati’s cooking draws largely from Kolhapur and Konkan influences, keeping the flavours honest and familiar.
No Maharashtrian feast is complete without sweets, and this one doesn’t disappoint. Soft, wheat-based puran poli takes centre stage, made the traditional way, alongside modaks, shrikhand, amrukhand and orange burfi. With Hyderabad’s excellent quality curd, desserts like shrikhand turn especially creamy — a detail Swati happily calls a bonus.
This pop-up isn’t about reinvention or fusion. It’s about familiarity — food that tastes like it’s been cooked by someone who understands it deeply. For four nights only, Mazzo becomes a place where Maharashtrians feel at home, and everyone else gets a chance to understand why these flavours endure.
The Maharashtrian food pop-up runs from January 7 to 10, 2026, for dinner service at Mazzo Rooftop Bar, Marriott Executive Apartments Hyderabad.