What to Eat in Nashik Today?

Misal pav, the Nashik way

Misal is a curry of sprouted moth beans topped with crunchy farsan, raw onion and lemon, eaten with soft pav bread. Nashik's version is known for its tarri, the thin, oily, red-hot gravy poured on top, which most places refill without asking. Ask for it less spicy if you need to; the heat is real. Many misal houses open early and close by mid-afternoon, so treat it as breakfast or brunch.

The thali

Lunch is a Maharashtrian thali: jowar bhakri or chapati, pithla (a thick gram-flour curry), a dry vegetable, varan-bhaat (plain dal and rice), a koshimbir salad and a sweet. It is filling and not very oily. Several thali houses in Nashik also serve Gujarati-style thalis, which are sweeter.

Fasting food

Nashik is a temple town, and on fasting days many people eat sabudana: crisp sabudana vada made from tapioca pearls and crushed peanuts, or soft sabudana khichdi. Look for these near the temples and at breakfast stalls, often on Mondays and Ekadashi.

Chivda and snacks

Chivda, a dry mix of flattened rice, peanuts, curry leaves and spice, is the snack people buy by the kilo to take home. It keeps well and travels easily.

Wine

Nashik makes a large share of India's wine, and the estates west of town, led by Sula Vineyards, offer tastings. Whites like Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc suit the warm afternoons. If you plan a tasting, book a driver rather than driving yourself.

Vegetarian by default

Almost all the food around the temples and in Panchavati is vegetarian, and many places serve no onion or garlic on request. Non-vegetarian food is easy to find elsewhere in the city. See where to eat for tables that do each dish well.