DIGVIJAY Khanvilkar, Maharashtra�s health minister and Kolhapur�s strongman, is a Maratha by birth and a gourmet at heart. When he�s not at Mantralaya in Bombay checking on the state�s health, he is in Kolhapur, his constituency and hometown. Khanvilkar�s family draws him here.

Family is wife Rajalaxmi, son Vishwavijay and daughter-in-law Sumitra, and daughter Dhavalshree and son-in-law Yuvraj Maloji. I suspect, it is also Rajalaxmi�s delicious Kolhapuri cuisine that makes the homesick minister run back home frequently. For what kind of food must he be eating in Bombay? �Zunkha Bhakar from the MLA�s Hostel,� the robust and distinguished-looking Khanvilkar told me, eyes twinkling with amusement.

He was in Kolhapur when I met him over lunch at the family home in Nagala Park. It was a Kolhapuri lunch, naturally, prepared by Rajalaxmi in a kitchen that was large enough to feed 50 and which probably fed 125. �Everytime Khanvilkar is in Kolhapur, it is that way with him,� she said affectionately. �He always has an entourage of people with him. I am used to cooking for many.� Indeed, I saw for myself. The Khanvilkars keep an open house. And when news gets around that the minister is in town, people come in droves to see him. Even total strangers are made to feel at home. With this kind of activity happening every now and then, Rajalaxmi�s kitchen is always buzzing. Her cooks, two women and a man, are kept busy. But when Khanvilkar is at home, she does the cooking herself.

�When he�s here, he likes me to make his special dishes,� she explained. �His tastes are very simple, he likes the food tikhat, very spicy, so I mix the masalas myself and then supervise the cooks. We grind our masalas minutes before cooking. No packaged masalas are kept at home. Our home-preparation is like a Maharashtrian goda masala, a black aromatic powder with a burnt sweetness which comes from the coconut in the mixture. I have sent one of my cooks to Bombay to cook Kolhapuri food for Khanvilkar there. But he still likes to come home to my cooking.� And I could see why. The enterprising lady had dished out a banquet for the minister�s at-home meal that day. There was Mutton Loncha, Chicken Pandhara Rassa, Egg Tambada Rassa, Soonti, which are mutton laddoos, Methi bhaji, Pithala and Biryani. The Khanvilkars make a quick lunch. I suppose when you have visitors by the dozen waiting in the next room, and the phones never stop ringing, it must be difficult to linger over the meal.

I asked Khanvilkar what kind of food he liked to have outside of Kolhapur. Without hesitation, he replied, �Konkan fish curry. I have adopted this cuisine as my own.� Kolhapur food has no appreciable presence of fish on its menus, but still, seafood comes into the city from coastal areas like Devgad and Ratnagiri. �I like those tangy Goan fish curries, plenty of kokum, watery thin gravies, though we don�t make them at home,� Khanvilkar said. �We Marathas are meat eaters. There is little that fish and even chicken has to offer us. Not much place for vegetables, too, in our food. We use them in salads. My wife is a very good cook.�

It was Khanvilkar�s big wish to take Kolhapuri food out to the masses. Like a politician with election promises, he said, �I want to educate Maharashtrians first about Kolhapuri cuisine. People think that it is very spicy. Not true at all! Some restaurateurs are giving the cuisine a bad name. They make spicy food and call it Kolhapuri cuisine. Kolhapuri food has such high-quality ingredients, look at our meat, check the vegetables, and the masalas are so decent. I wish these restaurateurs came here and learnt how to cook our food before going out and serving it to the people. People come from far just to taste our Tambada and Pandhara Rassas. But, yes, we also do spicy food at times.�

He was doing his talking and eating at the same time. Talking to me, to his personal assistant who kept butting into our meal and conversation all the time, talking on the phone, on his mobile, talking to his wife and children. I gathered Khanvilkar was a very busy or popular man. Or both. Rajalaxmi Khanvilkar said that when she wanted to enjoy a proper meal with her husband and children, the family went out! �At such times, we go for Chinese food,� she said, �though even that is a rare occurrence with him, he keeps so busy.� A twinge of regret crossed Khanvilkar�s face.�Come,� he said, getting up and leaving the dining table. He grabbed her hand and mine. �Let�s go out and have dessert. I will take you to a place where you get the best ice-cream in Kolhapur.�

And rushing us to his Lancer, he drove us to Imperial Cold Drink House on Bhausingji Road where his friend, ice-cream maker Dilip Gavali, welcomed us beaming broadly. �I have a green card to come here and eat without making payment,� Khanvilkar said hugging Gavali affectionately. Quickly he placed the order. �Milkshakes with ice-cream for everyone. And some of your rose ice-cream. Get it phata-phat.�