Gujarati cuisine is varied, flavourful and predominantly vegetarian. But it also has a rich history of meat items. Tapan Joshi offers a droolworthy explainer on the food of the state...
Gujarati food varies according to the region: Amdavadi (central Gujarat), Kathiawari (Saurashtra, coastal), Surti (south Gujarat), and Kutchi.
An Amdavadi thali typically consists of ghee phulka rotis or puris, sweetened (optional) dal/kadhi, rice/khichdi, three seasonal vegetables, khandvi, khaman, papad, and buttermilk.
Khandvi, a versatile Gujarati item, is a soft gram (besan) flour roll and has a tangy taste. It is served with grated coconut on top.
It’s a sin in Gujarat to say ‘khaman-dhokla’. Khaman and dhokla are two different items. Dhokla is made of fermented lentils and rice batter while khaman is besan-based.
Gujarati-speaking Chilia Muslims of Ahmedabad have their own delightful version of biryani and Tawa Chicken. Bhatiyaar Galli in old Ahmedabad is the city’s version of Mohammad Ali Road.
Bera Samosa House is an institution in Ahmedabad. For decades, they have been serving spicy, tiny buff (surprise surprise) samosas and fried kebabs for lunch and dinner.
Proximity to Rajasthan has ensured that dal-baati has become a staple in Ahmedabad. Hundreds of dal-baati stalls cater to office-goers during lunch time.
Ringna No Oro (Baingan Bharta) with green garlic, Bajri No rotlo (thick bajri roti), red garlic chutney, and home-made white butter is a quintessential Kathiawari repast.
Baingan Bharta made Kathiawari style is different from anywhere else in India. Oro is a simple yet flavourful dish made with fresh (green) garlic and onions.
Khichdi-kadhi is another stable in Kathiawar. The kadhi is tangy and not sweet. Kathiawaris also eat khichdi dunked in buttermilk (chhaas).
The Rajputs of Saurashtra -- locally known as Darbar -- relish meat, especially mutton. Mutton curries of Saurashtra are spicy, with soupy gravy, and garnished with chillies.
Gujarati cuisine is incomplete without the Undhiyu, a dish of mixed vegetables that’s a must-have during the kite festival of Uttarayan in January.
Earlier, folks mixed vegetables and spices in pots, turned them upside down (undhaa in Gujarati means upside down), and cooked them over bonfires. Hence the name Undhiyu.
Perhaps Surat’s greatest food invention is Locho, a wholesome meal made of chana dal, urad dal, garnished with chopped onion, sev and mint chutney.
Locho means goof-up in Gujarati. The dish got invented by mistake, when the cook was trying to make khaman and realised the batter had gone wrong.
Kutch is a desert, hence the food is dry, and chhaas or buttermilk, is a staple. The locals refer to chhaas as Kutchi beer!
Simple food of bajra rotlas, dahi and khichdi-kadhi are everyday khana for Kutchis. Kutch’s greatest food invention is the Dabeli, which literally means ‘pressed’ in Gujarati.
Dabeli is a round bun filled with spicy potato-based mixture, peanuts, pomegranate, which is then fried in butter on a tava till crispy. Gorgeous.