(Meaning: Wherever in the world Gujaratis live, there exists a Gujarat)
Gujarati cuisine (Gujarati: ગુજરાતીભોજન) refers to the cuisine of Gujarat, a state in western India. Despite having an extensive coastline providing wholesome seafood, it is primarily a vegetarian state due to the influence of Jain vegetarianism and traditional Hinduism, however many families include chicken, lamb, and goat to these dishes.
The typical Gujarati Thali consists of Roti, Dal or Kadhi, Rice, and Shaak/Sabzi (a dish made up of several different combinations of vegetables and spices, which may be either spicy or sweet). Gujarati cuisine varies widely in flavour and heat, depending on a family’s tastes as well as the region of Gujarat to which they belong. North Gujarat, Kathiawad, Kachchh, and Surti Gujarat are the four major regions of Gujarat that contribute their unique touch to Gujarati cuisine. Many Gujarati dishes are distinctively sweet, salty, and spicy simultaneously.
The traditional Gujarati food is primarily vegetarian and has a high nutritional value. The typical Gujarati thali consists of varied kinds of lip smacking dishes. Gujarati cuisine has so much to offer and each dish has an absolutely different cooking style. Some of the dishes are stir fry, while others are boiled. Gujarati food is more often served on a silver platter. Gujaratis use a combination of different spices and flavors to cook their meals and this is what makes their food truly exotic.
The traditional Gujarati thali mostly encompasses rotli, dal or kadhi, sabzi also known as shaak and rice. People in Gujarat eat one or the other type of curry along with rice and roti in almost every meal Gujarati dishes usually have a very subtle taste that makes it truly distinct from other Indian cuisines. Lot of emphasis is laid on maintaining hygiene while cooking. Most of the Gujarati dishes are sweet, while others have a quite larger concentration of sugar as compared to salt and spices. Sometimes, jaggery is used as an alternative to sugar.
Gujarati food is highly energy efficient and thus do not cause much of fuel wastage. The staple food of Gujarat consists of homemade pickles, chhaas (buttermilk), salad etc. main course includes vegetables which are usually steamed and dal. Vaghaar is a blend of spices, which is purified in hot oil and then added to the dal. To prevent the body from becoming dehydrated, lot of salt, sugar, tomato and lemon is used.
Gujarati cuisine differs from season to season depending on the availability of vegetables. People in the urban areas are starting some new eating trends. In the summer season, spices such as black pepper and its constituent spices are used in lesser quantities. People fast on a regular basis and limit their diet to milk, nuts and dried fruits.
In the modern era, more and more youngsters have started developing taste for oily spicy food. Even, the modern chefs are coming up with fusion food concept by combining Gujrati food and Western food. Desserts, which were in the ancient times offered only on festivity or some special occasions, have now found their way in the daily meals.
List of Gujarati dishes
Breads : Puran Poli
Bajri no Rotlo: Thick millet flour flatbread usually grilled over coals.
Makai no Rotlo: Thick Corn flour flatbread usually grilled over coals.
Bhakri: Made with whole wheat flour, thicker than Rotli, crispy.
Phulka rotli (Also called Rotli or Chapati): Made with whole wheat flour, rolled thin.[4]
Juvar no Rotlo: Thick sorghum flatbread.
Parotha: Fried whole wheat flatbread.
Puran Poli (Also known as Vedmi): Whole wheat bread filled with sweet moong dal filling usually made for special occasions.
Puri: Made with whole wheat flour, deep fried.
Thepla/Dhebra: Made with a mixture of flours, pan fried, mildly spiced, usually contains shredded vegetables.
Pooda: Made with a mixture of flours, pan fried.
Rice
In addition to plain rice, Gujarati cuisine also includes rice based dishes such as:
Biranj: Steamed rice flavoured with saffron, sugar, and dried fruit.
Khatta-Mittha Bhaat (Sour and Sweet Rice): Rice, boiled with potatoes and spices, yellow in colour and accompanied with lemon peel.
Doodhpak: Rice pudding made by boiling rice with milk and sugar, and flavoured with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios, or almonds. It is typically served as a dessert.
Khichdi (Rice & a Dal): Cooked like porridge accompanied with ghee, yogurt, and pickle.
Pulao (Rice with vegetables)
Khichu: Kneaded rice flour made by heating it with water, salt, green chillies, and cumin.
Vegetables (Shaak/Subzi)
Bataka nu Shaak Curry)
Bataka Sukhi Bhaji (Dry Potato Curry)
Bharela Bhinda (Stuffed dry Okra)
Bharela Karela (Stuffed dry Bitter Melon)
Bhinda nu Shaak (Dry Okra Curry)
Vatana Bataka nu Shaak (Potato and Peas Curry)
Chola nu Shaak (Black eyed peas Curry)
Dhana capsicum nu Shaak (Dry Coriander, capsicum and chickpea flour curry)
Dudhi Bataka nu Shaak (Bottle Gourd and Potato Curry)
Dudhi Chana Ni Daal nu Shaak (Bottle Gourd and Split Black Chickpea Curry)
Dudhi Ganthia nu Shaak (Bottle Gourd)
Dudhi Mag ni Dal nu Shaak (Bottle Gourd and Mung Bean Curry)
Dudhi nu Shaak (Bottle Gourd Curry)
Fansi ma Dhokli nu Shaak (French Bean Curry with Dumplings)
Fansi nu Shaak (Dry Green bean Curry)
Ganthia nu Shaak
Gathoda nu Shaak
Guvar nu Shaak (Cluster Beans Curry)
Kadhi
Kadhi (Curry made from buttermilk chhash and gram flour, usually either sweet or tangy)
Kanda Bataka nu Shaak (Onion and Potato Curry)
Karela nu Shaak (Bitter Melon Curry)
Kobi Bataka nu Shaak (Dry Cabbage and Potato Curry)
Mag nu shaak (Mung Bean Curry)
Methi nu Shaak (Fenugreek)
Panchkutiyu Shaak (Five Vegetable Curry consisting of Ridge Gourd, Potato, Bottle Gourd, Eggplant, and Green Peas)
Parwal Bataka nu Shaak (Pointed Gourd and Potato Curry)
Ringan nu Shaak (Eggplant)
Ringan no Olo (Roasted Eggplant’s mashed Curry)
Sev Tameta nu Shaak (Curry made of Green (Unripe) Tomatoes)
Tameta Bataka nu Shaak (Tomato and Potato Curry)
Tindoda nu Shaak (Ivy Gourd Curry)
Undhiyu: A mixed vegetable casserole that is traditionally cooked upside down underground in earthen pots fired from above. This dish is usually made of the vegetables that are available on the South Gujarat coastline during the winter season, including (amongst others) green beans, unripe banana, muthia, and purple yam. These are cooked in a spicy curry that sometimes includes coconut. Surti Undhiyu is a variant that is served with puri at weddings and banquets. Again it is a mixed vegetable casserole, made with red lentils and seasoned with spices, grated coconut, and palm sugar in a mild sauce. It is garnished with chopped peanuts and toasted grated coconut, and served with riceor roti. This dish is very popular all over Gujarat, and most Gujarati families eat it at least once a year on Makar Sankranti.
Vad Papadi Nu Shaak
Side dishes (Farsan)
Handvo
Farsan are side dishes in Gujarati cuisine.
Bhajiya (Deep fried savoury snacks. A popular variety is Pakora.)
Locho (famous surti variety made from chickpea flour )
Chaat (A mixture of potato pieces, Crispy fried bread, and Spices topped with chutney, cilantro, and yogurt.)
Dahi Vada (Fried dumplings soaked in yogurt and topped with salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper.)
Dhokla (Steamed cake made primarily of rice flour.)
Handvo (Steamed cake made of rice flour, Various beans, yogurts, and calabash.)
Kachori (A deep fried dumpling made of flour and filled with a stuffing of Yellow moong dal, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and ginger.)
Khaman (Steamed cakes made out of gram flour, garnished with Green chili pepper and cilantro.)
Khandvi (Roll made of gram flour and yogurt topped with mustard seed, cilantro, and Grated coconut.)
Khichu (A thick porridge-like mixture made of rice flour and seasoned with cumin seeds. Once prepared, the mixture is often topped withoil, cayenne pepper, and salt.)
Lilva Kachori (A variety of kachori made with pigeon peas.)
Methi na Gota (Fried fenugreek Dumplings)
Muthia (Steamed dumpling made of gram flour, fenugreek, salt, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. The steamed dumpling can also be stir fried with Mustard Seed.)
Pani Puri (A round hollow flatbread that is fried crisp and filled with potato, and Black Chickpeas and topped with Water seasoned with mint and Green chili pepper, andtamarind chutney.)
Patra (Taro Leaves, coated with gram flour, rolled and steamed. Sometimes, the steamed roll is sliced and stir-fried with mustard seed and Grated coconut.)
Sev Khamani (Khaman topped with crispy, fried gram flour.)
Vegetable Handva (Grill Handva – Serve it hot either with chutney or tomato sauce or pickle.)
Dal vada, Vaati dal na bhajiya
Makai no dano (Corn chevda) [6]
Khichdo
Snacks (Nasta)
Khandvi, a popular Gujarati snack (Farsan).
Most nasta (singular nasto) are deep fried and made with Gram Flour.
