Padmajha PJ August 22, 2013 6 Comments

Gujarati cuisine is,as we are aware,from the state of Gujarat,Western India. A land that gave birth to Gandhiji,boasts of some major cities of India, has a treasure trove of tourist places, is also the land of flavorful and elaborate food culture.


The dishes have their very own uniqueness.It is a blend of excellent flavors and textures.Some can be sweet ,spicy and salty at the same time!But there is a harmony among these tastes.

Gujarati cuisine is predominantly a vegetarian one.This cuisine is said to be influenced by the Jains and Buddhists and that may also be the reason for vegetarianism.

The eating habits and the method of food preparation can be classified into 4 broad types based on the region as –

  • South Gujarat – The dishes from Surat are quite popular. Green chillies are used to flavor the food. There are no special or expensive ingredients in the dishes and the method of preparation is quite simple,yet the taste is truly exotic.
  • North Gujarat – They use lesser amounts of oil and spices in their dishes. The elaborateness of their thali / platter is very well known.
  • Kathiawad –  Their cuisine is quite spicy as they use red chiili in their dishes. They also use more of peanuts and sesame seeds.
  • Kutch.- This cuisine is said to be simplest of the four.

Breads like Roti , Chapathi , puri, Parotta, Bahakri are some of the famous ones in the Gujarati Thali.Rice varieties like plain steamed rice, kichidi, pulao are also seen in this cuisine.Shaak or vegetable curries/gravies are predominant in this food culture. There are so many varieties to choose from.Some of the Farsans and Nasto[appetizers and deep fried snacks] that we are familiar with and are hugely popular world wide are khandvi, kachori, Muthiya,Kakhra, Sev, Ghanthia etc.A wide range of desserts are present to satisfy the sweet tooth, the most well known ones being the halwas, pedas, Basunthi, son papdi, Shakkarpara,Mohantal etc.Homemade pickles,pappads and raitas too find a place in this cuisine.

A wedding / festival platter is very elaborate and I still recollect a dinner at a Gujarati festival that was served in silver plates and bowls.There were so many dishes that I lost track of the number of items served and the delicious goodies kept coming and I was not able to clear even half of what was served. I tasted all that was served but could not finish them off!

Here are some Gujarati treats from my kitchen…

Shrikhand

Shrikhand

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Shrikhand is a popular dessert in Western India. It is made of hung curd / yogurt sweetened with sugar ,…

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