SECOND YEAR- GUJRATI

                    GUJRATI CUISINE

Gujarati cuisine is in many ways unique compared to other culinary traditions in India. It is one of the few cultures where majority of the people are vegetarian. This vegetarianism may have originally sprung from religions, ideologies and beliefs of the region. Gujarat is a land of all the religions like Jainism, Islam, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism (Parsees).

In Gujarat the staple food is millet. Geographically Gujarat is divided into three main regions.

REGIONS OF GUJRAT

Western Gujarat, kathiawari is a dry region where fresh green produce is scarce. But production of dairy products is huge. Some of the best pickles (athanas) come from here.

Central Gujarat, Ahmedabad, Kheda, and Baroda regions are hailed for their food grains and are known collectively as the “granary of Gujarat “. A majority of the people are farmers who grow store and market grains. Dhoklas, vadas, bhakarvadis, theplas and other such items are contribution of the region.

Southern Gujarat, Surat is a region with heavy rainfall; hence the vegetation is lush green with vegetables growing plentifully.

For a taste of traditional Gujarat cuisine, one has to try the typical Gujarati thali that consists of variety of dal, kadhi, two or three vegetables and pulses, puri/chapatti/rice, chutney, pickles and papad.

GUJRATI CULTURE

There are certain customs that are followed by the people here, which are uniquely their own. For example, the tradition of preparing and storing farsan at home. These are then offered to welcome guests.

Surtis also famous for their vaghar, which is the tempering of food .The vaghar, gives food a distinctive flavor. More over the ingredients used aid digestion. Hing is used in all vaghars.

FOOD HABITS

Farsan or snacks   from essential part of the gujrati diet those snacks prepared once in ten days and stored in air-tight container. The first category of snacks is usually deep fried or shallow fried. The other variety is either steamed. Methi Na Moothia is spiced fenugreek leaf dumpling with a touch of sweet – sour to counter the bitter taste of the fenugreek.

Kobi Na Moothia is delicious steamed and spice cabbage “farsan “is one of the delightful ways gujrati’s eat their leafy vegetables.

Bhakasvadi is a deep fried farsan which is the specialty of Baroda. It combines fennel and grate potatoes filling. It is deep fried long pastry case with a stuffing of potato and fennel.

Khandvi is a rolled savory farsan, made of besan; buttermilk etc. served with grated coconut and coriander leaves.

Potaya is fried papad; paper thin gram flour farsan ‘a specialty of Kutch.

 

GUJRATI CULTURE

Kutchis, jains and vaisnavs are some of the many found in Gujarat. They have different tastes and choice in food depending not only on the climate they live in but also their religious believes.

The Jain retain from eating any Root vegetable. So it’s no potato, garlic and onion for them.

On the other hand, the vaishnavs and Kutch’s follow no such belief.

Oondhiu is a vegetable medley with fenugreek leaf dumpling. Karela Bhinda Nu Shak is a bitter gourd and lady finger vegetable dish. This is favorite in Kutch. Bharelu Shak is a delicious shak of various stuffed vegetables.

A typical gujrati meal is inconceivable without either dal or kadhi or even yoghurt for that matter. The gujrati dal is associated with sweet taste. Gujrati cuisine offers an array of different dal preparation. Gujrati dals obtain their flavor from the vaghar.

GUJRATI PREPARATIONS

Yoghurt too plays a very important role in the Gujarat diet. It is eaten in number of ways in its unflavored natural form or in its derivative kadhi or buttermilk. Kadhi may be defined as cooked and spiced form of buttermilk. Meethi dal is sweet and sour dal using using jaggery. Osaman is tempered dal water. Meethi kadhi is, sweet yoghurt curry pleasantly spiced and prepared in all gujrati homes, Bhindani kadhi, kadhi with lady fingers.

Bhat and kichdi form an essential part of any gujrati meal and are relished wit the vast range of dal this cuisine offers. The kichdis are usually had with a kadhi or plain yoghurt. Papads, athaanas or pickles, chutneys and ghee are perfect accompaniments to any khichdi-kadhi combination. Shak vala bhat is a mildly vegetable pulao; tuver ni dal khichdi is rice and tur dal khichdi, best eaten with meethi kadhi.

FESTIVALS OF GUJRAT

Jains do not eat anything grown below the ground. So it’s no roots or tubers for them. The holy festival of Jain sector is “PARYUSHAN”. During the festival period, Jain consumes pulses, legumes, kadhis or flour preparation. Dal dhokli is thick, spiced dough slices in a sweet and sour dal. (Dhokli is made of atta, besan and bajri flour, made into dough and cut into stripes, cooked in dal)

Maag is a moong preparation, delicately spiced with ginger and garnished with coriander leaves.

Chola is a sweet and sour preparation made of chick peas, eaten with gheewali rotis.

SWEET DISHES

Farsan (snacks) and mishtan (sweet meats) are offered together to guests. Moreover, they don’t form the last item of the meal but are served during the meal itself.

Most gujrati sweet meats are flavored with cardamom and contain almonds or pistachios. The main ingredients of the sweet may vary from thickened milk to Bengal gram flour. Channi – sugar syrup made to a specified stiff consistency.

Shrikhand: sweetened hung curd, flavored with saffron, garnished with almond slivers.

Golpapdi is wheat flour sweet that is very easy to prepare and forms a barfi, when cooled. Lapsi is broken wheat (daliya) sweet. Boondi Na ladoo refers the drops of gram of which this ladoo is made.

Normally, fruits or vegetables – grated, chopped or slice and immersed in besan and seasoned yoghurt, make a raita.

Chutney on the other hand, consists of fresh herbs or condiments, ground to a fine paste or pureed and eaten in small quantities with a snack or a meal.

Pickles and murabbas form an intrinsic part of Indian cuisine. Gol kesi is a sweet and sour mango pickle flavored with dry coriander powder, mustard and fenugreek. Chhundu is shredded mango pickle, hot and sweet. Murabbo is a sweet preserve, a pickle prepared and eaten by almost all Indian communities.

Khamam dhokla is a salty, steamed cake made from chick pea’s flour, is very famous throughout Gujarat. And the best gujrati bread is methi thepla, made of dough of jowar and wheat flour, mixed with coriander, green chili and chopped fenugreek.

IMPORTANT DISHES FROM GUJARAT:

1. KHAMAN DHOKLA: It’s a savory dish made of steamed lentil, chana and urad dal (8 : l) are soaked then ground, mixed with ginger, green chilly paste with soda hing, salt etc. then left overnight mixed with lime juice and steamed in tray. To season mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves are tempered and poured on top. Garnished with grated coconut and greed coriander.

2. DAL DHOKLI: Is dumpling of lentil curry. Dumplings are made of whole meal flour, turmeric, chilly powder etc. the dough is rolled and cut into fancy shape and cooked in toovar dal.

3. AMIRI KHAMAN: It is a savory dish made of ground chana dal. The soaked dal is ground with little water. The mixture is then cooked in oil with mustard seeds, hing, green chilly, ginger, garlic, etc. with the addition of little milk till the mixture doesn’t stick to the pan. The mixture is spread on thali and garnished with coconut, coriander and sev.

4. METHI NA MUTHIA: A steamed dish made from whole meal flour, besan and chopped fresh fenugreek etc. the dough is rolled and steamed then cut into slices. And sautéed in mustard seeds and asafetida.

5. KHANDVI: A smooth mixture of besan, water and curd (1:2:1/2) is mixed with green chilli, ginger salt etc. steamed for 15-20 mins. Then spread on oiled surface and cut into long strips. Each strip is rolled out and finally a tempering of mustard seeds and hing is poured on top. Garnished with coconut and coriander.

6. SHRIKHAND: Dehydrated yoghurt whisked with castor sugar and small cardamom powder, saffron may be added. Garnished with silvers of almond and pista refrigerated and served chilled.

7. DOODH PAK: It is made by cooking rice in milk till soft then sweetened and flavoured, garnished with almond and cardamom.

8. BASUNDI: It is made by reducing milk till it thickens; granular texture is obtained, sweetened and garnished with almond and chironji.

9. PURANKOLI: Small balls of dough which is made of whole meal flour and ghee (2:1) is stuffed with mixture made of arhar dal. To make stuffing dal is cooked till soft sugar is added and then cook till it dry. This is called puran. The volume of puran and dough is same, Rolled and shallow fried in ghee.

10. MOHAN THAL: A desert made by cooking besan in ghee 1^st then in milk till reddish brown in color. Lastly cooked with sugar syrup, cardamom powder, nutmeg powder etc. till the mixture leaves the pan smoothly. Spreaded on greased thal, garnished with almonds and chironji. When set cut in small squares.

11. THEPLA: Gujrati bread made of whole wheat flour, boiled rice, besan, curd, chopped green chillies, green coriander, methi leaves etc. Rolled in thin circles and shallow fried in ghee.