The regions that contribute to Gujarati cuisine are North & South Gujarat along with the regions of Kathiawar and Kutch.

North Gujarat: The largest city of the state, Ahmedabad is located in North Gujarat where the foods range from traditional ‘farsaan’ dhokla, chewda papdi and khaman to the ever popular fast foods.

South Gujarat: South Gujarat is where the famous 'oondhiyo’ comes from and all meals comprise of ‘farsaan’ (snack savouries) and ‘mishtan’ (desserts).

Kathiawar: Kathiawar serves up rich and spicy dishes which are surprisingly not sweet like some of Gujarati food.

Kutch: The famous Gujarati ‘kadhi’ and ‘khichdi’ hail from the region of Kutch and are considered both healthy and light as very little seasoning is used. Snacks like dhokla, khakra and thepla’s also originate from this area of the state. The people of Kutch enjoy a wide variety of pickles and chutneys to make up for the absence of spices in the food.

Gujarati food is nutritious and well balanced with the presence of salads, fresh homemade preserves and pickles and beverages like Chhaas or buttermilk and aam-ras or fresh mango pulp. A lot of Gujarati dishes are on the sweetish side, while some have quite a large concentration of sugar as compared to salt and spices. Sometimes, jaggery is used as an alternative to sugar.

Produce:

The state of Gujarat experiences extremes of both summer and winter seasons. The summers are hot and sweltering and produce a large variety of mangoes. Summer vegetables include a variety of gourds and squashes all considering light and cooling in effect. Summer is when a variety of pumpkins make an appearance along with snake gourd, pointed gourd (parwal), and ridged gourd (turiya). Winter produce is starkly different which makes the cuisine more eclectic, comprising sweet potatoes, fresh green peas, a variety of radish, red and purple carrots and fenugreek (methi). Aubergines are common too and are available through the year.

Apart from these, Gujarat also produces Chillies, Cumin, Fennel and Garlic. In India, Gujarat ranks third in the production of Banana, sixth in production of Mango, second in Papaya and Chikoo production.

Asafoetida or Hing

Cumin seeds or Zeera

Curry Leaves or Sweet neem leaves

Dry Ginger Powder or Sonth

Jaggery or Gur

Kokam

Mustard Seeds or Sarson

Tamarind or Imli

Bottle Gourd: Also known as ‘lauki’ or ‘dudhi’, bottle gourd is both nutritious and affordable. Again a summer staple, this is one vegetable that is served in a variety of ways; bottle gourd can be used to make kofta curries, muthias (steamed dumplings) and the famous Dudhi Halwa.

Brinjal or Aubergines: This is yet another perennial vegetable and is available in a variety of shapes and sizes all of which have a special cooking method in Gujarati cuisine. Traditionally, recipes would advise the salting, rinsing and draining of the sliced fruit (known as "degorging") to soften it and to reduce the amount of fat absorbed during cooking, but mainly to remove the bitterness. In Gujarati food, aubergines are curried, stir fried, deep fried with batter and stuffed too.

Okra or Lady Finger: Also known as bhindi, this is a pod vegetable from the mallow family. Bought green and firm, it is a seasonal summer staple in Gujarat. Unlike other regional cuisines where it is prepared as a dry, side dish, here in Gujarat, okra is served curried too. Due to the mucilage that develops upon cooking, stir drying is a common cooking method for okra. In Gujarat is added to the typical ‘kadhi’ too.

Pointed Gourd: Also known as ‘parwal’ locally, this is a vine plant, similar to cucumber and squash, though unlike those it is perennial. Buy fresh, young pointed gourds where the skin is bright green in colour, the flesh is firm. Parwal can be is cooked in variety of ways such as a curried, stir fried, sautéed with other vegetables and also stuffed.

Sweet Potato or Shakarkandi: This large, potato like tuberous vegetable is starchy and sweet tasting, a flavour that matures when the vegetable is cooked It is a key ingredient of the famous dish, ‘oondhiya’.

Farsan (Snacks)

Dhokla: This snack is a typical example of Gujarati food’s blend of sweet, salty, spicy and sour. Made with a fermented batter of gram flour (chickpea flour), this is a steamed dish, once ready it is tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves. The steaming method retains the moisture in the dish and produces a light, flavourful snack.

Khakhra: Is a crispy flatbread that is seasoned with a variety of flavours from spices to chillies to simply salt and asafoetida. The dough is made with wheat flour, much like a ‘roti’, except a ‘khakra’ is rolled out very thin and roasted on a ‘tava’ with very little oil, so it turns out crunchy and dry.

Khandvi: This is a savoury made of gram flour and curd, tempered with mustard seeds. A paste is made with the flour and then cooked slowly till it is thick. This paste is then steamed to make sheets which are lightly and delicately rolled. The rolls are then tempered; they are sometimes served stuffed too.

Muthiya: Famous for both fried and steamed snacks, this is another steamed specialty from Gujarat. This recipe combines vegetables and gram flour to form dough that is formed into balls and steamed. Seasoned with cumin, aniseed, ginger and chillies, the dish is made more flavourful with a tempering of mustard seeds and asafoetida.

Pandoli: Made with ‘moong dal’, these light, soft steamed dumplings like snacks are served with a variety of chutneys and condiments. Seasoned with asafoetida and mustard seeds, pandoli is a favourite at tea time.

Shaak and Daal: Vegetables and Curries

Gujarati Kadhi: This version of ‘kadhi’ is made with sour curd and gram flour, thickened over a slow flame till cooked. The main difference is that it is ‘sweet’ yet served as a savoury main course. It turns out rich and creamy with a fine sweet and sour balance.

Oondhiya: Oondhiya is a famous Gujarati main course dish made with a variety of vegetables like brinjals, potatoes, yam etc. and fenugreek dumplings which is then cooked in an aromatic blend of spices.

Trevti Daal: As the name suggests this is a lentil preparation made with three types of ‘dals’, moong, toor and chana. Cooked with flavours of onions, tomatoes, ginger and chillies, once ready it is tempered with red chillies and asafoetida fried in pure ‘ghee’.

Breads

Bajri no rotlo: Made with millet flour, these Gujarati ‘roti’s’ are hearty and nutritious. Sometimes seasoned with spices and seasonings, these can be made stuffed too.

Bhakhri: This is a round, unleavened flatbread, much like a ‘roti’, except it is rolled fairly thin and turns out crisp not soft. It is served with curd, chutney, vegetables and rice. Like breads around the world, bhakri is a staple food. It is made mostly from wheat flour, jowar flour, bajra flour, nachni (finger millet) flour.

Thepla: Theplas are spiced ‘parantha’s’ made with whole wheat dough and usually eaten with curds and ‘chunda’, theplas can be enjoyed hot or otherwise. Sometimes whole cumin or sesame can be added to enhance the flavour of this meal staple.

Sweets

Basundi: Much like ‘rabri’, this is a sweet dish cooked in milk, till the milk thickens and sweetens. Almonds and pistachios can be added to lend a crunch to this creamy dessert. In winters, the addition of saffron makes this a heartier dish.

Ghari Ghebar or Ghevar: This disc shaped sweet looks filigreed when served. Usually made especially for occasions, it is available in shops through the year. Made with flour, pure ghee and a flavouring of ‘kewra’, it is then kept in sugar syrup which it absorbs to make the final product.

Malpua: Another dessert made by soaking in sugar syrup, Malpua’s are an Indian version of pancakes, except no raising agent is added so they are dense and thick. Usually made on the occasion of ‘Teej’, it is such a simple preparation that most people enjoy it at home any time of the year.

Puran Poli: Making the perfect puran poli is considered to be an art. In fact it is one dish a lot of people take pride in being experts at. Gujarati ‘puran poli’ is made with toor dal, the same one used to make ‘sambhar’. Its unique flavour and characteristic aroma can be attributed to the special spices used and it is the sweet filling that every family usually has a secret recipe for!

Shrikhand: This simple and cooling summer dessert is made with hung curd and is a speciality in Gujarat and Maharashtra. The strained yogurt is blended with sugar and flavoured with cardamom and saffron. The flavours depend on the recipe used. It is then left in the refrigerator for the sugar to dissolve and the dish to set, it is served chilled. During summer, mango pulp is added to make ‘mango shrikhand’ another favourite from a typical Gujarati thali.

Baffle		GUJARATI ALOO		GUJARATI DAL
Served with dal and curry, Baffle is an easy to cook dish. Add variety to your food with this meal.		Fried potatoes in Gujrati style, this one’s surely going to leave you asking for more!		The traditional sweet and sour Gujarati dal with typical Gujarati seasoning. A must try for all!
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KHANDVI		KHANDVI WITH SPROUTS FILLING		MUTHIYA
A traditional gujarati dish, just right for the calorie conscious.		A light and delectable Gujarati snack made nutritious with a filling of sprouts.		It is a famous Gujarati recipe, made with spinach and bottlegourd.
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MUTHIYA WITH METHI AND SPINACH		PANDOLI		MALPUA
This famous Gujarati snack is packed with taste and nutrition from ingredients such spinach, fenugreek and a variety of grains.		Light and fluffy, Pandoli is a Gujarati breakfast dish. It is steamed which makes it ideal for a healthy start to the day.		Traditional Indian pancakes soaked in sugar syrup…a sweet treat loved by one and all.
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