New Delhi: One of India's oldest culinary traditions, Gujarati food is predominantly vegetarian. It offers a vast range of vegetarian dishes, each prepared in a distinct method, as well as various pickles, farsans, chutneys, and foods that are always incredibly dense with essential nutrients. However, the inventive use of common vegetables and mild spices is where Gujarati cuisine really shines.
Due to Gujarat's predominantly hot and dry coastal climate, ingredients like sugar, tomatoes, and lemon are frequently consumed since they help the body to stay hydrated. The mouth-watering blend of sweet and savoury flavours in Gujarati cuisine is another distinguishing feature.
Here are a few special dishes of Gujarati cuisine that will be great options for vegetarians around the country:
1. Khaandvi:
Khandvi is made up of thin layers of gram flour rolled up in mushy goodness that has been cooked with buttermilk and seasoned with a few other spices and sautéed sesame seeds. It is simply impossible to resist because of the simple, yet flavourful garnish of curry leaves, coriander, cumin, mustard, and coconut. It is a well-liked snack among Gujaratis and Maharashtrians alike and is also known as 'suralichya wadya' in Maharashtra. It is a delicious evening snack or a fantastic breakfast dish because it is tasty and at the same time light on the stomach.
2. Gujarati Kadhi:
Without kadhi, no Gujarati thali meal is ever complete. This traditional meal is comprised of sour curd, seasoned with thickened gram flour, and sweetened with jaggery or sugar. It is easily distinguished by its white appearance. Koftas or pakoras can be added to this thin soup-like, sweet and sour kadhi to improve its texture. Due to its cooling qualities, it is a great summer dish and is best enjoyed with warm basmati rice.
3. Mohanthal:
Mohanthal is a soft fudge-like confection made with sweetened gram flour and flavoured with saffron, cardamom, and nuts like almonds and pistachios. It is regarded as Lord Krishna's favourite dessert and is therefore prepared with great care during the Janmashtami festival.
4. Khaman:
Khaman is a fluffy, steamed sponge that is frequently garnished with freshly chopped coriander leaves. It is a dish that is typically cooked using ground channa daal or channa gram flour, lemon juice, semolina, and curd. Asafoetida and chillies can be used as part of the final tadka.
5. Handvo:
It is a savoury tea cake that is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. This is an easy and quick recipe made in just around 30 minutes, so you can serve this along with a chutney of your choice.
6. Murghanu Shaak:
This sweet, sour, and tangy chicken meal is known as Murghanu Shak, where the genuine Gujarati flavours of the drumstick, potatoes, and Gujarati masala are celebrated. Oil, yoghurt, and spices are used to marinate the chicken, which is then cooked in a delicious sauce with onions, garlic, ginger, chilli powder, garam masala, and any additional vegetables that you choose.