The cuisine of the western Indian state of Gujarat is quite a unique one. The typical Gujarati thali consists of of roti, dal, kadhi, and shaak (a dish of various combinations of vegetables and spices), Undhiyu being a speciality. Gujaratis are fond of adding sugar or gur (jaggery) to most of their dishes. The thali will also have a couple of farsan like dhokla, patra, khandvi, etc. Their theplas (thin rotis with methi leaves) are very popular. Their sweet dish srikhand is also very famous. They have a huge variety of vegetarian dishes. Here I am showing a few popular (and familiar to many non-Gujaratis) dishes from the state of Gujarat.
KHATTA DHOKLA
Khatta dhokla is usually white in colour and very easy to digest since it is steamed and very little oil is used.
INGREDIENTS
Khatta Dhokla Rashbehari Das
Rice: 3 cups
Urad dal: 1 cup
(Grind to make a consistency of sooji/semolina)
Sour buttermilk: 2 cups
Warm water: 1 cup
Oil: ½ cup
Water: ½ cup
(Mix oil and water and boil together)
Soda bicarb: ½tsp
Salt: To taste (about 2tsp)
Green chillies: 10, ground to a paste
Ginger: Paste of 2-inch piece
Garlic: Paste of 8 cloves
Hing (asafoetida): ¼tsp
Coriander leaves: Chopped for garnish
Red chilli powder: 1tsp
METHOD
Soak the ground rice and dal mixture in buttermilk and 1 cup warm water. Leave to ferment for 8-10 hours.
After it is fermented add the water and oil mixture.
Now add all the other ingredients except for coriander leaves and red chilli powder. Mix well.
Now grease a thali and pour the mixture so that it reaches about ½ inch.
Now sprinkle red chilli powder and steam for 10 minutes.
In this way make other thalis.
Cut and serve garnished with coriander leaves.
You can have it warm or cold. ( I prefer having slightly hot).
GUJARATI KADHI
Gujarati kadhi is a sweet and sour curry made from yoghurt and besan (chickpea flour) and is a perfect accompaniment to a typical Gujarati thali. You can have with rice, thepla or plain rotis. When Barack Obama visited India he was served Gujarati kadhi. This kadhi was also included on the Chinese president’s menu when he visited Ahmedabad.
Gujarati Kadhi Rashbehari Das
INGREDIENTS
Buttermilk: 1½ cup
Water: 2½ cup
Green chillies: 8-10 slit
Ginger: 1-inch, julienned finely
Besan: 3tsp
Ripe banana (optional): 1
Gur (jaggery): 2tbsp heaped
Turmeric (haldi): A pinch
Curry leaves: A few
Salt: To taste
Methi: A few seeds for tempering
METHOD
Mix buttermilk, water and besan very well with a whisk.
Add salt, chilli, ginger, gur, haldi and hing.
Do the vaghar (tempering) and put it to boil. After the first boil keep on low flame and cook for another 10 minutes.
If you are using banana then cut into pieces and add just 5 minutes before removing from fire.
#For vaghar/tempering
Heat 2tsp pure ghee. Add 3 cloves, 1½tsp mustard seeds, 2 sticks of cinnamon, 2 dry red chillies, a pinch of hing and curry leaves.
PATRA
Patra is made from colocasia leaves (arbi leaves) stuffed with gram flour, spices, etc. Non-vegetarians make it with stuffing of minced meat. These iron-rich colocasia leaves help in improving haemoglobin levels. The leaves contain phenols, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides and sterols which help in reducing chronic inflammation such as rheumatoid arthritis. The leaves have a significant amount of vitamin C and beta-carotene. The only thing is that the leaves have to be cooked very well.
Patra Rashbehari Das
INGREDIENTS
Arbi leaves: 12 pieces
Gram flour (besan): 1½ cup
Red chilli powder: 1½tsp
White sesame seeds (til): 1tbsp
Coriander and cumin powder: 1½tsp
Clove powder: ¼tsp
Oil: 1½tbsp
Soda bicarb: ¼tsp
Asafoetida (hing): ¼tsp
Turmeric (haldi): ½tsp
Salt: To taste, or 1tsp heaped
Tamarind: 75g
Gur (palm sugar): 150g
METHOD
Wash the leaves and remove the thick veins.
Mix all the ingredients together and make a soft paste.
On the back of the leaf spread a thin layer of paste.
Put another leaf on top of this one and again put a thin layer of paste. Make it like this with 5 leaves one on top of the other.
Now make a tight roll and place it in a greased steamer. In the same way make all the rolls and place them in the steamer.
Steam for a minimum of 30 minutes
When cooled cut them into pieces.
Now do the vaghar.
For the vaghar/tempering
Take 2tbsp oil. Heat it and put ½tsp mustard seeds and a pinch of hing. Let the seeds splutter and quickly pour over the Patra.
Garnish with coriander leaves and grated coconut.
THEPLA
Thepla is a popular Indian flatbread that originated in Gujarat. It is made from wheat flour, gram flour, methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) and spices. It is a very soft and extremely thin roti and one can have on its own with pickles or vegetables. Extremely delicious if made well.
Thepla Rashbehari Das
INGREDIENTS
Wheat flour: 2 heaped cups
Gram flour (besan): 2tbsp
Salt: To taste or about 1½tsp
Coriander, cumin powder (dhania jeera powder): 1½tsp
Red chilli powder: 2tsp
Methi: 1 cup, chopped finely
Oil: 3tbsp
Buttermilk: 1 cup (and rest water)
Pepper powder: ½tsp
Ginger, garlic and green chilli paste: 1tbsp, or according to taste
METHOD
Mix all the above ingredients and make a soft dough with buttermilk and water if required,
Make small thin chappatis and cook on both sides on a hot tawa like paranthas using oil instead of ghee.
It tastes good even if it becomes cool.
Store in an airtight container.
GUJARATI DAL
Gujarati Dal is a sweet, spicy lentil curry made with tuvar dal (pigeon peas). This staple from Gujarat can be enjoyed with rice, rotis or theplas.
Gujarati Dal Rashbehari Das
INGREDIENTS
Tuvar dal: ½ cup
Water: 1½ cup
Hot water: 1¼ cup
Salt: To taste
Turmeric (haldi): ½tsp
Red chilli powder: ½tsp
Green chillies: 6-8 slit
Ginger paste: ½-inch
Cinnamon and clove powder: A pinch each
Gur: ½ cup, or according to taste
Tomatoes: 2 pieces, finely chopped
Lime juice: Of ½ lime
For vaghar (tempering)
Oil or ghee: 1½tsp
Mustard seeds: 1tsp
Red chilli: 2, whole
Hing: A pinch of
Curry leaves: 3-4 stems
For garnish
Coriander leaves: Chopped
Peanuts: A few, halved
METHOD
Boil dal in 1½ cup water in a pressure cooker.
Churn the dal. Add the hot water, salt, haldi, chilli powder, slit green chillies, ginger, cinnamon powder, clove powder, tomatoes, lime juice and gur.
Cook the dal and after the first boil cook on medium flame for about 15 minutes or till the consistency is not too thin or too thick.
Now do tempering in hot oil and quickly put in the dal and cover and cook for 5 more minutes.
If using peanuts then put it in the tempering.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
DHOKLI
Dhokli are thin chappatis that are cut and put in the dal (dal recipe above). So it is called Dal Dhokli. It is extremely popular with Gujaratis. When they make Dal Dhokli they do not make anything else since it has dal and chappatis mixed.
Dal Dhokli Rashbehari Das
INGREDIENTS
Atta (wheat flour): 2 cups
Oil: 2½tbsp for kneading
Salt: 1½tsp or to taste
Haldi: ½tsp
Red chilli powder: 1½tsp
Hing: A pinch
Dhania jeera powder: 1½tsp
METHOD
Mix the above ingredients and make a soft dough.
Make 6-8 thin chappatis and cut into 2X2sq inch pieces.
Put them in the boiling dal and cook for 10 minutes.
This should be done before serving.
Leftover dough can be used for making paranthas for later use.
SRIKHAND
Srikhand is the most popular amongst all Gujarati sweet dishes. It is very light and healthy since there is no frying and ghee involved.
Srikhand Rashbehari Das
INGREDIENTS
Curd: 3kg
Sugar: 2 cups, or to taste
Saffron threads: A few
Cardamom (elaichi) powder: 1tsp
Mixed nuts chopped according to your taste (optional)
METHOD
Hang curd in a muslin cloth for 6-8 hours minimum.
Add sugar powdered according to your taste. Mix well.
Pass it through a muslin cloth.
Soak saffron in 2tsp water. And put that in the curd.
Serve chilled in nice dessert bowls.
Garnish with cardamom powder.
You can add mixed crushed nuts on top (optional).
Durri Bhalla is a cookery expert and author of Indian Bohra Cuisine and Inner Truth To Good Health And Weight Loss. You can find her @durribhallakitchen on Instagram, @Durribhallakitchen on Facebook and Durri Bhalla on YouTube