Gujarat, a northwestern state in India, has a rich cultural heritage and extraordinary tourism. The state besides having the longest coastline in India offers exquisite vegetarian cuisine. The usage of all the food groups in Gujarati cuisine gives a healthy edge to the platter as well as a long-lasting sweet-savory sensation to the taste buds.
Not so Famous Gujarati Food & Snacks
While you may be familiar with some of the popular Gujarati snacks like khakra, dhokla, khandvi, fafda, thepla, etc., here is a list of uncommon yet traditional Gujarati snacks.
Undhiyu
Undhiyu is an assortment of vegetables slowly cooked in earthen pots placed upside down over a fire. This unique cooking method gives it a rustic flavor, further enhanced by seasoning the casserole with spices, grated coconut, cilantro leaves, and lemon juice. Being crowned as the "future food for good health", this mouth-watering delight is loaded with Probiotics and essential amino acids and is served with shrikhand and puri.
Muthiya
This vegan Gujarati dish derives its name from the "gripping" action of the hand while preparing it. The steamed mixture of chickpea flour, fenugreek, salt, turmeric, and chili powder is bonded with oil or sugar, giving a delectable taste to the traditional Gujarati thali.
Gujarati Kadhi
Kadhi being an essential part of Gujarati cuisine has been popular even with the foreign delegates. It's a liquid mixture of curd and gram flour getting its hot, spicy flavor when garnished with green chilies, ginger, and asafoetida. Served with hot steamy rice it gives an unforgettable experience to the palate.
Bardoli ki Khichdi
Khichdi is a portion of comfort food, well defines the unity in diversity, that could spruce up the taste buds. Bardoli ki khichdi is a delicious preparation of rice, Toor dal, carrots, potato, and raw peanuts. It gets its savory taste by adding raw mangoes mixed with hot peppers, asafoetida, onions, ginger, green chilies, cumin seeds, and salt. Loaded with proteins and served with a dollop of ghee and tangy pickle, the Khichdi is an ultimate desi foodie's delight.
Dal Dhokli
It is a traditional Gujarati preparation of lentils (dal) and wheat flour. The Dhokli or wheat flour pieces are added to the cooked dal and are tempered with cumin seeds, asafoetida, kokum, jaggery, and peanuts. Dal Dhokli is a wholesome meal that satisfies the growling stomach of an adventurist tourist.
Handvo
Handvo is a vegetable cake engrossed with fermented rice and lentil batter. This baked culinary is loaded with lots of veggies like bottle gourd, carrots, peas, and fresh herbs spiced up with ginger, cumin, sesame, and mustard seeds. It's a perfect delight for picnics and breakfast.
Patra
Patra, meaning leaves, is a spicy, sweet, and tangy Gujarati snack made from fresh Colocasia (Arbi) leaves. The freshly cleaned leaves are rolled into a spicy mixture of gram flour and tamarind and jaggery, to form a pinwheel and are steamed. Patra works as a mouthwatering appetizer and a delightful evening snack when seasoned with the goodness of spices in the Gujarati kitchen.
Dhebra
Dhebra is a form of bread in Gujarati cuisine made from pearl millet flour (bajra). The dough balls of bajra flour are flavored with freshly chopped fenugreek leaves (methi), green chilies, curd, and various spices and salt, before shallow frying. Dhebra is served for breakfast or as an evening snack. It's a ready-to-go dish during travel and a healthy option for people with diabetes.
Sev Usal
Sev Usal is a famous Gujarati chaat that adorns the streets of Vadodara. This scrumptious treat is an assortment of chutneys, Ragda (boiled white chickpeas), spices, crunchy and crispy bites like papdi, potato tikkis, sev, puri, and besan boondi. Seasoned with lots of tomatoes, ginger, coriander leaves, and spicy condiments Sev Usal is sure to tantalize the taste buds.
Lilva Kachori
Lilva Kachori is a winter delicacy in Gujarat. Lilva (fresh pigeon peas) kachori is a mixture of toovar dana and green peas coarsely blended with asafoetida, ginger, green chilies, and salt stuffed in plain flour (maida) dumplings. Served with sweet chutney and tangy green chutney these crispy, flaky kachoris are a finger-licking savory snack.
Khichu
Khichu is a dough for making papad mainly prepared from rice flour. It's a quick snack served steamy hot loaded with spices and topped with a dash of oil and green chilies. It is generally used as a side dish in Gujarati cuisine.
Gota
Gota is a quick and easy to make savory snack. These are gram flour dumplings assorted with spices ,chilies, and chopped coriander and methi leaves . The dumplings are fried and served with tangy green coriander chutney.
Chorafali
The irresistible Chorafali fritters mark the Diwali celebration with their sensational taste. The fritters are a blend of besan and urad dal flour kneaded into a dough. The long strips cut from the rolled dough are deep-fried and garnished with powdered spices. This delectable Diwali snack could be stored in airtight containers for the late-night munching.
Ghari
None of the Indian Cuisine is complete without a sweet delight. Ghari, a sweet Gujarati dessert, is an assortment of puri batter with milk 'mawa', ghee, and sugar. These disc-shaped sweets are garnished with pistachios, almonds, and elaichi. Ghari is a flavorsome sugary delight much loved by persons with a strong craving for sweets.
Gathiya
Ganthiya is a crispy and spicy tea-time snack in almost every household in Gujarat. They are deep-fried fritters made from chickpea flour. The hot red and green chili powder sprinkled over them give them a tangy flavor and taste best with carrot shreds, salads, and mango pickle. These anytime snacks are easy to store and can be used as an ingredient in chevdas and other mixtures.
The most pleasing thing about Gujarati food is that it is light and easy to digest. Another remarkable thing that makes this cuisine unique is its non-perishable nature. Most of the snacks prepared can be stored and consumed later. Some recipes are extremely healthy and filling, like khakra, thepla, Patra, etc. Gujarati snacks make a great go-to travel food.
If you are planning to travel or are bored of the usual snacks, try our Great Indian Snackbox, which has snacks from around the nation, including Gujarat.
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