9 greats about Gujarati food

Gujarati food or should I say a Gujarati thali is a perfectly balanced meal. From servings of different vegetables and pulses to inclusion of pickles, savouries and sweets, along with rice, chapati and yogurt, I think it fulfills all the requirements that a food pyramid guides us to follow.

I think it is versatile. I have eaten some unbelievably wholesome combinations like soft khichdi with sweet and sour kadhi, then the same khichdi tastes wonderful plain with a spoon of ghee, khichdi with chaas is tasty and so is khichdi with papads and pickles. It is now common to see some Gujarati preparations at all weddings. It blends perfectly with all types of cuisine. In fact in my home we mix and match a lot of Punjabi and Gujarati preparations. I had mentioned that Gujarati thali is a perfectly balanced meal. What with all aspects of nutrition - carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals from chapati, rice, vegetables and pulses, salads and sweets, dairy products, I can say that Gujarati food offers some very healthy combinations (just control the oil quantity used!). Have a full Gujarati meal and your all six senses of taste are satisfied. That is the reason why pickles and sweets are considered important along with the dal, bhaat, shaak and roti. And Gujju food is greatly popular. Till some years ago, we could not find khakhras in a shop in north India. Or for that matter khaman dhokla was considered as exotic food! But now things are different. We can buy khakhras in Amritsar too! And readymade khaman dhokla in a mall in Hyderabad! And enjoy oondhiyu at a Maharashtrian wedding?some time back I had made a comment that a Gujarati family can enjoy 365 different recipes 365 days of the year! The variety is worth exploring and as this cuisine is open to fusion one can get creative with Gujarati farsan and mishtaan. I have tried ganthia nu shaak, fresh fruits in basundi!

The proof of the pudding is in tasting it?so try these?

Ek handi nu dal bhaat, Aamras Puri , Tricoloured Dhokla




Have a great weekend?.early next week I will know the status of the Spice Routers as they play the semi finals on 15th.


Sanjeev Kapoor.