Unique Gujrati dishes that you must try
Gujarati food is known for its flavors, sweet twists, and most importantly, they are so colorful that it amazes people, and one can not stop himself from having the food. If we see the main reason behind adding a pinch of sugar in every Gujrati dish, it is because, in Gujrat, they have salty hard water, and to avoid the effect of water, they use sugar.
Gujarati dishes are irresistible, and even the Gujrati people are so fond of food. Here are some of the Gujrati dishes that you must try, and you will fall in love with them.
Dhokla
Dhokla is the most famous Gujrati dish that everyone knows; it is widely recognized and is also consumed in vast amounts as people from different places love this dish. It is a snack just for name but, people eat it at breakfast, at lunch, or dinner.
Dhokla is an all-time favorite for many and not only in India but in foreign countries too. This dish is made with fermented rice, and green chutney complements the word at its best. Also, it is consumed with sweet and sour chutney that is made up of Tamarind and dates. Dhokla is even consumed in a fried way, and they are fried with curry leaves, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. There are many ways people eat it, but they love this Gujrati dish.
Khandvi
Looking for a light and soft snack, Khandavi is the best option for that. The dish is made like a roll with soft layers. It gives a punch of sweetness and salt. It is prepared with a batter that is made up of gram flour, sugar, salt, and yogurt.
It is called ‘Suralichya Vadya’ in Marathi. They are tightly packed rolls into bite-size pieces. It is widely consumed in many places, and people love having Khandavi in their breakfast and as an evening snack.
Handvo
Have you ever heard of a vegetable and healthy cake? This Gujrati dish is something like that only; Handvo is a mixture of sweet and savory cake that comes with a twist of flavors and is a unique Gujrati dish.
It is prepared like a cake but with vegetable in it. Handvo has the filling of crushed peanuts, Bottle Gourd, and different people add different vegetables according to their preference and taste.
Handvo has little texture similar to Dhokla, but the taste is like North and South as this is prepared with Chola dal or moong dal, and Dhokla is made up of rice. There are many variations in this dish, and with other additions, it comes out with different and enhanced tastes. It can be complemented with pickles or with tea. Many Gujrati has Handvo with a tadka of mustard, curry leaves, cumin seeds, oil, and they use a different type of pressure cooker to prepare.
Thepla
Thepla is one of the commonly consumed food, and it can also be called travel food. Find any Gujrati traveling you will get to see thepla with them. Thepla is like a thin version of Paratha that has a vibrant taste and becomes irresistible for anyone.
Thepla is prepared with wheat flour, fenugreek leaves, and some add cumin seeds also. It is a dish that can be consumed in both hot and cold conditions, and that’s the reason people carry it while traveling. It complements best with chunda or curd, and even many like having it with chili pickle.
Gathiya
Gathiya is a dry Gujrati snack and is prepared by the procedure of deep fry. It is usually consumed with tea or in breakfast or as an evening snack. Gathiya is made up of chickpea flour. It has a powdery texture, not crispy but soft.
Gathiya is a salty snack, but Gujratis also have found out the alternative as the sweet version of the Gathiya, and those are called Mitha Gathiyas as we know Gujrati dish has a different twist of sweetness in all their cuisine. Bhavnagar is known for the varieties of Gathiyas.
Undhiyu
Usually, when we cook different types of vegetables together, we call it mic veg, but, in Gujrati cuisine, you can find something similar to mix veg, and that is called Undhiyu. It does not offer the same taste as it has different flavors and, most importantly, the Gujrati twist.
The dish has its origin in Surat, and the place is known for its uniqueness, flavors, and taste. Undhiyu is appropriately cooked in clay pots that are placed upside down but underground. Undhiyu is a seasonal dish that is made during the Uttarayan festival in January. The plate is prepared with mic veggies like beans, potatoes, eggplants, chickpeas, green peas and is slowly cooked to make it a perfect dish with the blend of spices, buttermilk, and coconut; also, the dish got its name from a Gujrati word ‘Undhu”, and that means upside down, so basically, you can relate the name with the process of making.
Gujarati Khichdi
Khichdi’s word comes with a feeling that someone is feeling sick, and for light food, this dish is preferred, but that was not acceptable to the Gujratis, so they decided to experiment with the things and get it done in their style. Gujarati Khichdi is full of taste but also with the same nutrition value and is healthy.
Khichdi is consumed commonly all over India, but this Gujrati Khichadi is a must-try thing, and you will love it. The Gujrati Khichadi is prepared with rice, different vegetables, ghee, and cereals. It is one of the typical dinner recipes among the Gujratis as this is healthy and full of flavors.
Fafda Jalebi
Gujarati cuisine is incomplete without a sweet dish, and Fafda Jalebi is the best combination of a sweet and salty snack. It is one of the quick edible items that you can pick and have any time starting from breakfast time, and if you watch Tarak Mehta ka Oolta Chasma, then you must be familiar with the favorite food of Jethalal.
Fafda is a crispy and crunchy snack made with carom seeds, gram flour, and turmeric and is deep-fried. Talking about the Jalebi it is widely consumed in many parts of India as a sweet dish and often complemented with Rabri, but fafda jalebi has another level of fan following as everyone loves to have this as it balances the taste buds with sweet and salty at the same time. If you have not tried fafda jalebi yet, you must try it, and you will be amazed at the combination.
Dabeli
Dabeli is one of the very famous street food and has a concept similar to Vada Pav that is one of the signature street food from Maharashtra. It has the same texture as vada pav. Dabeli has its origin from the Kutch and it is often called Kutchi dabeli.
Dabeli is prepared with bun bread with the filings of mashed potatoes, peanuts, dabeli masala, spices, sweet chutney, spicy chutney, and sev. This is the authentic kutcha dabeli but nowadays, we can find various types of dabeli like cheese dabeli, and many more people are getting something new in every dish but, the original remains the original, and foodies love having the authentic Kutchi dabeli.
Locho
Locho, the name seems to be odd but, it tastes delicious. The dish is originated from Surat and is different from whatever we see as typical food around us. It is made up of wheat flour with a delightful aroma.
Locho is very fragile and looks like you are having a mashed version of khandvi but, it has a different taste. It is seasoned with some special spices, coriander, onion, butter, sev, and oil to provide rich flavor to the foodies and as people love trying dishes with modification in some places, these are offered with some different seasoning like cheese and all. This savory dish has a huge craze in Gujrat, and if you want to try the best one then it’s no better placed than Surat.
Khaman
You might have heard of the khaman dhokla, and this is it. Khaman is the fluffier version of Dhokla, they have almost similar taste. This dish is a combination of sweet and salty, and that is the reason people prefer khaman over dhokla most of the time.
Khaman is prepared with chana dal flour, and the main difference between Dhokla and Khaman is that the fluffy part rest is the same. It is also consumed with a tadka of curry leaves. Cumin seeds and coriander. It complements best with a green chutney and tamarind chutney.
Dal Dhokli
You can say it as an Indian version of soup as it appears something like that only. Many believe that this dish mainly belongs to Marwari, and it was brought by the Marwari settlers while they came to Gujrat for business purposes from different places.
It is prepared with pigeon pea and is boiled with wheat flour noodles. This dish is a complete meal in itself as even one bowl is enough for one person. Gujrati locals prefer having Dal Dhokli, and it can be your meal at any time of the day.
Khakhra
In Gujarati cuisine, you can find a variety of flatbreads, and that too with unique taste and concept. Khakhra is mainly taken as a snack in the evening and also as a breakfast with some more additions. It is primarily used while traveling as it is a dry snack.
Khakhra is a flatbread that is even common among the Jain cuisine. The snack is prepared with oil, mat bean, and wheat flour, and it is very nutritious and is consumed with sweet chutney or pickles.
Mohanthal
Mohanthal is a sweet dish that is offered by Gujrati cuisine, which looks like a barfi ( a type of sweet dish). The dish is made in Rajasthan too, as these two places are mostly known for the traditional sweets and also offer a different palette.
Mohanthal is prepared with nuts, besan, ghee, and sugar so even if you call it a dry fruit besan barfi, that will not be wrong but, it is all about the taste of different cuisines. Names are different, and everyone adds something to make it different from the other one. It tastes best when made with desi ghee, and it has a soft texture that melts into your mouth. Saffron and Cardamom are also added for rich taste, and it appears so appetizing when kept in front of you, no one can resist having one.
Basundi
As we know, Gujrati cuisine has no limit to sweet dishes add another one to the list, and that is Basundi. All over India, we can find many sweet words that have their origin in milk, and this one has too. It is prepared with boiled condensed milk, and many different flavors are added to it for making it stand out of the box.
The sweet dish is served primarily on the occasion of Bhaubeej and Kali Chaudas. If you have tasted the dish you can relate it to rabri (lovely from North India)
 These are some of the Gujrati dishes that you must try and for the best taste, try the authentic dishes and not the different versions of the dish that will truly satisfy your hunger for Gujrati cuisine.
edited and proofread by nikita sharma
