Gujarati

History

Strong Jain and Vaishnava traditions made Gujarat one of India's most vegetarian states; many Jains also avoid root vegetables. Gujarat's ports traded with Arabia, Persia and East Africa for centuries. Parsi Zoroastrians settled on the Gujarat coast (Sanjan) after leaving Persia, and the Bohra and Khoja Muslim communities developed their own meat-based cooking. Jaggery or sugar in dals and vegetables is characteristic, balanced with lemon, kokum or tamarind.

Well documented

Geography and influences

A long coastline, the dry Kathiawad peninsula (Saurashtra), the salt desert of Kutch, and fertile plains around Surat and the Charotar. Groundnut, cotton, millets and wheat are major crops.

• Jain and Vaishnava vegetarianism
• Maritime trade with Arabia and East Africa
• Parsi settlers
• Bohra and Khoja Muslim communities

Regional variations

Kathiawadi (Saurashtra)

Spicier, garlic-forward: bajra rotlo, sev tameta, ringan no olo, plenty of buttermilk.

Surti

Undhiyu, locho, ponk (tender green sorghum) in winter, sweet and rich food; Surat's Dutch and Parsi bakery links.

Kutchi

Dry desert cooking with millets and dabeli, which is commonly credited to Mandvi in Kutch.

Ahmedabad and Charotar

The classic sweet-sour thali with dal, kadhi, shaak, rotli and farsan.

Parsi and Bohra

Meat and egg dishes, dhansak, patra ni machhi, Bohra thaal shared from one large plate.

Festive and seasonal food

• Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti, 14 January): undhiyu with puri and jalebi, chikki and sesame ladoos
• Dussehra: fafda with jalebi
• Diwali: mathiya, chorafali, ghughra and mohanthal
• Navratri fasting: farali food such as sabudana khichdi and rajgira

Signature dishes

• Khaman dhokla
• Dal dhokli
• Gujarati dal
• Methi thepla
• Osaman
• Cabbage-carrot sambharo
• Papaya sambharo
• Masala chaas
• Moong dal khichdi
• Bajra raab
• Nankhatai

Not on the site yet: Undhiyu, Khandvi, Fafda with jalebi, Handvo, Sev tameta, Gujarati kadhi, Muthiya, Dabeli, Surti locho, Shrikhand, Mohanthal, Ghughra