Gujaratis are famous for a lot of things like their business sense, their dance, Navratri festival celebration, and their food. Most of the Gujaratis have even brought their food into the business. They have food items with a unique taste. On one side, they may provide you with the lightest snacks, but on the other side, they may make your tummy full of a heavy meal which includes a lot of dishes. Just like the Gujarati dishes, the name of the Gujarati food items is also unique. Gujaratis know how to get both savory and sweet taste in one dish, and maybe that is the reason why Gujarati snacks have demand in the international market also. The way they use spices in different types of dishes they prepare, it makes their food taste different and good.
Dhokla – When talking about the Gujarati dishes, the first dish that comes in the mind is the Dhokla only. It is also said to be the king of the Gujarati snacks. This Gujarati dish is one such dish which is popular in all over India. There are different types of Dhokla being prepared these days, like, besan dhokla, khaman dhokla, and Rawa dhokla. Usually, they are of light yellow or lemon color. You can either purchase it from the market or can prepare it at home also. It is a Gujarat snack and among all the Gujarati snacks, this is the widely eaten snack. Generally, people prefer to prepare this Gujarat dish for breakfast only. It can be prepared easily using the chickpeas and fermented rice. It is being prepared by steaming and that is what makes it quite fluffy. Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chilies, and coconut bits are also being added to Dhokla to add the flavor to it. Just like you enjoy pakodis with both coriander chutney and sweet chutney, you can enjoy Dhokla also with of them.
Thepla – They are the flatbreads that are enjoyed by the Gujaratis during breakfast. Thepla is not like chapati, as there are many ingredients added to it. They are the spicy flatbreads that can be enjoyed with the chutney, pickles, curd, or even with curry also. Some people use milk to prepare the dough of thepla. Adding milk to the thepla dough will make it last longer. Whereas some people prepare the dough in the oil also. For making dough of thepla, gram flour and a variety of spices are being used. However, there are some people who prepare it with the help of wheat flour also. But it tastes good only when prepared with gram flour because that is what the actual recipe of thepla contains. It is a very light Gujarati Snack and is now been cooked in most of the houses in India because of the easy recipe. There are different types of theplas also, like, mooli thepla, dudhi thepla, methi thepla, and a few others.
Fafda – Other than the Dhokla and Thepla, Fafda is another famous Gujarati dish, which is popular in India. It is a perfect tea snack, especially when you do not want to have processed food items like chips or wafers. Just like the chips, fafda is also crunchy and can be eaten with tea also. You can have fafda with the coriander chutney or with the pickle also. However, Gujaratis prefer to have fafda along with jalebi or fried green chilies. The dough of the fafda is being prepared using the gram flour only. Along with gram flour, salt, black pepper, and carom seeds are also being added while preparing the dough of fafda. Once the dough is prepared, they are then rolled after making them in the form of chapatis and are then deep-fried. This dish is prepared in almost every Gujarati family as a snack.
Dabeli – Have you ever had the famous Mumbai-dish, Vada Pav? If yes, then you will be able to relate with the Dabeli. Dabeli is prepared using the same bread which is being used in the Vada Pav. However, the filling of the Dabeli differs from the filling of the vada pav. This is a famous street food of Gujarat, and if you love trying street foods of different places, then we suggest you make some space for Dabeli also, in your tummy. The filling used in the Dabeli is prepared using the potato. It is a sweet and savory filling that is placed in between the pav or buns. Whether you want to have it in your morning snack or evening snack, you can try it anytime. One more thing which the Gujaratis add to Dabeli is the sweet and tangy red-colored chutney.
Handvo – This is a Gujarati dish prepared using different vegetables. It is prepared in the form of a cake, as it is being baked. However, it is not sweet in taste. Preparing Handvo is not an easy task as there are a lot of things which you will have to do for preparing Handvo. Like first of all, you will have to ferment some of the ingredients which you will add in Handvo like rice and urad dal. The batter is prepared using the fermented rice and urad dal and then the vegetables are mixed in it. Then it is being baked to prepare the Handvo. It is not necessary that you should have an oven to prepare or bake Handvo. You can prepare it with the help of a pressure cooker also if you know how to bake in a pressure cooker. Sesame seeds are also being added in the Handvo after it is being baked. You can consume it along with the green chutney. Handvo is of golden yellow color after it is baked, and you can have it in your meal also.
Be it the sweet or the spicy food, Gujaratis have a lot of popular Gujarati snacks and food items. Most of these Gujarati snacks are easy to prepare and you can make them at home also. Apart from these Gujarati dishes, there are a few more, which you should not miss, like Shrikhand, Doodhpak, Ghughra, Khandvi, Mathiya, Undhiyu, Gujarati Kadhi, and a few more are there. You can get many of these dishes available in the market also. But we suggest you to either prepare them at home or visit Gujarat to taste these popular Gujarati Foods.
