Western Kitchen (Explore Kutch Cuisine)

Jya Jya Vase Gujarati..Tya Tya Vase Sada Kad Gujarat (Wherever in the world Gujarati's live, there exists a Gujarati)

Shiyade Sorath Bhalo..Undae Gujarat..Chaumase Vagad Bhalo..Kutchdo Bare Mass (Description about Kutch through its season & environment)

Located on the west coast of India and opening up to the Arabian Sea, Gujarat is a deeply historic region whose roots can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilisation. Over the many centuries of its history, Gujarat has had a multitude of different rulers including the Marathas, Rajputs, Mughals, other invading Islamic dynasties and the Mauryans. Being a significant port state, there have also been myriad interactions with various global cultures that have influenced the Gujarati way of life. In recent times though, the rise of Jain culture has rendered a vegetarian bent of mind within the majority of Gujarats people.

A state that spans close to a whopping 200,000 sq km, you cant really pigeonhole Gujarat's cuisine into one complete entity. Instead, there are the distinct flavours of Kathiyawad, Kutch, Surat and Amdavad (colloquial for Ahmedabad) with the latter comprising of north and central Gujarat cooking styles and dishes.

Vegetarianism is rampant in Gujarat, with only the state's Gujarati Muslim and Catholic population, along with a small pocket of Parsis and the coastal Kharwa, Koli and Macchiayara communities indulging in non-vegetarian cuisine. With these communities all having a limited presence in the grand scheme of things, there isn't much in terms of non-vegetarian food that the state of Gujarat can claim as indigenous, as recipes are typically borrowed from other states where non-vegetarian food is common.

Kutchi Cuisine

The dry, arid region of Kutch plays host to some individual dishes as well. A lack of leafy green vegetables dictates the food choices in the region. You can't talk about famous Kutchi dishes without mentioning the Dabeli. Invented by Keshavji Balam Chudasma in Mandvi 1960 The dabeli is essentially street food where pao or bread roll is stuffed with a filling made with potato, a paste made with tamarind, jaggery and date, and masala. This bread is pan-roasted and then topped with sev, onion, spicy peanuts, and pomegranate seeds. Traditionally dabeli bread is also swathed with a garlic-based chutney before roasting.

Then there is Kutchi Finiya Laddoo which is widely celebrated during the Engagement ..the ritual before the wedding. It is made with just three ingredients..but has so much to offer when it comes to relationships in marriage .. specifically for the two families.