Gujarati Platter!!

Fafda, Jalebi, Gaanthiya, Thepla, Patra, Undhiyu, does these names bring water to your mouth? Ofcourse it should!! If not I would surely now

Being a Gujju, how could I miss to write on such a tasty and healthy topic. Ofcourse there would be places where the sentences would seem like hyperbole, but hope that is what would automatically happen by each and everyone whoever would write on their favorite topics (Human tendency you see!!) Also would try using typical gujju words keep the feel more authentic!!. This topic is too wide and scattered to explain or to just write about. Would take the help of the daily routine of a typical Gujju to make it more simpler..

Gujarati cuisine is primarily a vegetarian cuisine, despite having an extensive coastline for seafood, due to the influence of Jain vegetarianism and traditional Hinduism. The typical Gujarati Thali consists of Rotli, Dal or Kadhi, Rice, and Shaak/Sabzi (a dish made up of different combinations of vegetables and spices, which may be spicy or sweet). Gujarati cuisine varies widely in flavor and heat, depending on a given family's tastes as well as the region of Gujarat they are from. North Gujarat, Kathiawad,Kachchh, and Surti Gujarat are the four major regions of Gujarat that all bring their own style to Gujarati food. Many Gujarati dishes are distinctively sweet, salty, and spicy at the same time.
Gujratis are know for their food world wide. The famous Atithi Devo Bhava, concept is followed the best only by Gujjus as nobody who visits a Gujju's house goes back without having something be it a simple Cha (tea), Sharbat, Lite snacks like Patra, Thepla, Bhusu, Khandvi,etc etc (yes that is what is called lite snacks for a Gujju), and ofcourse not missing the Jalebis and Fafdas or even a full course menu (thali) which is the option preferred quite often. Even the expression of asking "How are you?" invites the use of foody language which is replied by saying "Khai Pi ne Jhalsa" (an expression mentioning eating happily and enjoying life).

Hope this short introduction gives the importance of food in the life of a Gujju be it eating or making others eat (which is in most of the cases). So now lets start with the daily routine of a well renowned Gujju worldwide Mr. Patel

Mr. Patel gets up in the morning and starts his day by going for a walk in the ground, mostly people go for a walk in the morning. The he is introduced to the first food item of the day - Juice, mostly its Dudhi (bottlegoud) or a mixture of all or some of these: Gajar (Carrot), beet, Amla (aavla), Phudina.

Comes back home, has a cup full of Cha (tea) and Thepla (the staple breakfast as we say which is had even for lunch, snacks, dinner, supper, midnight meal, etc etc) along with Jalebi and Fafda for Naashta

Then its time for lunch, and if its a Sunday the items would just flow like Niagara falls. Some of the mouth watering items would be: (Not to forget the flow of Chaas - Gujju beer (Butter Milk), Pickle and salad throughout)

Starters (though had with the main course) Khandvi (Roll made of gram flour and yogurt topped with mustard seed, cilantro, and Grated coconut.) , Bharela Marcha (stuffed chillies), Patra (Taro Leaves, coated with gram flour, rolled and steamed. Sometimes, the steamed roll is sliced and stir-fried with mustard seed and Grated coconut.).

Breads which would include:

• Bajri no Rotlo: Thick millet flour flatbread usually grilled over coals.
• Bhakhri: Made with whole wheat flour, thicker than Rotli, crispy.
• Fulka rotli (Also called Rotli or Chapati): Made with whole wheat flour, rolled thin.
• Parotha: Fried whole wheat flatbread.
• Puran Poli (Also known as Vedmi): Whole wheat bread filled with sweet moong dal filling usually made for special occasions.
• Puri: Made with whole wheat flour, deep fried.
• Thepla/Dhebra: Made with a mixture of flours, pan fried, mildly spiced, usually contains shredded vegetables.

Shaak (sabji/vegetables) which would typically have various combinations of Potato, Tomato, Okra, Bitter Melon, Chickpea, Bottle gourd, Cabbage, Onion, Fenugreek and Egg plant. Some of the famous combinations would be:

• Bateta nu Shaak (Potato Curry)
• Bateta Sukhi Bhaji (Dry Potato Curry)
• Bharela Bhinda (Stuffed dry Okra)
• Bharela Karela (Stuffed dry Bitter Melon)
• Chola nu Shaak (Chickpea Curry)
• Dudhi Mag ni Dal nu Shaak (Bottle Gourd and Mung Bean Curry)
• Kanda Bateta nu Shaak (Onion and Potato Curry)
• Kobi Bateta nu Shaak (Dry Cabbage and Potato Curry)
• Ringna no Olo (Roasted Eggplant's mashed Curry)
• Sev Tameta nu Shaak (Curry made of Green (Unripe) Tomatoes) 
• And the world famous Undhiyu: A mixed vegetable casserole that is traditionally cooked upside down underground in earthen pots fired from above. This dish is usually made of the vegetables that are available on the South Gujarat coastline during the winter season, including (amongst others) green beans, unripe banana, muthia, and purple yam. These are cooked in a spicy curry that sometimes includes coconut. Surti Undhiyu is a variant that is served with puri at weddings and banquets. Again it is a mixed vegetable casserole, made with red lentils and seasoned with spices, gratedcoconut, and palm sugar in a mild sauce. It is garnished with chopped peanuts and toasted grated coconut, and served with rice or roti. This dish is very popular all over Gujarat, and most Gujarati families eat it at-least once a year on Makar Sankranti

Dal: Normally the typicaly slightly sweet Gujrati Dal (boiled, strained and seasoned) is served, Kadhi is also a choice here.

Bhaat: Along with plain Rice, some other items would include:

• Khatta-Mittha Bhaat (Sour and Sweet Rice): Rice, boiled with potatoes and spices, yellow in color and accompanied with lemon peel.
• Khichdi (Rice & Dal): Cooked like porridge accompanied with ghee, yogurt, and pickle.
• Pulao (Rice with vegetables)
• Khichu: Kneaded rice flour made by heating it with water, salt, green chilies, and cumin.

Mithai: And finally this is the second last item in the Thali of Mr. Patel. Some of the famous dishes include

• Kheer: Rice Pudding made by boiling rice with milk and sugar, and flavored with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios, or almonds. It is typically served as a dessert.
• Shrikhand: (a thick yogurt-based sweet dessert garnished with ground nuts, cardamom, and saffron)
• Laapsi: (coarse ground/ broken wheat cooked with butter and sugar)
• Doodhpak: (a milk-based sweet dessert with nuts)

No No!! This is not the end of the Sunday Meal. This all ends with a Paan (usually Culcutta sada for adults and a Meetha Paan for kids, yes kids also) Burrpppp!!

After such a Healthy lunch :P, Mr. Patel would take a sound and long sleep (obviously you would need one).  

Next comes the evening Snacks (yes we do have a capacity). There should be something sort of a Chakna (munching) with the evening Cha. Some of the famous Naashta as it is said include Chakri, Chorafali, Fafda, Ghanthia, Khakhra, Mathia ,Sev, Sev mamra ,Lasaniya mamra, Patra, Dhokla.

Now this Platter would finally end with the Dinner which would be quite lite, very lite as compared to the lunch. Some of the famous dishes would include:

• Bhajiya (Deep fried savory snacks. A popular variety is Pakora.)
• Dahi Vada (Fried dumplings soaked in yogurt and topped with salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper.)
• Handvo (Steamed cake made of rice flour, Various beans/lentils, yogurt, and calabash.)
• Khichu (A thick porridge-like mixture made of rice flour and seasoned with cumin seeds. Once prepared, the mixture is often topped with oil, cayenne pepper, and salt.)
• Lilva Kachori (A variety of kachori made with pigeon peas.)
• Methi na Gota (Fried fenugreek Dumplings)
• Sev Khamani (Khaman topped with crispy, fried gram flour.
• Dal vada, Vaati dal na bhajiya.

Finally Mr. Patel would end his day with Gupshup (Chit-chat) with friends at a soda shop of-course having a Soda. Good Night :-) Burp Burp Burp!!

Hope this has helped tantalized your taste buds.

Soon would be back with some more Foody blogs till then keep Stay Hungry and Keep Hogging!!

(Courtesy: Wikipedia)

The Coffee Pot

On a fine chilly evening, savoring the great coffee, allowing the aroma to waltz through the room, putting your hands around the warm cup of coffee are some of life’s small pleasures. Well the idea of writing about coffee on m blog also dawned upon me on one of these cold evenings sipping coffee. Well I simply love everything about coffee. Right from the taste, the aroma, the warm feeling you get after having hot coffees, just everything!!

Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. 70% of the world consumes Arabica coffee which is mild and aromatic. The remaining 30% drink Robusta which has a more bitter taste to it, but has 50% more caffeine content than Arabica. Similar to wine, coffee gets its aroma from the climatic environment in which the plant grows. The common coffee flavors are fruity, floral, earthy, buttery, caramel, nutty, smoky, etc.

Coffee cultivation is basically done in the tropical belt of the globe. This belt typically has moderate sunshine, rain and steady temperatures with rich and porous soil, which is the most favorable environment for the coffee to grow. Everywhere across the globe, coffee notes differ depending upon the type of soil it is planted in. The coffee bean is actually a seed inside a bright red cherry, the fruit of the coffee plant. Coffee berries are dried and stripped down until all that’s left of it is a green bean. Once stripped, the beans are roasted at about 500^o F, and a few minutes later a bean will pop once more. The second pop means that the bean is done and is ready to be served.

Well, as we all know that coffee is a very large base to cover, am going to just write about two coffee types, i.e., Espresso and Americano.

Espresso coffee is basically prepared by judiciously blending of the finest grinds of various coffees with very little amounts of water and very high pressures, which helps in creating a rich, intense aromatic and velvety body. An espresso always has a high caffeine content and a very strong and thick taste. It is topped with a creamy hazelnut colored foam. The aroma has a touch of floral, fruity, chocolaty notes. Espresso acts as the base coffee for all the infinite variations of coffee such as latte, cappuccino, mocha, etc, to suit every taste. I would not delve into the details of other types of coffees here (maybe some other day). Espresso would be mainly categorized into Espresso Con Panna which is a double shot of espresso finished with whip crema and Espresso Macchiato is a double espresso shot with foam. Espresso is usually served in small sizes as it has a very high caffeine ratio. Espresso is served immediately out of a brewing machine, in a pre heated cup.

Americano on the other hand is a a style of coffee by adding hot water to an espresso. Almost 20-25% is the espresso and 75-80% is the hot water. Americanos, and especially long black style americanos, are well suited for beans that produce strongly-flavored espresso. Some drinkers may find undiluted espresso shots overpowering, that’s why they choose Americano over espresso. There are many variations to an Americano. Iced Americano combines espresso and cold water. A lungo is made by extracting the espresso shot for a longer time. It makes for more volume and a more bitter taste. A caffe crema is made by extracting the espresso shot for period of time even longer than a lungo.

Well I being an avid coffee drinker, I would prefer pure coffee over diluted ones.. I like espresso shots more than Americano, and white coffees as well.. More on coffee, hot and cold would be on some later date. Till then keep sipping… J