February 07, 2008

GUJARATI CUISINE

Gujarati Thali (platter) is my contribution to "Regional Cuisine of India", a event started by Lakshmi from "veggie cuisine" and Mythili from "Vindu" blog is hosting this RCI event this month showcasing the beautiful state of Gujarat. Thanks for hosting Mythili!:)
(Since it's RCI and I am proud to showcase our Indian states one by one, 2-3 dishes per post rule do not apply!!:D)

Gujarat:
Palitana, a largest "Temple city" in Gujarat:
A pilgrimage site on the Shatranjaya hills with 863 temples built over a span of nine hundred years!! Isn't this absolutely amazing to look at?! I didn't know anything about this city until now!! (Photo is from www.indbazaar.com)

Gujarat is situated at the westernmost part of India,laced with beautiful beaches and ancient temples.Its official and primary language is Gujarati with Gandhinagar as it's capital. Most of the Gujarati Hindus are very strict vegetarians and their vegetarian cuisine is unmatchable in taste and variety. Kutch is one of the important areas in the state which has an independent identity and they speak Katchi. Here is the photo of the world's first Swaminarayan Temple built in Ahmedabad.
National leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel are the natives of Gujarat. Gujarat was also the site of some of the most popular resistances against the British including the Satyagrahas in Kheda, Bardoli, Borsad and the Salt Satyagraha. Dandiya Ras, Garba are few of the popular dances for the region.(Info from WIKI)

Gujarati Thali:
Lilva Pulao(Surti Papdi, Avarekalu), Mathri (a crispy snack, store bought), Vatana Bateta no Rotlo (Greenpeas and Potato roti), Lachko dal, a beverage/dipping sauce called Komal and Sukhdi(Wheat flour, Cardamom, ghee)for dessert!

Gujarati Thali

Gujarati dishes:
Most of these recipes came from Tarla Dalal's "Gujarati cookbook", who has undeniable authority on Gujarati cuisine, being a Gujarati herself. I did make some changes to her original recipes to suit my taste and convenience. Here are the recipes the way I made them, enjoy!:)

Mathri:
I bought Haldiram's Mathri at the Indian store but they are easy to make at home. It's not in the Gujarati book, so I am not sure if it's a Gujarati snack! Anyway, here is the recipe:
1. Mix 1/2 cup plain flour, 1/2 cup Wheat flour, 2 tbsp Semolina/Rava, 2 tbsp hot oil, 1 tsp Ajwain seeds, 2 tsp grated ginger, salt, 1/4 tsp Baking powder, 1/2 tsp crushed peppercorns , few chilli flakes, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp crushed Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves), 1/2 tsp crushed Coriander and fennel seeds with littler water to make a stiff dough. Let it rest for 10 mins.
2. Make a large marble sized balls, press a little to flatten it and deep fry them until golden.

Lilva Pulao:

Simple and delicious!
Grind these to coarse paste: 1/2 cup Cilantro, 3 green chillies, 1/2" fresh ginger, 2 garlic without water.

1. Cook Lilva beans(I used frozen Surti Papdi) with water and little bit of salt until soft, drain. Keep aside. Cook 1 1/2 cups of Basmati or long grain until soft, fluff and keep it aside to cool a bit.
2. Heat 2 tbsp butter or ghee, add 2" Cinnamon sticks, 2 cloves. Add cooked and drained Lilva beans, salt, ground paste. Mix well for 2 mins.
3. Squeeze 1/2 a lemon juice and add cooked rice and mix well. Serve with Lachko dal.

Lachko Dal:
A very simple dal seasoned with Cumin and garlic.
1. Cook 1/2 cup Tuar dal with 2 cups of water, salt, 2 green chillies, 1/4 tsp turmeric in a pressure cooker.
2. Heat 2 tsp ghee, add 1 tsp Cumin seeds, 1 broken red chilly, 2 garlic sliced (my addition), when golden, add the dal and simmer.

Greenpeas and Potato Rotlo:
I added a bit of wheat flour to make the dough pliable.Without it, it's hard to make the Rotis.
1. Cook 3 large Potatoes, peel and mash. Put it in the wide mouthed dish. Heat 1 cup frozen green peas in the Microwave, drain the water and mash as much as you can, add to the mashed potato.
2. Add in 2 tbsp Rice flour, 3 tbsp wheat flour or cornstarch (my addition), salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp green chillies(2) and (1") Ginger paste to the Potato mix and knead. Divide into 6-8 round.
3. Heat the non-stick pan. Take a piece of foil, spray no-stick oil. Press a dough ball to a thickish square roti with your palm, gently place it on the tawa and cook both sides, drizzled with some oil on top until crisp and golden. Cool them on the cooling rack. Repeat with other dough balls and serve with Komal.

Komal:
In her book, Coconut and yogurt are just mixed with water and seasoned to serve as a drink. You can do that if you like. I didn't want to drink coconut milk as it is! So I heated both up without adding any water, seasoned to serve as a dipping sauce for Rotlo and as side dish with Pulao too. It tastes excellent!
1. Beat 1 cup plain yogurt and 1 cup Coconut milk (I used canned), salt and 1 tsp sugar with a whisk well. Put it in the Microwave for 5 mins at 50% power. (Might split if you heat it on high heat or you can simmer on the stove top gently until little thick like sauce.) Cool it before adding seasoning.
2. Heat 1 tsp oil, add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 3 minced curry leaves, 2 tsp minced Cilantro, stir for a minute and cool. Then add it to the yogurt mix. Serve with Rotlo or Pulao on the side in a cup.

I am sending this yummy heart shaped Sukhdi to Pooja from "my creative Ideas" blog for her "Valentine's day" special event. Thanks for hosting Pooja, hope you like my entry.
I am also sending this to Zorra for her "Heart for your Valentine" event. Thanks for hosting Zorra!:)


Sukhdi, a popular Gujarati dessert:
I wanted to make something really Gujarati for dessert. Sukhdi or GolPapdi as it called, is made of Wheat flour, ghee, Cardamom and sugar and cut into diamond shapes. This sweet is somewhat like between making Mysore Pak (lot easier than that!) and Rava Laddoo. I made it into heart shape for Valentine's day!!:)



Here is how to make Sukhdi:



1. Heat a non-stick pan, add 1/2 cup of ghee. When hot, add 1 tbsp Poppy seeds, 1 cup Wheat flour, keep stirring until it is cooked and smells good like roasted flour. Add 3/4 cup brown sugar or Jaggery. Stir until sugar melts.
2. Add 1 tsp Cardamom powder, mix well. Take off the heat, add 2 tbsp milk, stir to mix well. It will form into a lump and it starts to leave the sides of the pan.
3. Take out and shape it into any mould you like and garnish with toasted Almonds. You can serve this warm or cold.





Enjoy!:)

**********************************************************************************************************************
Books I read:

1. "Around the table" by Lela Nargi and various authors' remembering and writing about their home, families and food including Maya Kaimal's Kerala and American grandparents.
2. "Parineeta" by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. A tiny story book, not the filmy version although I love the film too which I own.

Movies I watched:
1. After I watched "The Godfather" movies last month, I wanted more of Marlon Brando!:D
I borrowed "A streetcar named desire" from the library. Boy, he was so handsome when he was young!! Did you know his son Christian Brando's mother is from India, born in Calcutta(Kolkota)? Christian Brando died recently of Pneumonia.
2. "The toast of New Orleans", a 1950s musical about a "not so sophisticated" Bayou fisherman(Mario Lanza) who gets trained as a Opera singer and becomes the toast of New Orleans but falls in love with his co-singer(Kathryn Grayson) who thinks he is below her at first and then...you know how it goes, Bollywood ishtyle!;D Loved it.

Here are my Super Bowl goodies:
Tandoori chicken Puff pastry, Spinach and Feta Puffs, Raspberry and sweet coconut puffs for dessert, Taquitos, spicy Buffalo wings, Sesame crackers, Bagel chips, Guacamole, Spinach dip, Cheese Fondue with Pretzel bread cubes, Chili with Doritos!! A Cosmopolitan for me and few Beers for Arvind went well nicely too!:D
Super Bowl was as exciting as these were, we loved the game this year. Well done Giants!!:)


For Nita, who requested the recipe for Puffs. Enjoy!:)
Tandoori Puffs: Chop chicken to small cubes, about 2-3 cups. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan, add 1 onion very finely chopped, 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste, 1/4 tsp each turmeric and chill pd or paprika,salt,fry until onion is golden.Add 1 tsp sugar, 2 tsp of Tandoori masala (store bought, best one I use is Sharwood's brand or you can make it like this recipe), 1/2 tsp cumin-coriander powder and 1/4 tsp Pepper powder and mango pd or 1 tbsp yogurt. Stir in the chicken, stir on medium heat and fry until cooked thru' without adding any water. When done, adjust the spices and cool. Cut Puff Pastry to 4" squares, place a tbsp or more of Chicken, fold over and seal. Bake at 400F for 12-15mins.(You can add this chicken on Tortilla with cheese and cover with another, heat it to make Quesadillas too!)
Greek Puffs: Microwave frozen Spinach until cooked and dry, cool. Add salt, pepper, pinch of Nutmeg and Feta cheese, mix and stuff in the puffs. Do the same as above.
Sweet puffs: Any Jam plus 2 tbsps of sweetened coconut or Chocolate chips and coconut(my son's idea) or Nutella and Almonds etc.

Have a great weekend!:)

129 comments:

Finla said...

I know i told i am on a break, but shyama is learning at the moment so thgt i will come and check here.
When ever there is RCI you cook so much don't know how youdo that.
I amalways happy if i do one ;-) I am lazy i know.
Lilva beans this is new to me.
Actually never done any gujurathi food.
Super bowl plate looks fantastci.
I love cheese fondue.
We had meat fondue last weekend.

amna said...

only today i was thinking ur gujarati post will be out soon :) i am still in the research phase. and thanks for directing me to pooja's event. i have something for her myself!! :)

indosungod said...

You have dished up quiet a tasty Gujarati meal, Asha. the Mathri looks tasty and I would give it a try. Read somewhere that Marlon Brando today is struggling to make ends meet.

Altoid said...

Oooh! Wonderful spread. Thanks for this Asha. Will definitely try a few of these...Gujarati food is one of my faves.

Purnima said...

Asha, the Gujarat state narrative is interesting, the thaali superb! I loved the heart 'Sukhdi', the spread for super bowl too is mouthwatering!

FH said...

Thanks girls, glad you liked the thali, it was delicious!:))

Indo, Marlon Brando was struggling for money at the end of his life in US, started acting in B grade films just to make money. But he still owned a multi million dollar Island in Tahiti when he died.

Sia said...

from where do i start ashakka? ok first serve me mathri, then rotlo and dal and then pulao... oh! this time i'll have sweet too;)

sra said...

I loved the picture of the Palitana temples. I love Gujarati food!

Bharathy said...

Wonder how you come up with feasts, always! :)..Making one dish itself would be hectic for me!:)
Great job as always,Asha!:)..Kudos!

bee said...

that whole thali is super awesome. gujju cuisine is my absolute favourite.

Anonymous said...

A great new thali, I am going to try this one this weekend...looks very yummy...

Siri said...

Its such an awesome gujju treat ashaji..:D love each one of them.:D

Cya next week!

Siri

Pooja said...

Mathri is a Gujarati Snack Asha. Mom used to make that a lot, and its something you will find in alternate home of Gujarat :) .
Now , if a non Gujarati like you will cook such a nice complete thali , what will I do ? you have really confused me :)). Well, I have entry ready and will post it sometime ,B4 i miss the deadline LOL .
Your Lachko Dal is really killing me , and after readin the whole post you made me miss my home even more :( , did I told you that my home is in Gandhinagar. It is such a beautiful and calm place. One must see it to feel the peace of living there, not like those metro cities waking up days and night. It is the most secure place I have ever seen too.
Thanks for you wonderful entry for Valentine's Day theme. I love it.A sweet dish from you sweetheart :) , hugs to you :).
Sukhdi is the only sweet i make more frequently , coz it is easy too :)), i think i posted it a year ago or so, we make it little more brown in color that tastes better.

Nice to know that your are spending your time well and doing things you like, Marlon Brando is My fav too ;). I think i should stop now otherwise this comment will be like a post itself :)).
thank you Asha for wonderful entry , I an glad to have you around. Hugs to you.

Anonymous said...

Hi asha,
The thali looks delicious.i love anything made out of lilva beans.i am going to try ur version of pulav.

shalini

ChrisB said...

Wish I had been to your super bowl party. The food looks lovely!
You have been watching some great old films I feel quite nostalgic! Mario Lanza was very popular here!

FH said...

Pooja, glad to know that Sukhdi is Gujarati dessert. It was not in that book, so I was little worried but I have seen it few Gujarati websites though! I will make it little browner next time, we liked the sweet!:)
Gandhinagar sounds great, never been to Gujarat at all. Those temple city is gorgeous!!:))
Enjoy the weekend.

vimmi said...

Hi Ashaji,

You have done it again. I was too exhausted to read posts and comment on them, but just opened the comp and saw ur post and I knew it would be amazing as always. Taking inspiration from you, I too had decied to create a thali, but my son and i have been don with flu last whole week. I am still not recovered. Have not cooked this entire week.
Hopefully will be able to next week.

FH said...

Vimmi, take your time and take it easy. Take care of yourself and family first. That's what I would say to every blogger.
There is still plenty of time, cook and post when you can, no hurry. Flu is everywhere now, my son and Arvind both are ill too. Hugs to you, relax and rest!:))

Shilpa said...

I love this thali Asha. I wish I could make such elaborate thalis. I haven't tried much Gujrathi cooking yet(except for few dishes). I will have to cook this sometime...

Laavanya said...

That thali looks absolutely delicious Asha :) Such an array of goodies indeed. The rotlos and the dipping sauce sound too good. Am still thinking of what to make... Wanted to look at Trupti's blog but that has now become private :(
The goodies for the super-bowl are just too good.. my husband was so amazed to see the variety you had made. :)

Anonymous said...

Lovely lookign thali Asha! The matar-potato rotlo's look veyr delicious! I have a gujarati friend here who makes awesome mathri's, dhoklas and handvos! Love gujarati food!
The super bowl platter looks lovely! How do u do it!

Vanamala Hebbar said...

Iam still yet to decide what to make for gujarati spl.

Lovely so many varities. Parcel few items to me ;)

Bindiya said...

A really superb spread, you take the cake Asha!

Anonymous said...

Lovely recipes , could you please also give the recipe for the tandoori puffs that sounds really yummy and my kids will thank you for ever!!!
Nita

KonkaniBlogger said...

You amaze me Asha..Just out of curiosity, how much time does it take you to come up with an entire spread like this, and then posting it ?? This was the question I had for you when you made the Kerala Cuisine, but by then comment were closed :)..Everything you've made looks just great, I specially love the heart shape you have given to the Sukhdi and those rotlos..Superb..N plus u do so much reading and exercising n all ...Phewwww..I'm tired just by thinking of everything:)..

Uma said...

Wow, you are good at making nice presentations. Gujarati Thali seems so delicious. So colorful and yummy treats. Thanks for the info and recipes.

Rachel said...

I still am In a fix on what to send for this event..

You have such a wonderful spread there! Am awed!
Love your superbowl spread as well!

TBC said...

Fabulous spread as usual!:-)

I like Gujarati dishes a lot and the only dishes I've tried so far have been from Trupti's blog...

Margie said...

Hi Asha
Each time you do a post, you surpass yourself!
Only have time to leave a very brief comment(as I've not been feeling too well the past few days, and need to get back to bed.)

Thanks for sharing all this, Asha!
You are awesome!
I know your family must adore you!

Margie

Manasi said...

When u cook, u cook up a storm!! LOVE Guju food! I'll take the sukhadi right now!! YUM!!!!!!

FH said...

Thanks girls, glad you enjoyed looking as much as we enjoyed eating them all! Hahaha!

Margie, get well soon and rest. No need to comment if you are not well my friend, take care. Hugs to you!:))

Nita, I will add the recipe for Tandoori puffs at the end of this post as soon as possible. Check here tomorrow, bit busy today.My kids loved them too!:))

Mythreyee said...

what a fantastic post as always. Each and every picture is so tempting. So many lovely gujarati dishes.

Suganya said...

Ah! I see the raspberry coconut puffs now :)

Mishmash ! said...

ilove gujju food...so rich and tasty.....looking at the pic of ur thali, i am missing my gujju friend....!

FH said...

Maya, I have to cook for 4 people everyday anyway except Saturday, my day off. So it's not that hard to organize. I do multi tasking very well. 4 things going on at the same time is not a problem for me. Once I am out of the kitchen, I make time to read a little and watch movies these days until 3.30pm,that's when kids come home!!:))

TheCooker said...

Fab thali; especially the rotli.
I have TD's book too and it is a great resource.

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

That's great. We love Gujarathi food. Gujarathi cuisine has an absolute variety of vegetarian cooking.
Just how do you manage to do all this cooking for food events? I do cook but pictures, write up and posting ends up taking a lot of my time!
Have to hand it to you.

Richa said...

the temple pic is just beautiful!!
i was thinking garlic is not added to lachko, then i saw it is ur addition...lol that is one tasty thali, sukhadi is my fav sweet, yummm...

Shweta said...

What a lovely thali Ashaji!!
And what a coincidence! I visited Palitana a few weeks back, I am still in awe of its beauty! Also got to taste the famous Mahudi ni Sukhdi. There is a Jain temple in Mahudi and the prasad served there is Sukhdi. Its normally sold piping hot - there a little catch, the sukhdi has to be eaten in the temple's premises, you cannot take it outside! It sure was heavenly!

FH said...

Richa, I am a garlic lover!! I would throw a few in Sukhdi too!! Hahaha!! Glad I confessed that it's my addition!:)

Shweta, you are soooo lucky to be there to see it for real!! That just looks gorgeous in the photo itself!:)

Mansi said...

wow Asha! you just made me nostalgic with all those stories and recipes!!:) ok, now I gotta start cooking for my gujju heritage!:D

very lovely post girl!

musical said...

Ashakka, i love the rotlo and daal! i have to try this rotlo recipe soon! Yummy!

Seema said...

Great Guju Thali Asha! Looks awesome! Liked your superbowl spread.. fabulous as always...each dish looks better than other its hard to pick! I loved everything!

sunita said...

Asha,that's one mouthwatering thali...nice to know you're finding time for your other interests :-)

Kalai said...

Never made Gujurati food before, but this looks fantastic. And you've made quite a spread for superbowl, too! I definitely agree with you about Marlon Brando. We watched "A Streetcar Named Desire" in high school and all the girls were drooling! :)

Anonymous said...

Oh Thali looks so good, Love the paraths and its shape. I love gujurathi foods.

Manju said...

WOW!! i was looking forward to this after seeing your comment in Jugalbandi's "Khichdi and Kadhi"...im so amazed at how u manage to cook soooo many dishes for each and every RCI!!! u rock girl!!

Red Chillies said...

I love Gujju cuisine any time. However we do not have many restaurants here. Loved the thali that you created. I loved Sukhadi the best, kind of reminds me of the wheat flour ladoo.

Ramya's Mane Adige said...

Wow, Ashakka!!! Spread looks beautiful!!! Loved the peas-potato rotli.. Surely gonna try this one.. Thanx :)

DK said...

mmm..Instead of being speechless, I am actually going to talk this time..No in fact ask u questions - Can you mail me your address ? I have a haunch ( I making sure that it is) that my hubby is changing jobs to somewhere in carolina!

I think that question says enough!

Vineela said...

hi ashaji,
love your platter.and going to make this weekend sukdhi.thanks for sharing.

jayasree said...

Lovely and tempting thaali. Loved the temple pictures.

Miri said...

Blame it on my sweet tooth, but like the gol papdi best!

Priya said...

Lovely post Asha and fantastic recipes.

Keshi said...

Kem Cho Asha? :)

I dun think I've tasted Gujju stuff yet..mebbe I hv, Im not sure :) Sounds really yummy!


hv a good one luv!


Keshi.

Sig said...

What a feast... :) I am way too ignorant about Gujarati cuisine, so I need to start doing my research now... Know any non-veg dishes? :)

I love your superbowl spread by the way... wish we stayed closer :)

zorra said...

Wow, I would like to taste all of them. Thank you for your participation in Valentine's Event.

Anonymous said...

Wow Amazing thali Asha! and that super bowl spread ka kya kehna?Hats off to you.

Cynthia said...

Sweetie, I am so glad that you're getting making time to do the things you enjoy. I am jealous :)

Beccy said...

Your superbowl goodies look delighfut and easy to nibble on.

Gujarat looks beautiful, a stunning photograph.

EC said...

So many delicious dishes in a single post...amazing energy levels...

Sugarcraft India said...

Hi Asha

You have cooked such lovely and mouthwatering dishes..gujarati food is always yum..I also enjoy their kadhi ..

Swati

Anonymous said...

Good idea!I lied the last part ,the sweet puffs.Hope you had a great superbowl Asha!

Coffee said...

You are putting me at shame now! I better get inside the kitchen with that cam around my neck!!

Daily Meals said...

Hi Asha, Gujarati tali looks great. I have never tried Gujarati dishes before. So before experimenting Gujarati dishes, I have to taste some...:)

Roopa said...

wow Asha what a great spread :)as ever...

Anonymous said...

Hi BigS!
I have lived in Gujarat most of my growing life and I adore the rustic beauty of every part of the state, the food and most of all the people living there. Almost everything that is cooked has a spoon of sugar added at the end and I have grown to love the flavor.

Gujaratis are known to be mostly vegetarians and then there are Jains who abstrain from eating root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, radish and even ginger. If you are wondering how they survive, I have to tell you that thier food is absolutely delicious without any of these flavours. In fact I believe Ahmedabad has the only Pizza hut in the world that offers Jain pizza!

Just thought I could share my two cents here.

Lovely thali spread as usual. Reminds me of the Saurashtra thali place we uesd to frequent:)Sukhdi...i have to try making it sometime. Love it.

FH said...

Hema, great insight, glad you wrote it. Jain Pizza!! Now that I have to taste!:D
I am sure it's good. I love the spicy and sweet taste of Gujarati cuisine too. I have never been to Gujarat, should visit one day!:)

Namratha said...

Wowwww Asha dear, the platter looks amazing!Loved the rotis and the daal in particular. Lovely entry for the V day theme too....

And that's a fabulous Game day spread, wish I had watched the game with ya...for the good eats! :D

Suganya said...

Hello.....Its me again......Hay this gujarati cuisine is really incredible....Soooo good... Nice pictures and lovly set of recipes....

Paru ... said...

Asha,

Your Gujarathi thali looks extremely delicious..

I loved the rotlas & the lilva pulao, they sound v simple to make. I am definetly going to give a try soon...

Thanks again for visiting and leaving your wonderful comments as always..

Paru

Anonymous said...

Lovely thali asha. I still have to dig into and research a bit to come up with atleast one recipe.

Anonymous said...

Wow Asha!!!! Your thali looks delicious and your recipes sounds very good....never tried any Gujarathi dish, after seeing yours I am thinking of making them...

Rajitha said...

have that tarla dalal book..each recipe looks better than the other right!! i am always confused as to what to make...so i close the book and make something i know :D
the food looks delicious asha...

Grihini said...

delicious spread Asha. U always amaze me with the variety u cook. I wish I stayed close by to ur place :)

DEEPA said...

oh wow!!! excellent post ...what a gujarati spread!!!awesome pics too!!!

Meera said...

What a wonderful spread, Asha! You know what? Now I have to talk to you in Gujarati. I don't believe you don't know the language! I mean if this is not authentic then I don't know, what else is!
Bahu saras!!:-D

Unknown said...

We learn Indonesian-India history which we know that India is the first country in Asia congratulated Indonesia on the independence day. In the history back then, the Gujarat was the first Indian people who brought the Indian cultures (including Hindu and trades) into Indonesia. Now, I am learning about Gujarati meal from you. That is a bonus!!

Anonymous said...

Asha
Can you use home done clarified butter for ghee. I know you can buy ghee here...in a tin I think but it's just as easy to make it at home
Cheers

Pragyan said...

Hi Asha, I did not realize you have opened up the comments! Good job with the Gujrati thali..Superbowl platter is amazing!

Rajesh &Shankari said...

What a beautiful spread. I love your enthusiasm. I am reading a lot of books these days too...Have fun Asha

FH said...

Thanks girls, enjoy!:)

Gilli, I make ghee at home with unsalted butter too, never bought from the store. Homemade ghee is the best. I will post the way I make ghee one day. You can homemade ghee in any Indian dishes!:)

Pragyan, I opened the comments about 5 weeks ago, enjoy!:)

Arfi, thank you so much for visiting me. Yes, we are good people with good heart. Glad you are enjoying what we bought into your homeland. We equally enjoy your culture as well!:)
Have a great weekend.

bha said...

i just posted a mathri recipe. Neither was i aware about RCI:Gujrat nor did i know tht Mathri belongs to gujrati cuisne.....just read in Pooja's comment that it is one.....so i need to update my post....one of the various advantages of visiting your blogs, rest wud tell u later

those hearts are cute......Happy Valentine's day to you....

Unknown said...

Hi asha..
am really inspired by ur blog..Am new to this blogging world..and i take great pleasure in tagging u in my blog..

Anonymous said...

You cook sooo much Asha ! :-) I wish i lived somewhere beside your house, so that i could drop in anytime..

www.zaiqa.net

Sagari said...

wonderfullll post with lots of yummy food ashaji

Shionge said...

It is like magic when everything goes through your hand Asha :D

Viji said...

Nice thali Asha. Covered all the posts missed earlier. Nice car! Enjoy! Take care and have a good day. Viji

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Love your heart shape dessert Asha and your Superbowl gathering sounded fun, especially with the Cosmopolitan. I've never had one.

SMN said...

hey ashakka.. as usual lovely spread of food.. when can cm to ur place and see the amazing cook behind this thali? how u doin? i see that now u reading enough books.. im missing my hobby of reading too.. cannot manage all at the same time.

Anonymous said...

Asha, you put your heart into everything you do -- as your 'peer' I admire that!

Lovely Gujarati thali!!

Anonymous said...

Your Gujarathi Thali and the superbowl feast looks so mouthwatering.YOu are truly an inspiration Asha
Pearlin

Cyberkitty said...

Interesting to know that Cristian Brando's mom was from India. Have not seen many classic movies - but plan to see a few soon.

vasilisa said...

Hi Asha!

I'm not blogging anymore, but I still love checking out yours, cause it's so yummy! And so informative!

And I always love how you combine cultures! A complete Gujarati review followed by a Super Bowl platter! Is there anything you can't do?

PS: "Godfather" and me are not connecting. I tried to watch it about 10 times, and can never go through it, though if I was to assemble the pieces, I've seen the whole movie by now. It is, though, my husband's favourite movie. Probably just like any man's out there :-)

Anonymous said...

everything looks so good,asha:) but that sukhdi looks super delicious;)
paati

Seena said...

Yeah Asha, actually I was not good in health, thats why kept silence..:)
Today I posted a Gujarathi dish, but knew about RCI Gujarat just now, only after visited here!
As usual love all your recipes... You always chose like that food items to publish here..:D

vimmi said...

Hi Ashaji,

I am glad Tushar is ok. Hope Arvindji has recovered too. Did not visit any blogs in a long time. Hope its ok that i posted ur recipe on my blog. If u want I can remove the recipe and just keep a link to ur recipe. Didn't know whether it was ok with u or not. One person had asked me to remov etheir recipe and just keep the link to their blog.

My son actually doenot eat such dishes. He wont eat pizza, pasta burgers etc. He is more a dal chawal, roti sabji kind of a kid. Still small though.

FH said...

Seena, take it easy, flu seems to be everywhere these days:))

Vimmi, don't worry about it, it's okay with me if you post the recipe too as long as you have linked the source.Some don't like it, I don't mind!:)
Arvind is already back to work too!:D

archana said...

Dear Ash,
Just a quick Q. I remember you blogging about your vegetable harvest which included red amaranth. Could you please tell me from where you purchased those seeds. Thank you. Ash, i adore you for doing what you do, and i am not flattering.

Neelam said...

That Gujrati thaali looks great!
I have so many recipes to try frm ur blog! Thanks for directing me to Bindiya's event...I'll check it out.

Raaga said...

that looks so tempting :-) I have a couple of dishes :-) will post soon

Trishna said...

Ohhhhhhhhhhh YUMMMMMM! Everything looks soo yummy! My best friend is a Gujrati and so I have tasted these things at her place! I love this blog and am going to keep coming back! :)
Came over from DMC!

Reeta Skeeter said...

Lovely spread that!

Menu Today said...

Hi Asha,

After a long gap I am visiting blogs.
All your Gujju dishes look great.
I like the shape of the peas and potato paratha.

Excellent looking sweet dish.

Have a nice day.

Srivalli said...

Asha..thats super duper cool thali..sorry I have been so late in coming here..but am I glad..that thali looks so much likes yours anyway!..not sure how you manage but as I have said many times..you are a super woman!...hale Asha!

Kajal@aapplemint said...

Asha u have done it again. Me being a gujju cant cook up such a storm ...and u even did lachko dal ! OMG that is really very gujju ! My i miss my mom !

lakshmi said...

the two cuisines apart from tamil that i absolutely love is gujju and parsi - i can't do without my monthly dose of khakhra :D

i have the same book by tarla dalal and that's about the one cookbook i've tried page to page.

i see you've added garlic ;)

FH said...

Thanks to all of you girls, I appreciate it!:))

Archana, here is the website, order it in April or so, you get fresh seeds for all the Indian plants. Enjoy!:)

http://www.seedsofindia.com/

FH said...

Lakshmi, yup!! Couldn't help not adding the garlic!!HeHe!! It's a pretty plain dal otherwise but I confessed in the bracket about garlic so I don't get verbally beaten up by Gujjus!;D

Bharathy said...

:D..I was abt to inform you abt the award...and you discoverd it yourselves!..GOD!how amazingly prompt are you!!!!:)
Thank you so much for visiting Swapna! :)

Mallika said...

You were not joking about the Gujarati thali! And it looks superb. I had the pleasure of having my Gujarati friend's mom cook a full traditional meal for me while I was on holiday. Yum!

Cham said...

The Gujju thaali is wonderful. All dishes are awesome!

Anonymous said...

Asha ji -
As always great spread!! You inspire me :)

Rina said...

Wow!!!! this is awsome Ashaji... Love your Thali.. Thanx for for sharing. Wish I find time to experiment some of these. Love the dessert.

AJ said...

Hi Asha,
I dropped by to see the wonderful V-Day dish you served up. And was as usual delighted with all the lovely extras it came with!!!! Great stuff....

Apu:)

Foodie said...

Hi Asha,

You knocked me out with this gujarati post. I am out an out gujarati. And have been to that place Shatrunjay hills so many times.. It's our pilgrimage. (jain gujarati). The gujarati thali looks awesome and Sukhadi is just fabulous. I know I have been gone for a while. I was in India for 3 months,it was my youngest sister's wedding and I was going to India after six years, so thought about staying for while. Will soon be blogging and sharing recipes.
Loved all your recent posts. And now I can know about different books too, since you are mentioning about what your read recently. Great job.
cheers
pintoo

FH said...

Hi Pintoo, so good to hear from you again. Glad you liked the Gujju thali, I tried my best although I have never been to Gujarat!:))
Take your time, happy to hear from you girl. Hugs!:)

Anonymous said...

Oh. really great images of Gujarat cuisine.

Surat is known for its unique culture all over India. Surat cuisine is completely different from rest of India. If you are interested to relish Surat Dishes here are lists for you. Surti Ghari, Locho, Surti Undhiyu, Rasawala Khaman, Cold coco, Surati, Chinese are most popular foods of Surat. It would be not an exaggeration if we say that several Gujarati foods have been taken from Surat cuisine. But Surat cuisine is different from Gujarati Cuisine in the sense that Surati cuisine is more spicier . If you want to relish popular food you don’t need to go to big Hotels. There are several ‘Laris’ beside road side where you can get varity of Surati cuisine.
It does not mean that there is dearth of Restaurants in Surat City, there are hundreds of good quality restaurants around the city. With great effort we have collected address for such Surat Restaurants.

FH said...

Thanks Anju, I did my best considering I have never been to Gujarat!:))

Great info about Surat, sounds like a beautiful city, must visit once! Visit again, have a great day.

Uj said...

Asha,
I had heard of sukdi and wanted to make it.. Thanks for the recipe.. your looks lovely :) An award is waiting for you at my blog :)

FH said...

Hi UJ, thanks for the award, will visit you. We just came back from the beach, checking my blogs! :)
Sukhadi is very easy to make, hope you try. Enjoy.

Mystic-Frost said...

Hi Asha
Actually I am a Bengali girl and my boyfriend is a Gujarati.He is a complete foody.Till now I was clueless of from where should I learn all the Gujju delicacies. But really your blog is proving to be my best friend these days...Thanks a lot...N could you please post the recipe of Undhyu?
Thanks
Regards

FH said...

Hi Mystic, so glad my food recipes are helping you. I did make Undhiyu once but forgot to take photos, will definitely try and post sometime later. Right now, kitchen remodeling is going on here at home, getting on by somehow. Enjoy until then, thanks for your appreciation! :))

Finla said...

Made your delicious tandoori puffs and they wee delicious and we all enjoyed them very much.

FH said...

YAY! Kids surely love them, glad you made them. Makes a great party snack too if you make them snack size! :)

Anonymous said...

thanks asha for this awesome article of gujrati cuisine b'coz i am making my own website fao a school project and my topic is indian food and from your this awesome article it hepled me so much ....

FH said...

You are very welcome Anon, glad I could help you with your project. I hope you did well :)

ras malai recipe said...

I have been thinking of experimenting with gujarati cuisine for some time. I love theplas and ras-malai made by a gujarati's friend's mom. Her ras malai recipe is to die for!

FH said...

Gujarati cuisine is the best of all in vegetarian cooking in my opinion, love every dish they make :)