The concept of a sumptuous breakfast that everyone loves is not new to most Indians, all thanks to the immense legacy of breakfast dishes like poha, puri-sabji, paratha, etc being passed on from generation to generation. Quite a few of these Indian breakfasts have now become iconic in status so much so that nobody ever misses out on them. When it comes to Gujarati cuisine, these iconic breakfast dishes include dhokla and khakhra, two delicacies that have now become so popular that you can make and eat them anywhere in the world.
And yet, when it comes to Gujarati breakfasts, you should know that the choices aren’t just limited to these two iconic dishes. In fact, Gujarati cuisine is vast though predominantly vegetarian, making it home to many other breakfast dishes that offer up a variety of flavours. Quite like dhokla and khakhra, these dishes also include flavours of the season, like fenugreek in winters, making them dishes that you can relish for breakfast all through the year.
Wondering what some of these breakfast dishes are? Here are seven Gujarati breakfast dishes beyond dhokla and khakhra that you can try out.
Video Credit: YouTube/Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana
1. Dhebra
Similar to cutlets and vadas in shape and looks, dhebra is a Gujarati dish that is made with a dough infused with fenugreek or methi leaves and spices like asafoetida or hing. Traditionally, dhebra is made with wheat flour in summers and bajra or pearl millet flour in winters. The dough, in chich chopped fenugreek leaves, ginger, green chillies and more are added, is shallow-fried and served with chutney. Nowadays of course, you can also air fry dhebras at home.
2. Gota
They look like perfect round vadas, but gota is a Gujarati breakfast dish that tastes quite unique. Made with a blend of besan or gram flour and semolina, the dough or batter for this dish from Dakor, Gujarat, is often infused with spices like cumin, coriander, asafoetida, green chillies, ginger and more. In winters, fenugreek leaves are also added in, and the fritters are then fried to perfection and served with a gram flour chutney.
3. Farsi Puri
Crispy, crunchy and perfect for breakfast on-the-go, farsi puri is technically a snack that Gujaratis eat any time of the day, including for breakfast. Made with a blend of whole wheat flour, refined flour, carom seeds, cumin seeds and salt, the dough for farsi puri is shaped into circles, scored with a fork and then either fried or baked to perfection. Eaten with chutneys and achaars, this one is a delicious and textural breakfast option.
4. Muthia
What makes muthia stand out as a breakfast option in Gujarati cuisine is the fact that an excess of it can always be used for lunch and dinner dishes like undhiyu. Muthia is basically a steamed dish that is named after the shape the dough takes when rolled in a hand or muthi. Loaded with vegetables like bottle gourd, papaya and more, muthias also infuse the flavours of chillies, coriander leaves, turmeric and more. Many also choose to fry the dish to make them snackier.
5. Gathiya
Also known as ganthiya, this Gujarati dish is made with gram flour, cumin seeds, carom seeds, salt and more and shaped like long fries. While many people use a mould to make gathiya that have crispy edges once fried, traditionally, the dish was hand-rolled and then deep-fried with care. Nowadays, spicier versions of gathiya are also available in the market, all of which can be enjoyed with chutneys and achaar.
6. Masala Puri
Spiced to perfection and served with a simple aloo sabji or tarri, masala puris are Gujarati cuisine’s take on the North Indian breakfast favourite puri-sabji. The dough for masala puri is made with whole wheat flour and infused with plenty of powdered spices that give it a reddish hue. These spices include red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and coriander powder, while some people also choose to add garam masala powder.
7. Ukado Cha
Though it is referred to as cha or tea, the fact is that this warm drink tailor-made for winter mornings is actually more similar to kadha than milky chai. Made with spices like cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, cloves, peppercorns, mint leaves and honey, ukado cha is usually made without any milk, though many choose to add some warm milk to make it slightly sweeter. A must-have with breakfast every morning during winters, this Gujarati special tea should not be missed.