Famous Dishes Of Gujarat: The Ultimate Culinary Guide
Image Credit: Adobe Stock

From the hustle and bustle of metropolitan cities like Ahmedabad and the peaceful beachy vibes of the coastal regions like Kutch, Gujarat has a rich landscape. The best part is that each regional variation brings its own local produce and distinct culinary specialities, adding to the famous dishes of Gujarat. 

The famous food of Gujarat is known for its vegetarian and vegan-friendly options. Since Gujarati dishes majorly consist of ingredients like pulses, grains, and a colourful blend of vegetables, they are not only delicious but are also a vegetarian’s go-to choice for protein. Why don’t you indulge in the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy flavours of the best dishes of Gujarat?

Gujarati Dhokla

Dhokla is one of the most popular dishes in Gujarat. It is known for its fluffy and light texture and is just perfect for a healthy snack or a quick meal. Made with fermented rice and lentil-based batter, it is often spiced with green chillies and tampered with mustard seeds and curry leaves. A close cousin of dhokla, khaman, made with besan (gram flour), is another famous variant of the Gujarati snack.

Gathiya

Gathiya is a crispy Gujarati snack which is made with a besan dough spiced with carom seeds (ajwain) and black pepper. While Gathiya is a go-to tea-time snack, it is also used as an ingredient in many Gujarati dishes to add crunch to traditional gravies, curries, and even street foods.

Khandvi - Gujarat’s Gem

Known for its distinct bright yellow colour, Khandvi is a flavourful roll that is a must-try Gujarati snack. If you want to make khandvi at home, you would just require basic kitchen ingredients like besan, curd, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and a blend of spices like haldi (turmeric powder) and salt. Usually garnished with coconut, khandvi is loved for its subtle, sweet flavour.

Gujarati Kadhi

If you are looking for a hearty traditional meal, you must make Gujarati kadhi. It features a thickened curd-based curry made with besan and tampered with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, and red chillies. Unlike Punjabi kadhi, a sweet touch is added with jaggery or sugar. You can pair it with rice or roti for a satisfying and authentic lunch or dinner.

Handvo

Handvo is a Gujarati cake-like dish which is both nutritious and has a sweet profile. It is typically made with a batter of rice and lentils that is fermented to get a tangy flavour profile. After fermenting, the batter is topped with tampered mustard seeds and sesame seeds. Finally, handvo can be baked or cooked as per your preference. You can pair it with your favourite chutney and relish it.

Kutchi Dabeli - Gujarati Street Food

Dabeli, that is also known as Katchi Dabeli is a famous street food that originated from Gujarat’s Kutch region. Resembling Mumbai’s famous vada pav, dabeli, too, is made with a potato-based filling. Before adding the spiced potato mixture to the pav buns, a layer of tamarind (imli) chutney is spread. On top of the potato filling, you can add garnishes like roasted peanuts, sev, pomegranate seeds, and so on.

Gujarat-Special Fafda Jalebi

If there’s a staple Gujarati breakfast or light snack, it has to be fafda jalebi. The combination of crispy fafda made with besan and the traditional sweet jalebi is unbeatable. You can quickly whip up fafda by deep-frying a smooth dough made with besan, ajwain, water, salt, and other spices. The crunchy snack can be paired with the spiral sweet jalebi soaked in sugar syrup for an indulgent treat.