Diversity in the geographical area in this zone from the most arid
to the wet and coastal makes this zone most versatile in terms of
cuisine.
It contains a wide range of both simple vegetarian and delectable
non-vegetarian inclusive of the exotic and world famous sea food.
Mouth waters even at the very name of Maharashtra's bhel puris,
Gujarat's dhoklas ,Rajasthani bati choorma and Goa'sVindaloo.
Staple diet of the people of this zone is rice. Wheat, bajra and
jowar are also consumed in regions such as in Gujarat and
Rajasthan.
A bounty of sea food in Goa and Maharashtra ensures that the
fish and other sea food is the invariable part of the meal for the
non-vegetarians.
Subzi, dals along with rice and rotis constitute a vegetarian plate.
RAJASTHAN
Culinary art of the princely state of
Rajasthan is judged as the most
majestic and royal by the
connoisseurs of food.
Greater use of milk, butter milk and other milk products can be
seen in Rajasthani cuisine.
Use of beans from locally grown plants like sangri, ker (a hard
desert berry) etc besides dried lentils is also popular here.
Gram flour is also a major ingredient of the Rajasthani dishes.
Most Rajasthani curries appear red in colour and appear to be
very hot but that is not so in taste. Pure ghee or butter is used as
a medium of cooking.
BATTI
Wheat flour is kneaded into a
dough with plenty of ghee. They
are made into pedhas and baked
in a slow oven. It was ideally baked
in hot charcoal ash, the ash being
dusted off prior to serving.
Once cracked open they are
doused with ghee.
Enjoyed best with dal and
choorma.
DAL BATTI
Battis served with a
dal made of
Split channa and
urad with spices
and
Tomatoes.
CHOORMA
Can be made with either atta or makki ka atta.
Balls made from a dough of these with ghee and are fried .
These dumplings are then crushed and fried again in ghee.
Its then mixed with sugar , khoya , cardamom and
cinnamon.
Chopped almonds are added lastly.
LAPSI
Sweetened daliya cooked sugar , ghee
and water.
Finished with almonds and pistachios.
GATTE KI SABZI
Gram flour dumplings are made by making a dough of
besan, yoghurt, water and seasonings , shaping them into
logs and poaching them. Then cutting them into short
lengths.
These are then cooked ( they may be previously fried ) in
a tangy curd, cumin and asafetida gravy.
PAPAD KI SABZI
Bits of fried papad, simmered in a yoghurt gravy
flavored
With cumin, coriander, chilli powder, ginger and garlic.
DAL DHOKLI
Dhoklis are made with a dough of flour, salt, turmeric,
chilli powder, asafetida
and water. These are cut into
shapes and cooked in a
boiling dal mixture of toover
dal flavored peanuts ,
garlic and cocum.
KAER SANGRI
Both the Kaer and the Sangri are boiled in separate handis in
Buttermilk.
A tempering of hing and whole red chilies is done and then
powdered
Red chilli, amchoor and coriander is added.
The boiled Kaer and sangri is added to this. It is garnished with
copped coriander leaves.
PITHOD DAHI ME
Besan paste cooked and
set in a thali, cut and
simmered in a coriander
flavored yoghurt gravy.
MAAS KA SOOLA
This is the most famous Rajput kebab made from game, lamb
Chicken and fish. There are 11 different ways of making Soola.
Some simple, others exotic .
Here the lamb is cut into boti. And given the first marination
with raw papaya, garlic paste, chilli powder and salt.
It is then marinated again with yoghurt, onion paste, garlic,
ginger and clove powder.
Char grilled and basted with clarified butter.
SAFED MAAS
Lamb cooked in a rich white gravy made with curds,
white pepper powder ,ginger , garlic and a paste of
almonds and coconut, finished with cream . Handi is
cooked in Dum.
LAL MAAS
It is one of Rajasthans hottest dishes . Lamb is cooked
with onions and cardamom, along with yoghurt that has
red chilies paste, cumin, coriander and turmeric mixed
into it..
The Rajasthanis make a bed of Phulka, pour on the Lal
Maas, crumble papad on top and eat after the phulka is
soaked with the gravy
KHAD
A multi tiered cake of lamb mince and Phulkas. A meal in
itself. Khad means a hole in the ground . Originally it was
baked in the mud with charcoal and hot sand providing the
heat.
About 11 layers are made and then this is wrapped in foil
and baked. Cut into wedges or desired sized pieces and
Served with kachumber, mint chutney and lime wedges.
MAAS KI KADHI
Here the lamb is cooked in a yoghurt and besan gravy along
with boiled onion and garlic pastes. Flavored with cumin
powder and green chilies .
MAKKI KA SOWETA
Lamb chunks are first cooked with whole spices and bay
leaves and a marinade of yoghurt with garlic and green chili
paste. Coriander, turmeric and red chili powders.
Later corn kernels and milk is added. It is finished with lime
juice and coriander leaves.
MALAI GHEVAR
This is a typical Rajasthani sweet where a mixture is made by
whisking together desi ghee, with ice and water. Then maida is
added and it is whisked well. Chilled milk is then added and it is
whisked again.
It is then fried in hot ghee in which moulds are placed. When half
done a small hole is made in the centre. It is lifted out when done
with a skewer.
It is then dipped in a sugar syrup and almond slivers are put on
top
SOOJI LADOOS
Made with khoya and almonds,
Sugar syrup and cardamom
MITHI KACHORI
Kachoris filled with mawa and
dipped in sugar syrup .
GUJARAT
Vibrant Gujarat has a lot to offer to a lover of vegetarian
cuisine .
Food is not over-cooked in Gujarati cooking which helps to
retain the flavor and texture of the component vegetables in
a 'shaak' (sabzi) and also in 'kathol' (pulses).
KHANDVI
Besan, ginger, green chilli, red pepper, salt, hing and
turmeric are made Into a smooth paste with some
water till no lumps are left . Brought to a boil and
made to a paste like consistency.
With a rubber spatula it is spread onto an un greased
surface, as thin as possible and left to cool.
Oil is heated and sarson, kadhi patta and sabut lal
mirch are added to it. It is spread over the layer.
Layers are cut into strips and each strip is rolled like a
scroll, firmly.
BATATA VADA
DHOKLA
BHAKKERVADI
A stiff dough of flour and water
Is made . It is rolled into circles.
A filling of grated or mashed
potatoes, besan, hara dhania,
sugar, salt, dhania powder,
chilli paste, garlic and ginger
paste is made and spread on
this.
The edges are sealed after
rolling up like a Swiss roll.
Then cut into slices and fried till
crisp.
THEPLA
UNDHIA
GUJARATI KADHI
Tempered with whole red chilies, curry leaves and cumin
These are slightly sweet.
HANDVO
DAHI BHINDI
GUJARATI DAL
SHAAK
Any dry preparation of potatoes, green vegetables or
combination of them
SHRIKHAND
Completely drained yoghurt that has been sweetened
And flavored
DOODHI HALWA
Grated doodhi cooked in ghee
With milk, sugar, khoya and
flavorings.
ANGOORI BASUNDI
Sweet thickened milk flavored with
saffron, dry fruit and cardamom, with
sweet cottage cheese dumplings
KUTCH
The food in Kutch region is simple. A breakfast would
consist of roti and milk with Khakhras ( paper thin crisp
roasted chapatties with home made butter and curds.
Lunch would be Bajra rotis or double Roti commonly called
Dhabeli , a vegetable, curds and onion.
The dinner would contain kitchdi and kadhi.
DHABELE (DOUBLE ROTI, KUTCH STYLE )
Buns filled with a potato mixture, with peanuts, garlic and
imli chutneys and spices.
KHITCHDI is made with rice and moong dal, turmeric and
salt
KHICHDA
Wheat is washed and soaked over night in water, The next
day toor and channa dals are added into it ( at times also
masoor and urad). Meat, rice, ginger, chillies, caraway seeds,
salt, coriander and cumin seed powder are added in and it is
cooked for a long time.
Lastly a ghee tempering of jeera and garlic are added to it.