Outlook

Running the Rann on Bhakri

Highway wisdom has it that foggy, cold mornings should be countered with a piping hot, lingering breakfast.

So here we are, just past 8 am on a fresh Kutchi day, cruising along the plush roads of Gujarat near Bhuj, and the fog gradually clears to the luscious sight of fafda-jalebi.

This local breakfast, as many here would confirm, is a favourite for its mix of contrasting flavours.

“Pheeka, meetha, teekha—sab ek saath,” explains the spirited Vicky Joshi, who manages his family’s 45-year-old Ashapura Sweets, on the outskirts of Bhuj.

He hands over a sheet of newspaper laden with fafda—crisp, deep-fried strips of besan, long and curling at the ends and also just a bit along the length—and fresh jalebis with fried green chillies and a tomato-besan chutney.

The Taste of Gujarat

Down south from Kutch, in the Saurashtra-Kathiawar region—the lower jaw of Gujarat, as it were—the fafda-jalebi at times morphs into what they call bhavnagri (after Bhavnagar) or ganthiya-jalebi, in which the besan crispies are thick and coarse, the fried green chillies rounder.

The ensemble, however, is just as scrumptious.

A flavour too many for a morning meal? You’d do well to banish such thoughts while in Gujarat. After all, this is a land where culinary excesses are dismissed quickly, and a robust appetite, with a taste for at least a dozen flavours per meal, is quite the norm.

A Traditional Winter Delicacy

In keeping with the Rajput tradition in Kutch, where the Jadeja clan ruled once, Vasantbaa cooks us her kitchen favourite, a sweetmeat called maatar.

“It’s so called because it’s a mother’s dish for her child—for good health,” she chuckles, mixing wheat flour, jaggery and ghee, all in equal measure, on a low flame, with powdered ginger and gond (acacia gum) thrown in, a winter addition to help battle the cold.

When the mixture cools and hardens, it’s cut into pieces and is ready to eat.

Maatar’s equivalent in the Saurashtra region is the more popular sukhdi, similar in form, but the proportions in the recipe vary.

Flavours Across Kutch

In Gujarat, if the terrain changes frequently, as does the dialect—every 12 miles, they say—so does the cuisine.

There is no better example of this than in the little town of Bhirandiyara, near the white Rann of Kutch, known for its famous mava (khoya).

Sold by the gram in little plastic cups at the dhabas along the highway, the sweetmeat attracts tourists, locals and BSF personnel alike.

Sip on a cup of sweet, milky tea—aakha dudh ni cha—but don’t miss this rich khoya prepared from fresh buffalo milk and sugar.

Street Food of Bhuj

In Kutch, there’s no dearth of nashto (snacks) and mithai.

Station Road, near the main inter-city bus-stop in Bhuj, is a foodie’s delight with dabeli, pakwaan, gulabpak, maisook and many other Kutchi sweets.

The famous dabeli, with its sweet and tangy potato filling, spicy peanuts, coconut shavings and soft bun, has become one of Gujarat’s signature street foods.

From Kutch to Rajkot

Travelling towards Rajkot, the flavours gradually change.

Highway restaurants offer Jain cuisine alongside Avadhi, South Indian, Rajasthani and Punjabi dishes.

Morbi reflects a blend of Kutch and Saurashtra through its local food culture.

Travelling towards Rajkot, the flavours gradually change.

Highway restaurants offer Jain cuisine alongside Avadhi, South Indian, Rajasthani and Punjabi dishes.

Rajkot After Sunset

Rajkot comes alive in the evenings.

From bustling chevda shops and chikki stores to khaman-dhokla carts and late-night eateries, the city celebrates food in every corner.

For dessert, Patel’s, Shivshakti and Madan Lal serve popular ice creams, especially their winter special flavours.

The Kathiawadi Feast

By night, many restaurants begin serving the famous Kathiawadi thali.

At Adingo in Limda Chowk, dishes like baingan bharta, rajwadi kichdi, sev-tameta, aakha dongdi, lassun-bajra na rotla, gur and chaas showcase the bold flavours of Saurashtra.

The meal, rich in peanut oil, garlic and red chilli powder, highlights the region’s distinctive culinary identity.

Comparing it with the food of Kutch reveals subtle differences—Kutchi cuisine uses more ghee and jaggery, while Saurashtra favours oil, spices and chillies.

Green Envy

Madhubhai Gordhanbhai Chevdawala

Madhubhai Gordhanbhai Chevdawala arguably sells the best chevda in town.

But it’s the green chutney that goes with the chevda that’s got everyone drooling.

The shop sells about 80 kg of it a day.

The fluorescent green paste of green chillies, peanuts, lime, ginger and salt comes neatly packed in hygienic plastic boxes and is exported to Australia, the US and Europe, where it has a loyal fan following.