Dhokla, Khakra, and Undhiyu are the top names that cross our minds when it comes to the famous food of Gujarat. While these are definitely the pride of Gujarat, the state is known for much more than just a couple of dishes we see in the movies. A Gujarati Thali is associated with a range of beautiful colors, sweet and spicy flavors, and a taste that every foodie will remember. Most of us know the welcoming Gujarati culture. Gujarat has a unique way of satisfying all its tourists, from the famous Garba to a Thaali filled with a hint of sweetness in every dish. So, are you ready to indulge in the Gujarat ka famous food? Let’s get started.
21 Famous Food of Gujarat
Here we’ve compiled a list of the famous food items in Gujarat that will satisfy all foodies.
1. Dhokla
Gujarat's most frequently cooked and savored cuisines are the soft, spongy, and square-shaped pieces served with chutney. There’s never a wrong time to eat Dhokla. You can have it for lunch, dinner, as a side dish, in the main course, or for breakfast. You can also serve it to your guests as snacks with tea. To add rich flavors and a delicious aroma to Dhokla, give a Tadka of curry leaves, mustard, and cumin seeds. Made of chickpeas and fermented rice, every food-lover must try Dhokla in Gujarat.
2. Gathiya
Another most famous food of Gujarat that’s gained popularity in different states is Gathiya. These besan snacks are made of chickpea flour and are deep-fried until they achieve a dark yellow color. Unlike most snacks, Gathiya doesn’t lose its soft texture after being deep-fried. You can also find variations of this evening snack. Sweet Gathiya is a popular alternative to the salty version. Have a handful of these with your morning or evening tea and enjoy Gujarat's rich and soft flavors.
3. Thepla
Like thin Parathas served for breakfast, Theplas are flatbreads made of fenugreek leaves, gram flour, and many spices. Your trip to Gujarat is incomplete without Thepla. Once you get a taste of it, we are sure you will want to try it at home. They taste even more delicious when served with tea during monsoon. If you are craving something salty and spicy, try it with Aam ka Achar. Theplas are mostly made of Methi (fenugreek seeds), but if you are craving variety, Spinach and Raddish are your best options.
4. Undhiyu
This one is a mixed vegetable served with hot Rotis. Undhiyu is the winter-special Gujarati cuisine cooked in an inverted clay pot, also called Undhu, hence the name. The recipe includes chickpea, eggplant, banana, potatoes, and green peas; you can add more according to your taste. All these food items are cooked on low flame with coconut, buttermilk, and a variety of spices. It can also be served with puris. In fact, Undhiyu with Puri and Shrikhand is considered a perfect combination for Gujarati weddings.
5. Khandvi
Khandvi is a delicious blend of gram flour and buttermilk seasoned with black sesame seeds and wrapped in soft and thin layers. These rolled-up scrumptious evening snacks taste sweet and salty. Khandvi is garnished with curry leaves and cumin, giving it a taste that no food lover can say no to. It’s also famous in Maharashtra. While the dish is simply irresistible, it’s not easy to cook. Getting perfect consistency is something only a professional Gujarati cook can achieve. If you ever visit Surat or Ahmedabad, order Khandvi for breakfast.
6. Jalebi Fafda
If you are a TMKOC fan, you may have craved Jalebi Fafda at some point. Who hasn’t? Watching the lead character order plenty of Jalebi Fafda, every foodie has wanted to taste it. And, what could be a better place to taste it than Gujarat — the origin of this delicious morning snack? This street food is known for its sweet flavors that give it a scrumptious taste and tangy flavors. Filled with sweetness, Jalebi Fafda is a wonderful combination. You may already have tried Jalebi, but it is tastier when combined with the crunchy Fafda made of turmeric and gram flour.
7. Khichdi
Unlike normal Khichdi, there’s something about Gujarati Khichdi that makes it incredibly delicious. There’s a reason why it’s called the national food of India. It is light, healthy, filled with many nutrients, and super yummy. In Gujarat, locals prepare their own Khichdi version with cereals, rice, Ghee, and vegetables — all of which give it flavors that can satisfy all taste buds.
8. Khaman
Khaman and Dhokla are the two terms used interchangeably. Khaman has a soft and spongy texture, just like Dhokla, but is made of chana flour. It contains a high amount of soda, which gives it a fluffier texture and a strong aroma. What makes it special is the hints of salty and sweet flavors that melt in your mouth as you take a bite. You must try Khaman at a Gujarati restaurant if you are looking for Gujarat’s famous foods. You can also learn its recipe from locals.
9. Handvo
Add this another delicious and famous dessert of Gujarat to your must-try cuisines. Handvo is a savory cake made of fermented rice and lentils, which are baked and then pan-fried until they achieve a soft texture and a brownish color. It’s a mixture of different vegetables with crushed peanuts. It looks similar to Dhokla, but the taste is completely different. A special pressure cooker is used for cooking Handvo, and the recipe is given an oil tadka with cumin seeds, and curry leaves to add rich flavors.
10. Dabeli
Have you tried Vada Pav in Maharashtra? Well, Dabelis is the Vada Pav’s Gujarati version. Texture-wise, both are the same, but Dabeli tastes slightly different. Popular in Kutch, this delicious snack is street food and is mainly consumed with evening tea. Inside these buns, the chefs add a filling consisting of sev, peanuts, chutney, pomegranate, Dabeli masala, and spices.
11. Lilva Kachori
A perfect evening snack, Lilva Kachodi is a monsoon-special tea-time dish served with chutney and coffee. These kachoris are made of flours and filled with Gujarat-special filling, including pigeon peas. You can prepare Kachori dough using white flour, fill it with pigeon peas or another filling of your choice, shape them into balls, and deep-fry. Serve it with a sweet or green chutney with a cup of hot tea. Lilva Kachori makes a delicious evening snack for guests, too.
12. Sev Tameta Nu Shak
If you are craving something light for dinner but delicious, this Gujarati cuisine will satisfy your hunger pangs. Your kids are going to love this too. As the name suggests, this recipe consists of sev, tomato, and spices that give this dinner-recipe sweet and tangy taste. You can also make sev tamatar nu shak by sauteing tomato and diced onions in oil and then cooking them at low flame until the ingredients are mixed well. Sprinkle coriander and sev on the top for garnishing.
13. Gujarati Kadhi
If you have ever tasted a Gujarati thali, you know how Gujarati meals are incomplete without this simple, light, and delicious cuisine. This is another famous Gujarati food in Ahmedabad and Surat that gives you both a salty and sweet flavor in every bite. It’s a white Kadhi featuring the sweetness of jaggery. This spicy and sweet combo tastes even better when you add pakodas to the thin soup-like dish. It’s a perfect recipe for summer. Gujarati Kadhi is served with hot chapatis and plain rice.
14. Mohanthal
Every Gujarati woman adds special flavors to this traditional, Gujarat-special sweet dish. Mohanthal is prepared with sweetened gram flour and garnished with cardamoms and nuts. You will find Mohanthal made in nearly every household since it’s considered Lord Krishna’s favorite delicacy and is often served to guests in Janmashtami. Usually, the dessert is prepared during festivals and when you have guests at home, but it also makes a perfect recipe for sweet cravings. The recipe is very simple and requires only a few ingredients, making it the most delicious dessert in Gujarat.
15. Khichu
This smooth and sticky dish of Gujarat is local street food, served mostly during Navaratri. You can find it at stalls near the Garba venues. This dough is steamed with green chilies, cumin seeds, etc. Groundnut oil is used for seasoning. This takes the taste of this gooey Gujarati recipe to a new level. If you don’t like rice flour, you can make Khichu with Nachani and Bajri flour too. Children love the smooth and sticky texture of Khichu. This is a perfect winter snack and is popular during Gujarati festivals.
16. Gota
India’s famous Pakodas are cooked with different spices and in unique ways in all states. Gujarat is not an exception. Gujarat has its own version of Pakodas. The chefs prepare this yummy, spicy, and monsoon-perfect snack with Methi and Besan combo. Gota is a traditional Gujarati recipe that’s especially famous in Holi. You can serve it with sweet chutney made of tamarind and dates or with tomato ketchup. If you love Pakodas, you should definitely try the Gujarati Gota. This street food can be found at any food stall. Served with green chutney or a meethi chutney, Gota and Chai make a wonderful combination during monsoon.
17. Gujiya
Gujiya is another festival-special Gujarati food that’s famous during Holi and other festivals. The dough is filled with sweetness and is deep-fried till it turns golden. In Gujarat, it is called Ghughra. People concerned about their health can try the baked version of this sweet dish to taste the most delicious and flavorful recipe without increasing their calorie count.
18. Khakhra
Another popular evening snack that originated in Gujarat and became popular in all parts of India is Khakra. The crunchiness of Khakra, combined with its salty flavors, can satisfy every foodie's taste buds. It is another variety of flatbreads that’s considered a Jain cuisine and is prepared with wheat flour and mat bean. You can have it with tamarind and date chutney or a spicy chutney made of coriander and green chilies. Khakra also tastes delicious when served with pickles. Have Khakras for breakfast or an evening snack with a cup of tea.
19. Basundi
You may think Gujarat is all about sweet dishes, and that’s true. Basundi is one such Rabdi-like dessert that’s served on special occasions in Gujarat. The boiled condensed milk is combined with grapes, apples, and other delicious flavors to prepare Basundi. If you have had Rabdi in North India or other states, Basundi is the same, except the flavors are tastier and different from the usual Rabdi and Falooda.
20. Murghanu Shaak
For all non-vegetarians out there, Gujarat doesn’t disappoint when it comes to spicy non-veg dishes. The Murghanu Shaak is a delicious blend of potatoes, chicken, and drumsticks that give this recipe a tangy flavor. The chicken is marinated with yogurt, oil, and chili powder and is then cooked in oil. You can prepare the gravy with garam masala, onions, garlic, and ginger, and add other vegetables that suit your taste. The Murghanu Shaak is a Gujarati-style chicken dish rich in strong spices and tangy flavors. Once you taste this chicken curry, you are going to crave more of this every day.
21. Surati Ghari
Named after its popularity in Surat, this Surati dessert is a popular sweet prepared during Chandani Padva. The dish dates back to the 18th century when it was prepared by the chefs of Tatya Tope, a famous freedom fighter, just to give strength to the soldiers who participated in the war at that time. The round-shaped Ghari comes with sweet fillings that taste amazing and are prepared with ghee, puri, and milk.
Conclusion
These were only a few famous foods of Gujarat that foodies enjoy here. We haven’t mentioned Doodhpak, Chorafali, and many other Gujarat delicacies that will leave you wanting more. When you are in Surat, Gandhi Nagar, or Kutch, order the above dishes to savor Gujarat’s sweetness. The state's specialty is its combination of tangy, sour, and sweet flavors that you can taste in every bite.
