Corn and Coriander Panki n Methia Keri ~Indian State Gujarat

Corn and Coriander Panki with Methia Keri

Today lets have some Gujarati food. Yes its Gujarat's turn in the Blogging Marathon.

As always let see what Wikipedia( I have mainly used that as my base but some things that I have read elsewhere have crept in) has to say,

Gujarati cuisine is primarily vegetarian.

The typical Gujarati thali consists of roti (rotli in Gujarati), daal or kadhi, rice, sabzi/shaak, papad and chaas (buttermilk). The sabzi is a dish of different combinations of vegetables and spices which may be stir fried, spicy or sweet. People in Gujarat eat one or the other type of curry along with rice and roti. Gujarati dishes usually have a very subtle taste that makes it truly distinct from other Indian cuisines.

 Gujarati cuisine can vary widely in flavour and heat based on personal and regional tastes. North Gujarat, Kathiawad, Kachchh, and South Gujarat are the four major regions of Gujarati cuisine.

  Many Gujarati dishes are simultaneously sweet, salty like Vegetable Handva, and spicy. Guajarati or people from Gujarat are foodies (If I did not know it my two trips to Ahmadabad have confirmed what I always suspected) and you wind amazing varieties of food. It should therefore not be a surprise that Gujarati cuisine differs from season to season depending on the availability of vegetables.

Spices also vary seasonally. For example, garam masala is used less in summer. Regular fasting, with diets limited to milk, dried fruit, and nuts, is a common practice.

Talk Gujarati food and not have undiu, thepla, gathiya or farsan? 

Rasatle Fov or Pohe In Coconut Milk (Savoury)~ Indian State Goa

Rascche Fov/Rasatle Fov~Goan Cuisine

I have the unique status as a Kanadiga married to a Maharstrian but the person considers himself to be a Goan!

 So in the blogging Marathon today we are at Goa.

 Some of you may have ideas about Goa ! Goa is beach, sun, Carnival and drinks but as a resident I see Goa quite differently I am trying to share that here. Maybe this article is to make myself understand the similarities in all our customs where the moral of the story is victory of good over bad!

A Mermaid a Landmark  in Panaji, Goa

There is plenty said on Goa, its cuisine but do you know how Diwali is celebrated in Goa? The similarities and differences with the customs in Maharashtra and in Karnataka. 

Diwali is celebrated on 5 different days some have the celebration from the Dhanteras but in Maharashtra it starts with Vasubars, a day before, on this day the cow and calf are worshiped.

The next day, is Dhanteras where we purchase gold etc. in Karnataka it is also called as “Neer Tumbo Habba” the festival of filling water.  It used to be quite a sight all the big utensils in which water was stored used to be washed and before refilling slaked lime and vermilion used to decorate them.  They looked so beautiful!!

I still remember when I was small my Mama, Madhu mama was posted in a small town called Harihar. Water was heated for bathing in a huge wood fired pot. This pot was enclosed in a structure that was built with bricks and cement. Only the opening of the pot was visible and water was poured in/out through this opening.  Wow the water used to be super hot….. Anyway I remember Mami emptying the pot to wash it. How she washed it I d not know must have scrubbed it with the coconut scrubber and ash.  The typical cleaners then, economical and ecofriendly!!

There is the sky lamp or the akash kandil is hung and the rows of lights are lit in the evening.

 Day 2 is Narakchaturdashi!! This is the night when the demon Narkasur was slayed by Krishna and he returned in the wee hours of dawn.  To help him to find his way Rukmini his divine consort lit lamps. On Krishna‘s safe return she was so happy that she performed “aarti”!

The tradition is followed even today in Karnataka. As kids we used to wake up early at around 5 am, lit a few lights and “aarti” was performed. This was followed by abhangya sanan or bath, new clothes donned and eating of the sweets that Amma had made. In between we managed to distribute the trays of sweets to neighbours.

In Goa however there are effigies made and then they are burnt in the wee hours of the mornings. Then in the morning there is an abhangay sanan, aarti and eats made form fov or beaten rice.  (More about fov later let’s finish Diwali and its many festivities first)  Evening is meant for Laxmipuja in case there is murath and visiting friends and relatives. Feasting and enjoying.

Day 3 its Padwa it commemorates the defeat of the King Bali at the hands of Lord Vishnu in the form of Vaman.  This is the day when Bali returns to earth for one day.

Then its day 4 where the brothers and sisters come together to celebrate. Bhau beej or Bhiaya Dooj.  On this day the brother visits the sister and the sister puts tilak on him, performs aarti, feed his different delicacies. The brother on his part promises to take care of her safety and well-being.

Actually in Karnataka we have another day which is called "Akkain Tadgi" the sister gifts the brothers. ( Even then it was not a oneway traffic)! But now this is rarely celebrated.

This may the end of Diwali for this is the last day of festivities.  The   Aakash Kandil and the lamps are put away. The   leftover sweets and savouries are finished. Then the wait starts for the next Diwali!

Not so in Goa we continue till " Tulsi Vivvah" its called "Vali Diwali" Vali meaning Big!

So what do you do on Diwali day? What are the rituals that are  followed in your part of the world? Do you have some traditions that are a must do?

 But wait I have said that in Goa we have fov. Fov is Pohe or beaten rice. We have different kinds of fov made.  This is our spread!

Diwali che Fov /Diwali Spread

Aloo Tikki Chaat~Union Teritorry Delhi

Chaliye aaj hum Dili chale… Come let’s go to Delhi the National Capital Territory of India is a metropolitan region in India.

 Do you know that Delhi has been continuously inhabited since the 6th century BC? Through most of its history, Delhi has served as a capital of various kingdoms and empires. It has been captured, ransacked and rebuilt several times, particularly during the medieval period, and the modern Delhi is a cluster of a number of cities spread across the metropolitan region. This is why Delhi is sometimes called the City of cities.

As India's national capital and centuries old Mughal capital, Delhi influenced the food habits of its residents and is where Mughlai cuisine  originated.

Along with Indian cuisine, a variety of international cuisines are popular among the residents.

The dearth of food habits among the city's residents created a unique style of cooking which became popular throughout the world, with dishes such as Kebab, biryani, tandoori. The city's  classic dishes include Butter chicken, Aloo Chaat, chaat, dahi vada,  kachori,chole bhature, jalebi and lassi.

The fast living habits of Delhi's people has motivated the growth of street food outlets. A trend of dining at local dhabas is popular among the residents. High profile restaurants have gained popularity in recent years. 

The Gali Paranthe Wali (the street of fried bread) is a street in Chandni Chowk particularly for food eateries. Almost the entire street is occupied by fast food stalls or street vendors. It has nearly become a tradition that almost every prime minister of India has visited the street to eat paratha at least once.

Fara(Phara)~Indian State Chhattisgarh

Fara(Phara)~Chhattisgarh Cuisine

Today we see Chhattisgarh on our Blogging Marathon journey round India, a state in Central India.

There are  beliefs that Chhattisgarh takes its name from the 36 pillars of Chhatishgarhin Devi temple (chhattis means "36" and garh means "fort")  or that it  is the corrupted form of Chedisgarh which means Raj or "Empire of the Chedis" (Kalchuri Dynasty).

The states northern and southern parts of the state are hilly, while the central part is a fertile plain. The central part of the state lies in the fertile upper basin of the Mahanadi River and its tributaries. This area has extensive rice cultivation. The rivers make The State of Chhattisgarh is known as the rice bowl of Central India and has a rich tradition of food culture.

Most of the traditional and tribal foods are made of rice and rice flour, curd and a variety of green leafy vegetables like lal bhaaji, chowlai bhaji, chech bhaji, kaanda bhaji, kochai patta, kohda and bohar bhaji.

Badi and Bijori are optional food categories; gulgula (bobra), bidiya, dhoodh fara, bafauli, kusli, balooshahi and khurmi fall in sweet categories.

Some famous breakfast dishes made out of rice & rice flour include fara/muthiya (rice rolls in white sauce), angakar roti, chousera roti (rice puri's),etc. One of the common meal had during the scorching summer is Bore Baasi (literally means dipped rice from last cooked meal) which mainly consists of cooked rice dipped water/dahi/buttermilk. It is mostly accompanied by pickle and raw onion. It helps maintain the water levels in the body, keeping it cool and hydrated during the hot and arid summer days.

The tribal and village population enjoys delicacy brew made of small, creamy white fruit of a local tree called Mahuwa.