Page 16 - Seniorstoday October 2022 Issue

Food
Hitting the sweet spot —
Gujarati cuisine
Malti Gaekwad cooks up a mouth-watering food journey which forms an
intrinsic component of Gujarati cuisine
Indian food and the variety it has, has always
been an interesting subject with foodies across
the world. The huge diversity of our country
in its terrain and agricultural output itself
contribute largely to the variety we see in our
local and basic food. Firstly there is a north-
south divide. The majority of North Indians
are wheat eaters whereas the Southern States
consume more of rice. From these two major
regions emerged many tasty dishes. Which
were initially meant to provide a staple
nutrition. Adding spice and flavours to the
original spread, of the various influences of
the invaders, mainly Mughal (not so much the
British.)
We know that it is rich Mughlai cuisine
which has left a lasting impact on Indian food
probably for the better. Another influence is
seen coming from the many Royal kitchens
that dotted our vast country. Each Royal
family prided itself in having its own
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signature dishes which are now reaching the
common Indian, largely through Heritage
hotels and their restaurants.
As communities we may be stickers for our
own food be it aloo paratha or chhole bhature
for a Punjabi and idli sambar for a Tamilian.
In an individual capacity we are opening
up to trying different foods as we travel and
explore through the country and outside it
too.
Thaali is a popular thing and easy to order
especially when we travel. It provides a
balanced, nutritious meal along with a variety
of things. Best for an “on the move” busy
person who doesn’t want to waste time on
deciding what to order. In the Western parts
of our country the popularity of a thaali is the
highest. The Gujarati thaali features at the top
as the choice even outside Gujarat. Obviously
the best thaali is available in Ahmedabad and
Vadodara.