Veggie's the way to be

Food…flavors… lingering taste of food from different states… Aren’t these the first that come to mind when one thinks of India. The mouthwatering flavors from across this land unified in its diversity are sought by one and all. Steaming stuffed paranthas from Punjab to the pav bhaji in Mumbai streets which makes you drool over it, there’s no dearth of flavors, spices and variety in our country when we think of food. And if the west looks up to India for its delicacies, guess it respects this country more for giving it the biggest gift of Indian Vegetarian food. We are busy aping the west, but the world is now looking at the vegetarian foods and their health benefits that have been an integral part of Indian cuisine. So if a Nizam’s legacy attracts a foreigner towards Hyderabad with its world-famous biryani, would a dhokla and khakra from Gujarati cuisine be left far behind. In fact, Gujarati food has become a rage across the globe as it’s not only appetizing but also light on calories.

The traditional Gujarati food is primarily vegetarian and has very high nutritional value. I’m sure almost all of us have eaten the lip smaking Gujarati thali sometime. And even if you haven’t been fond of eating salt and sweet together, this wonderfully blended combination in this cuisine would make you crave for it more. Gujarati cuisine has a tremendous variety to offer and what’s more appetizing is that each dish has an absolutely different style of cooking. Some are stir fried, while others boiled; all in all a perfect combination of taste and nutritional value. This food is generally served on a silver platter. This exotic cuisine is a combination of different spices and flavours and a thali would usually include rotli, dal or kadhi, sabzi also known as shaak and rice.

But can Indian Vegetarian food ever be lip smacking? Many people have this notion that food would only be delicious if meat is the core ingredient. Sadly, this isn’t always true. And Gujarati dishes which have a very subtle and distinct taste prove that palatability satisfaction can be attained with vegetarian foods also.

The best part of a Gujarati kitchen is its hygiene. Lot of emphasis is laid on maintaining hygiene while cooking both on a domestic level as well as on commercial platforms. Most Gujarati dishes are sweet, and may have a large concentration of sugar as compared to salt and spices. This food is highly energy efficient saving onto a big amount of natural resources. Homemade pickles, chhaas (buttermilk) and salad are staple while a main course would include steamed vegetables and dal. The food may vary every season depending on the availability of fresh vegetables. The cuisine attracts a large youth population as it has kept pace with times and offers fusion food combining traditional Gujarati food with western foods. So don’t be surprised if you find a new version of Gujarati dosa or burger which is 100 per cent vegetarian as well as very low on calories, thus giving you the best fusion food you’d want to satiate your taste buds as well as maintain that size zero figure!