We had a rare opportunity to visit Gujarat about a year ago. A cousin and his family invited us over.
On our way to Kolkata, my husband and I first went to Delhi for a few days, and then flew to Rajkot in the Westernmost state bordering Pakistan. From there, the cousin picked us up from the airport, and drove us to Jamnagar – a small city famous for the royal palace and fort of a famous British-era prince Raja Ranjit Singh.
Gujarat is a place that has a number of unique features. One important feature is that unlike many other places in India, the state is almost exclusively vegetarian. Mahatma Gandhi spent most of his life in Gujarat, and built a hermitage here that is now a tourist resort. He was a strict vegetarian, and vegetarianism runs deep among the Gujratis.
My cousin and his family – although Bengalis – sort of culturally transformed to adapt to the language and lifestyle of the state, having lived there for many years. Their only son who is about eleven or twelve barely speaks Bangla. He goes to a Gujarati-medium middle school.
Cousin and his wife were very happy to have us, and we spent a week in Gujarat. They took us around to visit several cities in a rental car. We also drove through the famous Gir National Park forest – it was an uncanny experience to drive through the forest in the middle of the night.
Gujarat is predominantly Hindu, and is famous for its Hindu festivities including the Navaratri. During this fortnight-long celebration Lord Ram and his mythological worshipping of Goddess Durga, people sing and beat their drums, and women and children dance the famous Gujrati communal dance known as Garba. Sometimes, the dance goes on throughout the night and day, nonstop.
And they make, distribute and eat sweets.
On that nightlong trip through the forest, we stopped at small streetside restaurants, and had Gujarat’s signature halwa made of semolina and milk. We saw huge brass urns boiling milk on clay ovens — in the middle of the night. We had paratha and spicy potato curry and chole (chickpea).
In the absence of fish and meat in their diet, Gujaratis are heavily dependent for their protein on milk and milk products, lentils, and different kinds of chickpea recipes are their essential foods. They also dry and crush chickpeas to make flour, out of which delicious dishes are made.
Chole bhature, samosa, kachori, gulab jamun and yogurt are omnipresent across Gujarat. And various kinds of rice and vegetable biryani and pulao are delicacies.
We also visited an exotic sea-beach resort town Diu, which was an exceptionally pleasant trip. Diu was originally a Portuguese colony, and some say even before that, way back when Jesus’ disciple St. Paul came there to establish India’s first church.
We had a beautiful week in Gujarat. A teary-eyed wife of my cousin along with their son said adieu. All of them drove with us to Rajkot airport.
They had never seen an airport before.
Thank you reading. Please enjoy this wonderful recipe!
Chana Masala with Coconut
Ingredients:
One cup dried chickpea
Small cut coconut –one tablespoon
Vegetable oil—3 tablespoons
Cumin seeds whole —1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder –1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder—2 teaspoons
Coriander powder—2 teaspoons
Red chili powder—1/2 teaspoon
Red chili—one
Chopped cilantro leaves –one handful
Red onion –one big finely chopped
One tomato—cut into small pieces
Grated ginger—1 teaspoon
Grated garlic –1 teaspoon
Lime juice –1/2 teaspoon
One bay leaf
Procedure:
First soak the dried chickpea in water and boil until soft.
In a clean pan add oil, let it get heated add the red chili, make it dark then and 1/2 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds add chopped red onion and cut coconuts.
Cook for 2-3 min on medium heat. Add grated ginger and grated garlic and cut tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 min.
Add cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and chili powder. Add boiled chickpeas, cook until the masala separates from the oil. Add ½ cup hot water and break some chickpeas with the spatula. Cook for another 2-3 min on medium heat.
At the end garnish with chopped cilantro leaves, chopped onion and add lime juice.