Chalo Jamva
February 2016 By Naini Setalvad Gujarati food is predominantly vegetarian, and offers a wide range of flavours with intelligent usage of myriad ingredients that are equally good for health, says Naini Setalvad Being a Gujarati, if there is one statement I have heard a million times, it is ‘Chalo jamva’, which means ‘let’s eat’. The Gujaratis are known the world over for their elaborate cooking, the highlights of which are delicately spiced curries, and a myriad forms of breads, pickles, chutneys, savouries, and drinks. No wonder food is a central part of their lives. Conversations at breakfast revolve around what to make for lunch, at lunch on what to make for tea, and at tea on what to make for dinner. A popular Gujarati saying goes: Cha bagdi toh savaar bagdi, dal bagdi toh divas bagdo, athaanu bagdu toh varas bagdu. (If the tea is not perfect the morning is spoilt, if the dal is not perfect the day is spoilt, and if the pickle is not perfect, the whole year is spoilt). Though they have a widespread coastal area, the Gujaratis are predominately vegetarian, except for the Kharwa community from the coastal area which eats fresh and dried fish like the pomfret, surmai, crabs and even calamari. Unfortunately, a lot of Gujarati snacks and savouries are deep fried, such as chakri, sev, ghatias, batata wada, and methi na gota. Your average Gujarati can have this ad infinitum at breakfast, lunch, teatime, and dinner. But that’s only one side of the picture. There is a healthier side to Gujarati food. A Guajarati’s staple food every day is roti, dal, rice, vegetable, pickle and chass (buttermilk) served on a steel or a silver platter. An elaborate Gujarati thali consists of kachumber salad, green chutney, raw mango pickle, a sweet date chutney, a piece of lemon, marinated raw turmeric root in lemon and salt, at least two vegetables, roti and rice, plus dal or kadhi (yoghurt curry) and papad. The meal ends with buttermilk as a digestive followed by a paan (beetal leaf) and some mukhvas (mouth freshener). Most dishes are sprinkled with coriander and grated coconut. On occasions, a farsan (savoury) or sweets like shrikhand, mohantal, sheera, are part of the meal. Like Bengali food, most Gujarati vegetable preparations have a touch of sweetness. A typical dinner consists of khichdi (mung dal with rice) with buttermilk and pickle on the side, or bhakri (thick wheat or bajri roti) drizzled with ghee, accompanied by a vegetable dish or curds, or thepla (a thin wheat roti made with spices, fenugreek leaves and curd). Gujaratis fast on many days, during which they consume only milk, curd, dry fruits and nuts, or preparation made with grain substitutes such as sama (barnyard millet), sabudana (sago) and rajgira (amaranth). With the onset of time, this simple fare is often set aside for the piquant temptations of junk food such as vada pav, pav bhaji, bhel, sev puri, pani puri, or pasta, leading to numerous health issues. And yet, Gujarati food like any traditional Indian food has amazing nutritive value if partaken of judiciously. Gujarati cuisine has a separate range of food for summer and winter, in order to help the body cope with different temperatures. Summer foods Raw mango pickle which is mixed with rock salt (has 83 trace minerals), and red chilies, high in vitamin C Kachumber salad made of cucumber, onions, coriander and tomato. Water-based vegetables like gourds (white, snake, bitter, bottle) pumpkin, which are easy to digest and cooling in summers. Tur dal (pigeon peas), moong dal or mango curry which is a good source of protein. Yoghurt and buttermilk, which are cooling Aamras (mango juice) with sonth (dry ginger powder). Dhoklas made of urad dal (split black gram) and rice, or khandvi (chickpea flour with curd, turmeric and some oil) or patra (colocassia leaves with chickpea flour, steamed and tempered with oil). They are gluten-free steamed savories low in glycemic index. Whole wheat rotis, a good source of carbohydrate. Steamed rice, a gluten-free source of good carbohydrate. Cow’s ghee, an essential fat that aids digestion, improves memory and prevents joint pains. Peanut oil, a good poly-unsaturated fat as a cooking medium in summers Good old tea with lemon grass, ginger, mint, milk and jaggery – a great pick-me-up packed with antioxidents. Chivdas, murmura, khakhras as low fat snacks Aam panna or keri bafla as a drink prevents dehydration and sunstrokes As soon as temperatures lower, a whole new menu appears on the dinner table. Out go the cooling foods and anxious mothers advice children to ‘drink the raab, eat the khajur paak, it is cold, your body needs them!’ I never valued these words until I studied nutrition. Now, these golden words are etched in my mind. Winter foods Fruits – Oranges, grapes, Indian gooseberry (awalah) and guavas Drinks – a ) Raab which is a hot drink made of gunder, ganthoda and dry coconut.) Ukala, which is a warm drink made from green tea leaves, tea masala, sweetened with jaggery, water and milk. Haldi milk (turmeric powder in milk) Soonth peepramul milk (ginger powder in milk) Kesar/badam doodh (saffron and almond) added to milk, sweetened with sugar; organic honey could be used as a substitute. Spicy mango pickle seasoned with red chili powder, rock salt, fenugreek seeds and marinated in sesame or mustard oil. Turmeric root and mango marinated in lemon juice and rock salt. Mustard seeds coarsely ground with green chilly pieces and rock salt. Marinated fresh pepper corns in lemon and salt – improves digestion, prevents mucus formation. Yams – excellent source of B1, B6 and folic acid. Sweet potatoes – excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, manganese, copper, B1, B6 and dietary fiber. Tur daana/green popta (fresh lentils of pigeon peas, green gram) – vegetarian protein. Pearl millet – (bajri) gluten-free grain. Fresh sorghum seeds – (ponkh) gluten-free grain. Aradiya, methi paak, khajur paak– healthy sweets that give energy Vegetables – leafy greens, brinjal, cauliflower, cabbage, carrot, radish and green, red mogri Cow’s ghee – Essential fat that aids digestion, improves memory and prevents joint pains Lotus stem seeds–(makhana) roasted with rock salt in cow’s ghee. Sesame seeds – good for knee pain, joint pain, and high in calcium Tea made with lemon grass, ginger, mint milk and jaggery – a great pick-me-up packed with antioxidants. Peanuts – Quality fat which is low in glycemic index and excellent to snack on. Almonds – good quality fat, low in glycemic index and excellent to snack on. Ganthoda – Regular consumption of ganthoda helps relieve the respiratory tract. Gunder- eases nerve and back pain. White butter- lubricates joints, aids digestion This is your typical Guajarati food. You can’t go wrong if you stick to the basics and reserve the fries for an occasional treat. Tuvar danna pulao (fresh green pigeon peas and rice) Ingredients 100 gms rice (unpolished) 200 gms tuvar danna 20 gms fresh green garlic 1/2 tsp cinnamon and clove powder (dalchini and lavang) 1/2 cup chopped coriander (dhaniya) 1/2 lemon juice 1/4 tsp cumin seed (jeera) 400 ml water Salt to taste Method Soak the rice for an hour. Take ghee in a wok and heat it. Add cumin and as it splutters put green garlic and cook for 2 seconds. Then add cinnamon and clove powder and tuvar danna and allow it to cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the soaked rice, water and salt and cook till it becomes soft. Garnish it with chopped coriander Put lemon juice just before serving and serve hot. Fajeto (mango yoghurt curry) Ingredients 1/4 cup fresh mango pulp 1 cup curds (dahi) 1 tbsp besan (bengal gram flour) 1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi) 1 tbsp jaggery (gur) salt to taste 2 cups water For seasoning 2 sticks cinnamon (dalchini) 2 to 3 cloves (laung/lavang) 1/4 tsp dried ginger powder (sonth) 1 tbsp oil 3/4 tsp mustard seeds (rai) 1/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) 2 to 3 small round red chillies (boriya mirch) 1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing) 6 to 8 curry leaves (kadi patta) Method Mix the mango pulp, curd, besan, salt, jaggery and water. Combine the cinnamon, cloves and dry ginger powder and pound into a coarse powder. Keep aside. Heat the oil in a deep pan and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the red chillies, asafoetida, curry leaves and the pounded spices. Sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes. Add the curd-mango mixture and put the ginger chili paste, mix well and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Serve hot with rotis or rice. Bio: Naini Setalvad is a nutritionist, specialising in lifestyle and immunity disorders. Her foundation, Health For You, throws light on healthy food habits.
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