Some great Indian dishes that most non-Indians don’t know about.

Some great Indian dishes that most non-Indians don’t know about.

Let me introduce you to some of the dishes from my state of Gujarat. I am from Surat, which is a city in the southern part of Gujarat.

There is a famous saying in India, “Surat nu jaman, ane Kashi nu maran”. This means that if a person has had a meal in Surat and was in Kashi for his death, he has attained the ultimate experience for his soul. That is how much of an importance food plays in the city of Surat.

• Undhiyu - Mixed vegetable Dish that is cooked in a pot that is fired from the top instead of bottom. ‘Undhu’ literally means upside down. It has Purple Yams, potatoes, Sweet potatoes, Brinjal, a vegetable called ‘Papdi’ which is somewhat like edamame, a fried dumpling ‘Muthiya’ which is made of chickpea flour and methi; and various spices. It is served with a fried bread called “poori” and a curd based sweet dish called ‘Shrikhand’. It is the ultimate winter food for most Surtis.

• Aam Raas: Mango is the king of all fruits in India and the summer season is no less than a Mango - festival, especially in our region. Aam ras is a sweet dish made from mango pulp is a quintessential part of the summer meals in Gujarat.

• Gujarati Thali: If you were to experience all of Gujarat in one meal, it has to be a thali. The variety will overwhelm you, intrigue you and will surely keep you wanting for more.

• Khaman: This is soul food for the Gujarati’s. It is snack/breakfast item that is made from soaked and freshly ground channa (chickpea) dal or channa flour and then steamed.

• Patra ni Machi: This is a dish famously attributed to the Parsi people from the Gujarat region. It is a fish coated with a vibrant green chutney made from fragrant herbs, spices and coconut and then steamed wrapped in a banana leaf.

• Surti Locho: Steamed gram flour batter with spices and oil\butter, topped with sev and onions

• Surti Ghari: Ghari is a sweet Gujarati dish from Surat, Gujarat . Ghari is made of puri batter, milk 'mawa', ghee and sugar - made into round shapes and deep fried. It is then coated with layer of ghee and allowed to set.

• Surat Egg Specialties: This is something that is really special about Surat. You will not find the same taste of egg dishes anywhere in the world, I promise you that. It predominantly street food and they serve around 100 variety of eggs. MUST TRY!

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