MY CITY

“Gujarati food symbolises Navras,” says author Esther David.

Ibelieve food and language tell us who we are and from where we come? It opens doors to traditions, rituals, beliefs and life. In the late nineties, when I researched for my novels, it opened two doors for me, one was about the architectural heritage of Ahmedabad and the other was Gujarati food. Today, as Gujaratis’ are experimenting with a variety of regional Indian food, fusion food, Thai, Mexican, Chinese, Italian and are taking an interest in world cuisine, it is heartening to know that they still prefer to have at least one Gujarati meal a day.

For me, Gujarati food means going down memory lane. The memory, which is still fresh in my mind is the tangy flavour of sweet-sour or khati-meethi dal and kadhi, which non-Gujaratis and tourists find too sweet. When it comes to the taste of the ultimate Gujarati dal, the reference point is always Chandravilas Hotel, which was a popular eatery in the sixties. It is said that even before you reached the busy Gandhi road, the fragrance of dal hit you. It is said thirty eight ingredients went into its making and once you ate it with rice, the flavour lingered on to your fingertips for hours.

The Chandravilas thali dates back to the year 1900 and was one of Ahmedabad’s first thali restaurants. In 2002, Chandravilas was destroyed in a fire, but is still well known for its delicious snacks, tea and jalebis. Since then, thali restaurants have now become part of Gujarat’s food culture. Most thalis are incomplete without farsan; like khaman, khandvi, kachori, cutlets, sev-roll, mini- samosas, sandwich dhokla, dahiwada, jacket potatoes in gravy, lentils, vegetables, bhakri, bajri rotlas, puris, dal, kadhi, rice or khichdi with a drizzle of ghee, papad, pickles, chaas, butter, onion rings, green chillies and slivers of lemon. Sweets vary from jalebi, shrikhand, doodhpak, gulabjamuns, fruit-salad to mini malpuvas. Gujarati’s are also known for their fetish for aamras which is often served during summer months. In most Gujarati homes, it is traditionally served with ghee soaked saat-padi-rotlis or piping hot puris with dhoklas and mint chutney.

Another important food culture of the city is that strangers make friends easily by offering each other kadak meethi chai, even if it is fifty-fifty-cutting. Gujarati food symbolises the navras or the nine flavours of life, which make it beautiful with its various colours— rang, roopa and swad which creates an incredible palette.

Esther David is aJewish-Indian author and artist.