Gujarat is a peninsula in the Arabian sea teeming with wild life. Many sanctuaries are found here. People here are
very traditional and dressed in vibrant colours.
Milk and butter are also very important in their food habits.
Their food is based on Dals and Lentils, though the Bohras and Khojas have their non-vegetarian cuisine.
The festivals celebrated in this area are the and Sankran and the Devi Pujas. They are
family-oriented people with joint-family system usually prevailing. They
are mostly a business community. They celebrate marriages lavishly and
enjoy life to the fullest.
For Muthias:
1-cup besan (Bengal gram flour)
3/4 cup Hari methi leaves (fenugreek leaves)
1 tsp salt
1tsp chilli powder
Oil for frying
For Curry:
6 medium sized potatoes
3 mediums sized sweet potatoes
3 raw bananas
4-5 round brinjals
100 Gm yam
4-5 big tomatoes (cubes)
100 gm French beans
100gm sem (sheet beans)
4 tbsp till roasted and pounded (sesames)
4 tbsp wet groundnuts
1/4 tsp thymol seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp gram masala
A large pinch of asafoetida
1 tbsp sugar
1/2-grated coconut
3/4" piece ginger (paste)
4-5 green chillies (paste)
1 lemon juice
2tsp salt
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Method:
To make Muthias first mix besan, methi leaves, salt and chilli powder and make a smooth dough with water.
Make small round balls and steam-cook them in a steamer.
Then fry them in oil and keep them aside.Peel bananas, yam and cut them into pieces.
Slit beans, potatoes and brinjals. Soak the groundnuts in water and remove the skin.
Add grated coconut, salt, lemon juice, sugar into green chilli and ginger paste.
Smear some paste mixture on yam and other vegetables that cannot be stuffed.
Stuff the rest of paste in the brinjals and potatoes.
Heat oil in a heavy pan, add thymol seeds, asafoetida and add the cubed tomatoes and
fry for 2minutes and put the rest of the spices and fry the paste for another 3 minutes.
Now add all vegetables and toss well. Simmer on low flame with lid covered. When the vegetables
were nearly cooked then add the fried Muthias and cover for 5 minutes.
Garnish and serve..
FOR OONDHIYA
Heat 6 tbsp oil in a pan. Add Ajwain and
Asafoetida. Add Soda bi-carbonate. Put in all the vegetables. Add
all the masalas to the grated coconut and add to the vegetables. Add
salt and Muthiyas. Cook. Sprinkle lime juice and garnished coriander.
Serve hot.
FOR MUTHIAS Mix the gram flour with Methi leaves and
masala and curd and oil. Add very little water and make a stiff dough.
Make small sausages and deep fry. Keep aside.