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Chai Spice or Cha No Masalo

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February 23, 2016 By Sheetal

1

About Me

Namaste! I am Sheetal and theroute2roots is the journey I have embarked upon to document the local and native foods, the rapidly fading food practices and traditions of Gujarati cuisine. Along the way, I talk about the joys of home cooked foods made using local and seasonal produce...

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Documenting foodways, micro cuisines, hyper local and folk foods of Gujarat; Saveur Finalist

Recently, Purvi @farmingmatters and I participated

Recently, Purvi @farmingmatters and I participated in a workshop aimed at raising awareness about the significance of indigenous seeds, traditional culinary practices, and seed-saving techniques. This workshop was part of a program jointly organized by @wgwlonetwork with support from @rranetwork , designed to strengthen traditional seed systems and promote millets in Gujarat. Purvi has served as the program’s technical advisor since its inception.

We spent two days with women from the Adivasi Bhil tribe of Mahisagar district, talking about the grains they cultivate, how they have moved away from native seeds and traditional farming methods, and the changes in their food culture over time. We gathered knowledge about their traditional foods and I taught them recipes that were outside their usual culinary repertoire.

Roselle, or Khati Bhindi (local name), grows abundantly in the region and the indigenous wisdom makes use of the entire plant. Although its plantation has significantly reduced, it was traditionally cultivated as cattle fodder and for making ropes, with the tender leaves occasionally used to flavor food. The flowers are turned into a tangy sherbet or chutney, which we had the opportunity to taste and learn how to prepare from Dariyaben during the workshop. The vibrant ruby-red roselle chutney, served on a ragi/bavto rotla, was a highlight. Both the leaves and flowers of roselle are rich in medicinal properties, and its seeds are fed to cattle to boost milk production.

The chutney is quite easy to prepare. Start by removing the roselle flower’s sepals from the seed pods and washing them thoroughly. Sauté the sepals in a bit of oil until they become soft and mushy. In the meantime, roughly crush green chilies, ginger, garlic, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, a few black peppercorns, and salt to make a spice paste. Add this paste to the sautéed roselle flowers, cook for a few more minutes, then remove from the heat. Serve the chutney with rotla, bhakhri, or any dish of your choice.

Continued from part 1 For generations, the Padhar

Continued from part 1 For generations, the Padhar community has relied on the જીતેલા/Jitela (or Gheetela/ઘીતેલા), the fruit bulb of these water lilies, as a vital food source. The name “Gheetela” comes from the distinctive taste of the bulb, which is said to resemble a mixture of ghee and oil. The bulbs are filled with thousands of tiny, poppy seed-like seeds, which are rich in fats, proteins, fibre, carbohydrates, calcium, magnesium. Known for their body-cooling properties, these seeds are consumed for both nutritional and medicinal benefits. In Ayurveda, they are used to treat ailments such as cholera, acidity, and fever, and are also believed to aid lactation. The seeds are eaten right out of its pod or collected in a bowl, with salt and chili powder or sugar added according to preference. In some Asian cultures, the practice of popping these seeds is common.

The tuber, or કાંદા (કંદ પરથી)/Kanda, is boiled and eaten as an energy-boosting food. As Samjhuben, a community member, explains, “Eating this gives energy to my body.”

The Padhars’ deep connection to the wetland and its resources reflects a sustainable way of life that has been passed down through generations. Foraging these wild foods not only provides sustenance but also serves as a source of income. For many children in the community, harvesting Gheetela has been a cherished childhood activity. However, it is only the Padhar people who have turned this practice into a livelihood. They have also developed the skill of identifying the right varieties—there are two types of Gheetela: the smaller, sweeter ones, and the larger, slightly bitter ones. Similarly, the sweet tubers can be eaten raw, while the bitter ones are better enjoyed after being cooked.

Continued in comments

Water Lilies and foods they hold… A couple of

Water Lilies and foods they hold…

A couple of years ago I had shared a story on Theg/ થેગ a wild and medicinal food foraged by the Padhar, a primitive tribe living in the villages spread across the banks of Nalsarovar, a wetland region and one of Gujarat’s largest bird sanctuary. The following story also origins in the same region.

Wetlands are vital ecosystems that serve multiple functions: they provide freshwater, food, and building materials, support biodiversity, regulate floods, recharge groundwater, and help mitigate climate change. Their role in supporting both natural environments and human communities makes them indispensable.

The Padhar tribals, who have traditionally lived as hunter-gatherers, have never been farmers. For centuries, they have lived in close harmony with the Nalsarovar wetland, utilising its resources in sustainable ways. They weave tall પાંજ/Paanj grass into mats for shelter, feed their livestock with ગુંદરો/Gundro grass, and rely on the wetland’s resources for fishing, hunting, and foraging.

Each year, around August and September, the natural waterways (or “feeders”) around Nalsarovar become abundant with the leaves of પોયણા/Poyna, or night water lilies, belonging to the ‘Nymphaeaceae’ family. These lilies thrive in areas where rainwater collects and stagnates, making them a common sight in Gujarat’s flooded ponds and water bodies. Unfortunately, the number of such water bodies is dwindling at an alarming rate due to urbanization.

Continued in part 2

Many years ago, a blog post by @sangeetaamkhanna a

Many years ago, a blog post by @sangeetaamkhanna about the tradition of eating Suran/elephant foot yam on Diwali made me curious about similar customs among Gujaratis. I searched for information but found little until a couple of years ago, when a dear friend shared an article from a local daily about how the Bramhakshatriya community in Gujarat celebrates Suran during Diwali. The article detailed various culinary traditions, but the one that captured my interest was સૂરણ શેરડા નું શાક/Suran-Sherda nu Shaak. It also sparked my curiosity about શેરડા/Sherda—what does it mean?

Although I’ve grown up eating suran, I’ve noticed its popularity on decline among urban Gujaratis, especially compared to how it’s enjoyed on fasting days. Therefore, discovering a community that cooks Suran for an entire week deserves to be celebrated, documented, and shared.

Since I am lucky enough to have a very good friend from the Bramhakshatriya community, I thought documenting Suran-Sherda nu Shaak would be easily achievable. However, finding a mutually convenient time to document this shaak has taken two years. I’m grateful to Kanan @pathstotravel and Mihir Lakhia for hosting me and cooking the dish for me to learn and to Yogini auntie (Mihir’s mother) for sharing her insights about this revered dish.

Moving on to the recipe, I searched for the word Sherda in Gujarati Shabdkosh to find its precise meaning. It seems that “Sherda” (the plural form) comes from “Sherdo,” which means a long streak/line or narrow lane (sheri). The colloquial meaning became clear when Kanan started shaping the Sherda dough into ropes.

Suran Sherda nu Shaak is a delicacy made from besan dough rolled into rope-like strings, twisted into spirals, stewed in water, cut into pieces, and then cooked with Suran in a classic Gujarati gor-amli (tamarind-jaggery) curry. For the Bramhakshatriyas, this dish is essential for Diwali and is traditionally enjoyed with વેઢમી/Vedhmi instead of Puran-poli, as Yogini auntie points out. While Puran Poli is usually thin, we prefer ours thick—about વેઢ/knuckle thick (meaning it should be generously filled with Puran); we never skimp on the puran! Recipe in stories.

May our tables always be abundant with nourishing

May our tables always be abundant with nourishing food, and may our hearts be forever filled with humility and gratitude.

The elegant Kansa Kaana Platter @studiocoppre holding the classic Magaz, Mung dal Magaz and Golpapdi ladudis. લાડુડી/lady’s are baby ladoos we make as offering to our deity. I have been awe of seasoned home cooks who are pro at making small batch ladudis every morning as Prasad. Magaz is the Gujarati take on besan laddoo and the first food item we make to welcome Diwali.
#homemadefood #diwali

નવરાત્રી ના વધામણા

નવરાત્રી ના વધામણા

I have been eager to repeat something similar to the Navratri Prasad series @shwetalbhatt and I did in 2020. Last year, I had listed simple parsed recipes to showcase during the festival, but the universe had other plans, and I could not bring the list to life. To Gujaratis, Navratri is synonymous with Garba, a riot of color, divine energy, a seasonal shift, a nip in the air, and festivities. It is hard not to fall in love with this festival that unites its communities.

This year, I have made a list of some sweet and savory Navratri/fasting recipes, or Falahar as we call it. It is time we bring a variety of tubers, certain kinds of gourds, minor millets, and nuts into our diets, scale down on spices and give our digestive system a chance to a-tune itself with the changing season.

One of the most sought-after items on a Falahar plate is the mithai/sweet treat. Halwa and Kheer feature regularly on the menu. Traditionally, a variety of Kheer-made sago pearls, sweet potato, elephant foot yam, purple yam, bottle gourd, andminor millets are made and served with rajgira or singhara puri.

Featured here is doodhi/bottle gourd + sabudana kheer. The seasonal bottle gourd grated in delicate straws provides a vermicelli-like smooth texture to the Kheer, while the sabudana has all the bite.

The simple and elegant Kansa serving bowls from @studiocoppre are perfect to herald the season of festivities, feasting, and fun. Even the small serving bowl featured here is deep enough to hold 5-6 servings. What I liked the most was its easy-to-maintain surface.

In a heavy bottom pan, take 4 cups of full cream milk, add 1/2 cup of grated steamed bottle-gourd, 1/4 cup of soaked sabudana. Cook until the bottle gourd and sabudana are completely cooked; add 1 tablespoon doodh-masala or 1/2 teaspoon green cardamon powder, 1/3 cup sugar, and cook the Kheer for 5-7 more minutes. Remember to stir the Kheer continuously to prevent it from catching the bottom of the pan. Remove from fire, when it comes to room temperature, decant in a serving bowl. Serve at room temperature or chilled. #navratri #festival #falahar #traditionalfood #coppreculinarytrail

Siblings! They are our best friends, rivals, suppo

Siblings! They are our best friends, rivals, support systems, or even sources of annoyance. They share memories, create inside jokes, and sometimes drive each other crazy. It’s a bitter-sweet bond that is unique and special, filled with love and understanding, and when you lose a sibling, you lose a very important part of your childhood. Last year, around this time, I lost my younger brother, my only sibling. The past year has been tough and emotionally exhausting.

A few weeks before his unexpected demise, I had listed the recipes I wanted to share during the next few weeks, the Navratri prasad series and other food stories that were an integral part of our childhood. And this Churmu our pappa made for us was on that list. It was nothing fancy, but it was our go-to snack, and Bhailu (that is what I called him) just loved it. It used to be his lunch-box food and also his after-school snack. A bowl of churmu was enough to brighten him up and return to the business of annoying me through the day. In a kathiyawari household like ours it is common to have a stack of bhakhris (evening bread) as leftovers. Bhakhri and Cha still are the most preferred breakfast/શીરામણ combination in many kathiyawari households.

After the iconic Sumeet mixer grinder arrived at our home, making churmu with the leftover bhakhri was a matter of minutes. And our dad made a large batch of it every day. The same churmu can also be shaped as ladoo (Bhailu’s other favourite food), but that was time-consuming for our overworked father, so churmu it was…

It has taken me a lot of time and emotional energy to share this Churmu recipe with you. These simple foods like sukhdi, gathiya nu shaak, raab, vaghahreli rotli, churmu, sev-tameta… are at the core of our childhood food memories! During the times when packaged snacks or takeaways were not an option (thankful for that), these were the foods that kept us happy for a very long time!

Featured here is Churmu in Bhailu’s school lunchbox dated 1977, the lunchbox that has his name Vishal Chauhan inscribed on it!

Memories of life before Maggi 2 minutes noodles!

Memories of life before Maggi 2 minutes noodles!

For each of us, some foods take us down memory lane, rustling up memories otherwise nestled in some corner of our overstressed minds. To me, ‘Gathiya nu Shaak’ is one such dish. It reminds me of my Ba (Dadi). Back then, growing up in a large joint family, we weren’t allowed to fuss over food and eat all kinds of vegetables, but there were times when we did not like the shaak/dry vegetable dish on the menu and wished to escape eating it. These were the times Ba came to our rescue. I distinctly remember some hungry after-school afternoons… me grumbling, mummy instructing me to eat whatever was made for lunch, and Ba coming to my rescue, instructing in a soft murmur to sneak out, “Get some Gathiya from the storeroom; I’ll make you Gathiya nu Shaak/sabzi.” Our Kathiyawari family always had a steady supply of Bhavnagari Gathiya (considered the best Gathiya), so to rustle up this dish was easy. This was before Maggi – the 2-minute noodle-encroached on the market and urban homes. Gathiya nu Shaak was our version of Maggi. A quick and easy dish to make I remember making it when I was a 6th grader. All one needs is some Gathia, regular spices, and water. Sometimes Ba also added her spicy, freshly pounded Garlic chutney to the shaak to add that instant spicy kick to the dish!

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