Ways with Wheat, understanding how Gujaratis eat wheat

Gujarat is know for one of the best wheat indigenous wheat varieties of our country. Bhal, a  small region in central Gujarat grows the non irrigated Bhalia or Dhaudkhani wheat. Non-irrigated because they are cultivated on conserved soil moisture.  In spite of the fact that wheat is cultivated in very small part of Gujarat, the manner in which it has grown to become a staple revels how it has been pushed as cereal grain. From husked to broken, to porridge, two varieties of coarse grind to very fine grind there are various ways Gujaratis consume wheat.  Some  like fada or broken wheat and Thuli  were  by-products of the manual milling process of the past while some coarse grinds were purposely milled so. The ways we eat our beloved wheat…

In the center are  Whole-Wheat-Berries

Chadela Ghau – soaked and husked wheat berries at 1 o’clock position. This we use for the classic winter delicacy called Khichdo.

Moving clockwise next are Fada or broken wheat for the mishtan Fada Lapshi or the savoury take called Fada ni Khichri/broken rice khichri.

Thuli gruel is next. Thuli-shaak used to be our favourite choice for dinner, only after Khichri- Kadhi. There was a time when our teeth-less golden oldies loved Thuli and milk for dinner. Thuli too has lost its charm in most households.

Ladoo and Lapshi flour next is a very coarse grind. Churma ladoo sweetened with jaggery and Velan Lapshi drenched in ghee and spiked with bura sugar are soul foods to me. This grind is also used for making Muthiya. Attempting to make Muthiya with fine ground flour results into sticky and gooey muthiya.

Next is the Gujarati biscuit Bhakhri flour. Bhakhri is best eaten cold the day after hence,  is our favourite breakfast bread.

The finest grind is the Rotli no Lot or Roti Atta/flour for our paper-thin rotis, sheero, puri and likes.

The key to getting any of the mentioned foods right is to get the grind right. We are darn particular about it!! Surprisingly, all these varied grinds evolved even though wheat was not a staple grain of Gujarat. Millets like Kodo, Bajra, Bunty, Kang, Jowar, Maize were the grains widely consumed!!