Gujarati snacks to spice up your Navratri

This Navratri, we bring to you a few lesser-known Gujarati dishes you can cook instead of dhokla and fafda

08 Oct 2021

The festival of Navratri brings with it the prospect of traditional ghagras, colourful kediyus, and the sound of dandiyas clacking late into the night. While we might not be able to replicate the same enthusiasm this year, there is still a lot we can do to experience the festive cheer of Navratri.

For instance, you can cook some exciting Gujarati dishes and share it with your neighbours to remind them of the joyous and communal celebrations which mark the nine days.

Sure, you can always cook dhoklas, but there are a few Gujarati dishes which haven’t caught everyone’s attention yet.

Let’s take a look at some of the lesser-known Gujarati snacks you can serve your loved ones this Navaratri!

Mathiya

Is it a papad? Or is it papadam? Actually, it’s a mathiya! A mathiya looks like a papad but tastes entirely different. To make them, add some flour, besan and urad flour in a bowl. Next, add around 3 tablespoons of oil and knead well. Add some water if the dough isn’t holding its shape yet. Roll out the dough into rotis and deep fry them in Godrej Veg Oils. Sprinkle some chilli powder over the mathiyas for a spicier snack. Remember to fry quite a few at a time, because they tend to get over in no time!

Phulwadi

While Phulwadi is a delicious snack, it is also quite filling. In mixer, blitz some coriander seeds and black pepper seeds. In a separate bowl, add some curd, salt, chilli powder, sesame seeds, sugar, a pinch of citric acid, and mix well. Add some besan to this and mix it well. Let the mixture sit for around 30-40 minutes. Add some baking soda and water to ensure the softness of the phulwadi. Once you have a soft batter, you can either strain it through a holed jharo (skimmer) or shape the phulwadi yourself. Deep fry the phulwadi in oil and remove them from the pan once they turn dark brown. The soft phulwadi makes for tasty finger food and can be consumed as is!

Magas

One of the key characteristics which differentiates magas from besan ka ladoo is the coarseness of the texture. This is usually achieved by using coarsely ground besan powder. In a pan, heat some ghee for a few minutes, and add the besan powder. Mix the ingredients well till you see the ghee oozing out of the mixture and lining the pan. Turn off the flame after a few minutes and add some sugar. Mix all the ingredients well. You can either transfer the mixture into a greased pan to cut it into rectangular shapes or roll it into laddus. After all, what’s a festival without some laddus?

Choraphali

Choraphali can be stored for longer and makes for an ideal snack to eat on the go! To make choraphali, add some besan, urad dal, salt, and baking soda to a bowl and mix well. Next add some water to make a smooth mixture. Grind the mixture well in a mortar for around two minutes. You will need to apply extra efforts to ensure than the mixture is ground well. Now, roll the dough on a flat surface much like you would a chappati. Cut it into long rectangular shapes and deep fry them. The strips will expand and turn into slightly more cylindrical shapes. You can pepper the choraphali with some chilli powder too!

Makkai na dhebra

Makkai, or corn-based dhebras make for a wholesome snack and can replace the usual theplas consumed during breakfast! First crush some ginger, garlic and green chilli into a rough paste. Next, in a bowl mix some cornflour, wholewheat flour, besan and rawa. Make a small hole in the centre and add some hot oil, the ginger-chilli paste, salt and chopped up coriander leaves. Next add some yogurt to bind the dough well. Ferment the mixture overnight, make small round patties and deep fry the dhebras in Godrej veg oil. There you go, your dhebras are ready. You can pair them with a chundo or green chutney!

Can’t go out to play garba this Navaratri? Don’t worry, this you can bring Gujarat home with these exciting, regional recipes!

Do you know of any other interesting Gujarati snacks? Tell us in the comment section below.

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Breakfast Snack Festival Regional recipe Godrej Veg Oils
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