Koi shaak hai?

Anju Maskeri Nasrin Modak Siddiqi and Jane BorgesSome movies inspire curiosity Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansalirsquos period drama Gangubai Kathiawadi is one such But itrsquos not just the story of the naive provincial girl who went on to become a ldquoferocious warriorrdquo that has piqued our interest Itrsquos also the region she hailed from Forming part of the region known as Saurashtra Kathiawar shares its border with the neighbouring state of Rajasthan which means that the food here may not typically taste like Gujarati cuisine as we know it Calling it the spicier cousin is too simplistic and may not do justice to its complexity insist chefs So we reached out to people who know it best And if you want to have a taste we offer some recommendations toolsquoKathiawadis like it piquant and colourfulrsquoVadhvani marcha a spiced chilli condiment in which the flavour of mustard seeds is dominantIn 2013 the Revival Indian Thali brand earned a mention in the Limca Book of World Records for serving the maximum number of items in a thali Curating a spread that included 44 dishes meant looking beyond the usual suspects ldquoThatrsquos when we panned out and began incorporating influences from other regions of Gujaratrdquo says Kamlesh Barot director VIE Hospitality GroupPatra is a fried vegetarian snack made with colocasia leaves or arbiThey trained their lens on Kathiawar given the nuances of the cuisine ldquoPeople in this region of Saurashtra like their food to be spicy piquant tarty and colourful which is not the case with the rest of Gujaratrdquo In 2008 the brand created the food setup for Ashutosh Gowarikerrsquos Jodha Akbar The menu here changes everyday increasing their zeal to experiment thinks Barot ldquoWe have tried incorporating Kathiawadi items in not just the main course but also in appetisers salads and dessertsrdquoKamlesh BarotWhile dahino tikharo is a spicy tangy spread that is served with rotla bhakhri thepla or khichdi churmu is a sweet dish made from wheat rotis According to Barot guests usually expect dishes that remind them of home But there are also patrons who are adventurous and want to go beyond the tried and tested ldquoThere are a few constants like the Kathiawadi kadhi that people want in every mealrdquoTo Order 8268627777lsquoOur undhiyu is red in colourrsquoChef Bina Kariya who runs Jalaram Kathiyawadi Thali at Kandivli West with son Jay Kariya began her professional career at a Kathiawadi restaurant which she managed for over four years only to start her own business in 2017 ldquoKathiawadi cuisine comes from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat Unlike the regular Gujarati fare where the sweet cuts the spice our dishes are more teekhaWe also use a lot of onions garlic and ginger in our preparationsrdquo One of the specialties at their eatery is the Kathiawadi undhiyu which is made with freshlyground masalas that Kariya specially buys from Gujarat ldquoThe more popular version of undhiyu is green in colour ours is red because we use red chilli powder We also use almost 1820 green vegetables to prepare the dish Itrsquos available every Sundayrdquo The Kathiawadi version is said to be slightly spicy and a combination of sweet and sour in taste and with a lot more gravyBina and Jay Kariya PicsNimesh DaveThe one you find in other parts of the state is more dry The other favourites are lasaniya batata spicy garlic potato curry bharwa baingan for which they use large brinjals and baingan ka bharta We recommend you try their variety of rotlis with ghee sev tameta baingan bharta and Rajwadi sabzi Add to it achars chunda churma ladoo and you have the perfect homestyle meal This place is great if you are a fan of authentic delicacies from the homes and dhabas in the Kathiawar regionTo Order 9702636701lsquoEven baingan ka bharta has two versionsrsquoHome chef Panna Gohil prepares wheat bhakri at her Kandivli residenceItrsquos been 16 years since Panna Gohil a Kandivlibased home chef left her home in Kathiawarrsquos Amreli district to move to Mumbai after she was married But distance has hardly made a dent in her connection with the peninsula which also includes major cities such as Porbandar Bhavnagar Jamnagar Rajkot and Junagad ldquoA lot of this connection has to do with foodrdquo notes Gohil who runs Pannarsquos Kathiawadi Kitchen a fledgling food business ldquoWhen we think of Gujarati food we associate it withsweetness But the degree of sweetness varies from region to region For instance in some areas of Gujarat the dal tastes like dessert We call this excessive sugariness lsquogadarsquoBut in Saurashtra the food has only a hint of sweetnessrdquo she explains Khada masala is used sparingly to ensure the flavour is distinct yet mellow Itrsquos also the treatment of spices that sets the cuisine apart thinks Gohil ldquoSome of it is pounded or ground using mortar and pestle and rolling pin depending on the dishrdquo Although timeconsuming she continues to follow the traditional route of crushing aromatics Food processors she feels do not yield the texture and flavour that kitchen tools of yore doA signature Kathiawadi dish is the ringna no oroh or roasted eggplant Similar to the baingan ka bharta seen in other parts of India ringna no oroh is made with roasted eggplants which are then peeled mashed and tempered in spices ldquoEven here yoursquoll find two versions of the same dish The one thatrsquos popular in the community is the kacho oroh made using chilli powder groundnut oil green garlic also called young garlic or spring garlic which is simply garlic that hasnrsquot fully matured and scallion The other version has tomato green chillies and haldirdquo Gohil believes that itrsquos the television show Tarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chashma that made Kathiawadi food go mainstream Sev tameta nu shaak and vagharelo rotlo are now household names ldquoIt was the show that made even nonGujjus take interest in the dishesrdquoTo Order 9004465575We tried theseDine like a kingMaharaja Bhogrsquos premium unlimited vegetarian thali has a host of Kathiawadi options served in bronze servewares Therersquos bateta nu shaak lasaniya bataka vagharelo rotlo vagharelo khichdi bajra no rotlo guvar dhokli nu shak methi thepla adadiya pak and of course the winter special undiyu This wholesome homestyle food is made from traditionally sourced recipes They offer their thali in a box and you can ask for vegan glutenfree and nutfree versions as well Founder and managing director Maharaja Bhog Ashish Maheshwari says ldquoThis cuisine originated in Kathiawar region of coastal Gujarat Saurashtra that often faces dry harsh weather In cities like Porbandar Jamnagar Bhavnagar Rajkot and Junagadh there isnrsquot much vegetation and hence yoursquod notice that most dishes are made with either potato Think bateta nu shaak lasaniya bataka or millets with frequent use of tomatoes brinjal Farsan is a staple and helps lift the flavour quotient of any dish Compared to the other regions food here is spicy and uses a generous amount of onion garlic and green chilliesmdashfor instance vagharelo rotlo and vaghareli khichdi Bajra no rotlo and methi thepla are common flatbreads and puran polo and adadiya pak are common sweets from the region Kathiawadi dishes are the essence our thali and our maharaj make them in the most authentic wayrdquoWHERE Maharaja Bhog outlets in Juhu Malad Kalbadevi and GoregaonPRICE Rs 599 onwardsTo Order 9322197480Chain reactionA legit Kathiawadi chain their bhindi masala lasaniya bataka and jalaram khichdi is a hit The food comes with lots of pickles and accompaniments A few other favourites include sev tameta baingan bharta rajwadi sabzi and muthiya Be warned that their food comes floating in oil which means you would either love it or hate it So go at your own riskWHERE Shree Khodiyar Kathiyawadi Dhaba 17 Old SV Rd Siddharth Nagar Goregaon WestPRICE Rs 95 onwardsTo Order 9136584355De thaliA homely place in a new fine dine avatar Shree Thaker Bhojanalya have been around since 1945 and SoBo old timers will vouch for their sumptuous welllaid out thali with dishes from different regions of Gujarat including the Kathiawar We like how it is authentic not overly oily or painstakingly sweetmdashthus matching everyonersquos taste One may find it a little expensive especially on weekends but wersquove seen serpentine queues for their thalis laden with simple Gujarati foodWHERE Shree Thaker Bhojanalya 31 Dadisheth Agyari Lane KalbadeviPRICE Rs 700 onwardsTo Order 22069916