Chef Sanjeev Kapoor shares comforting flavours of Gujarat that are worth trying this winter

Gujarati cuisine is not just filled with colours but flavours too. It is said that this cuisine satisfies all tastes and makes you crave more. And when it comes to winter flavours of this cuisine, it is enriched with greens and spices that keep you warm during the chilly months. Even celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor says that Gujarati cuisine is a celebration of contrasts-sweet and sour, soft and crunchy, simple and layered. Here meals are built around seasonal produce with clever use of spices and tempering techniques that elevate humble ingredients. As per his post, in today's fast-paced world, these age-old recipes continue to thrive, adapting to modern kitchens and global palates. According to him, these Gujarati dishes aren't just about taste, but about rhythm, ritual, and resilience. Keeping all of that in mind, chef Sanjeev recently shared his favourite flavours of Gujarat that are worth a try.

Ingredients: 4 round buns or pavs, 1½ tbsps dabeli masala powder, 2 tbsps oil, 2 medium onions, 2 medium tomatoes, 2 tbsps tomato puree, 2 large potatoes, boiled, peeled, mashed, ¼ cup red chilli-garlic chutney, ¼ cup sweet date and tamarind chutney, ¼ cup green chutney, salt to taste, 2 tsps lemon juice, 1/4 cup fresh pomegranate pearls, 1/2 cup fine sev, ¼ cup spicy peanuts, 2 tbsps chopped fresh coriander leaves, 2 tsps scraped coconut, 2 tbsps butter, and 1 small onion


Method: Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add onions and saute. Slit the pavs without cutting through. When the onions turn golden, add tomatoes and saute. Add tomato puree and mix. Add dabeli masala powder, mashed potatoes, ½ cup water and mix well. Apply red chilli-garlic chutney to the base half of the pavs. Apply sweet date and tamarind chutney to the top half of the pavs. Apply green chutney over the red chilli-garlic chutney. Add salt and lemon juice to the potato mixture and mix well. Switch off the heat. Add pomegranate pearls, sev, peanuts and coriander leaves and mix well. Add coconut and mix. Heat butter in another non-stick pan. Stuff the pavs with the potato mixture, place on the second pan and grill, turning sides, till both sides are crisp and golden. Serve garnished with onion rings.

Ingredients: 2 cups gram flour, oil for greasing, salt to taste, 1 cup yogurt, 2 tsps ginger-green chilli paste, 2 tsps fruit salt, 2 tbsps oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing), 1 tbsp white sesame seeds, 10-12 curry leaves, 2-3 green chillies, 2 tsps sugar, and coriander leaves

Method: Grease an aluminum baking tin with some oil. Take gram flour in a large bowl. Add salt, yogurt and ginger-green chilli paste and mix well. Add 1 cup water and whisk till a smooth batter is formed. =Add fruit salt and 1 tbsp water and mix until well combined. Transfer the batter into the greased aluminum baking tin. Heat sufficient water in a steamer. Place the baking tin on the steamer basket and steam for 10-15 minutes. Take the baking tin off the heat and allow the dhokla to cool slightly. Cut the dhokla into squares. To make the tempering, heat oil in a small non-stick pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add asafoetida, white sesame seeds, curry leaves and green chillies and mix well. Add ¼ cup water, and mix well. Add sugar, mix and cook till the mixture comes to a boil and sugar melts. Pour the tempering over the dhokla and spread it evenly. Sprinkle coriander leaves and set aside for 5 minutes. Transfer the dhokla pieces on a serving plate and serve with green chutney.

Ingredients: 1 cup rice, ¼ cup split skinless green gram, ¼ cup split skinless black gram, ¼ cup split Bengal gram, ¼ cup grated bottle gourd, 2-3 tbsps grated carrots, 5-6 button mushrooms, ¼ cup corn kernels, 2-3 tbsps cabbage, 2 tbsps chopped green zucchini, 2 tbsps chopped yellow zucchini, ½ tsp red chilli powder, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, 1½ tbsps ginger-green chilli paste, salt to taste, 1 tsp fruit salt, oil for cooking
Method: Preheat the microwave oven to 180°C. Take rice in a grinder jar. Add split skinless green gram, split skinless black gram, split Bengal gram and 1¼ cups water. Grind to coarse batter. Transfer the ground batter in a bowl. Add bottle gourd, carrots, mushrooms, corn, cabbage, green zucchini, yellow zucchini, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger-green chilli paste and salt and mix well. Add fruit salt and mix well.Transfer the mixture in a greased and lined baking tray and bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool. Remove the butter paper and cut into rectangles. Heat some oil on a nonstick tawa. Place the handvo rectangles and cook for 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Garnish with cherry tomatoes, red radish slices, edible flowers and micro greens and serve.

Ingredients: 250 gms purple yam, 2 raw bananas, 1/2 cup green garlic, ½ cup shelled green peas, ¾ cup scraped fresh coconut, 300 gms surti papdi, 4 cups chopped fresh coriander leaves, 2 tsps ginger-green chilli paste, a pinch of baking soda, ½ tsp carom seeds, 8 baby potatoes, 6 baby brinjals, salt to taste, 2 tsps coriander powder, ½ cup whole wheat flour, ¼ cup gram flour, 1 cup chopped fresh fenugreek leaves, salt to taste, 1/2 tsp carom seeds, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste, 2 tsps oil and for deep frying, and 2 tbsps yogurt
Method: To make muthiyas, mix wheat flour and gram flour in a bowl. Add fenugreek leaves, salt, carom seeds, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, ginger-green chilli paste, 2 tsps oil, yogurt and sufficient water and knead into stiff dough. Divide the dough into small equal portions and shape them into cylindrical muthiyas. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep fry the muthiyas till golden. Drain on absorbent paper. Cut purple yam into big cubes. Peel raw bananas and cut into big cubes and put into a bowl. Chop green garlic. Grind together green peas and ¼ cup coconut. Place surti papdi and their seeds in a bowl. Add some of the coconut-green pea mixture and mix. Mix remaining coconut, coriander leaves and green garlic. Add ginger-green chilli paste, pinch of soda and mix well. Pour 4 tbsps of the hot oil into a non-stick pan. Add carom seeds and when they begin to change colour, add 2 cups of water and let it come to a boil. Add purple yam to raw bananas. Add baby potatoes and brinjals. Add some of the coconut-green garlic mixture, remaining coconut green pea mixture and salt and mix well. Add remaining coconut-green garlic mixture, coriander powder and salt to the surti papdi mixture and spread it in a layer in the pan. Cover it, put in the vegetable mixture. In between keep the muthiyas, cover and cook till all the vegetables are done. Serve hot.

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons besan, 1 tsp sugar, 2 cups yogurt, 1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp ghee, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 8-10 curry leaves, 2 dried red chillies, 3-4 cloves, 2.5 cm cinnamon, a pinch of asafoetida, 1 small radish, 1 small potato, 1 medium ripe banana, and 2 tbsp coriander leaves.
Method: Whisk together the gram flour, yogurt and ginger-green chilli paste till smooth. Add three cups of water and salt, and mix well. Set aside. Heat the ghee in a deep non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, red chillies, asafoetida, cloves and cinnamon. When the seeds splutter, add the radish and potato, and stir to mix. Add one cup of water and cook on medium heat till the vegetables are tender. Add the yogurt mixture and continue to cook, stirring continuously, till the mixture thickens slightly. Adjust the salt. Add the banana and sugar and mix lightly. Serve hot garnished with the chopped coriander with rice.

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