Hey All,
As I conclude this series of my trip to Gujarat, please find below some of my most fond memories of the trip, apart from the places I visited.
And do you know the difference between vada-pav and Vada.Pav.? Read-on.
Dhokla: It’s a food made of dried rice split chickpeas and spices are added, such as chili pepper, coriander, and ginger. I remember having tried it once or twice in Bengaluru and not being anywhere a fan of it. But this trip to Gujarat changed my opinion and my love for it. The fresh, juicy, and captivating Dhoklas here made me eat them again and again. Irrespective of the place where I ate it, I loved it.
Khaman: The sweet cousin of the sour Dhokla is how I would describe Khaman as. It’s not very sweet; I could safely say it’s mildly sweet. The fluffy and tasty Khaman and other items like fafda were both complementing and fulfilling.
Vada-pav: Though I have had Vada-pavs in Bengaluru, the one’s that I had in Gujarat were different; not in terms of shape and size though. I guess the difference was in the vada and the kind of masala that was to the pav – the red sweet and tangy chutney, the green spicy chutney, and the various chat masalas that were generously sprinkled.
Dabeli: The poor yet tasty cousin of Vada-pav. In dabeli, they add a spiced potato masala that is stuffed between pav and served with lots of sweet chutney, tangy chutney, and spicy chutney! Dabeli seemed to be everyone’s fav – from rickshaw drivers to the upwardly mobile youth everyone seems to relish it.
ICE-KOLA was something my aunt introduced to me. The vendor attaches a square ice cube to the machine, spins a handle, and the ice cube gets shredded into pieces. These shredded pieces are then put into a container (in various shapes). He then adds a variety of flavored juices and dry fruits. My favorite is the combination of rose and blueberry juice.
Street-side MAGGIE NOODLES was something I loved in Gujarat. They used a different and unique process in making these noodles. They added a different kind of chat masala along with the original Maggie’s masala.
Yes, coming to vada-pav vs. vada.pav. My fascination for vada-pavs continued. As the train chugged into Belgaum Station the next morning, I saw vendors selling my fav item. When I opened it – I realized it was not like Gujarat’s vada-pav – a pav cut into two with the vada in between. It was one whole pav. One vada. And no spicy fillings. That's when we coined the term vada.pav. [to be read as vada(dot)pav(dot)] ;-)
Would I like to visit Gujarat again? Of course, yes, with only one condition – my uncle Udayakannan (Universe’s best Chitta) and my aunt Swathi (World’s best Chitti) should be the host yet again. Chitta (short for Chittapaa/uncle) understood my CTs (cheap thrills) well and got me everything that I wished for. Chitti’s love and affection deserve a special mention; thanks a ton chitti.
3 Cheers to you both for making the trip memorable. Hip! Hip!! Hurray!!!