Healthy, delicious, fresh and from the fun loving land of Gujarat, we bring you the best of farsan which means snacks in Gujarati. A lot of these goodies are quite easy to make at home as well.
1.
Dhokla
Made from a fermented batter of ground rice and chickpeas, this snack can be served for breakfast as well.
The best thing about this is that it’s steamed and is a delight for the health conscious. The Dhokla so are tempered with curry leaves, chillies and mustard seeds. This goodness becomes an instant favourite among everyone.
2.
Khaman
This snack is mistaken for Dhokla and vice versa a lot of times. The difference? Khaman is more soft and spongy as compared to the dense dhokla. Khaman is prepared with soaked and freshly ground gram flour (besan). This tea time delight is garnished with popped mustard seeds, chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut.
3.
Dudhi Muthiya
Crisp outer layer and a soft, melt in the mouth interior, this is another steamed snack that is made with bottle gourd. The name comes from the primary ingredient; bottle gourd (dudhi) and the way it is prepared, by taking fistful (muthiya) of the dough to form little lumps which are steamed and then lightly sautéed in sesame and mustard seeds along with a pinch of asafetida (hing).
4.
Khakra
Thin, crisp crackers made with wheat flour and oil. This treat comes from the Jain Gujarati cuisine. These thin discs are hand made on flat skillets and have a variety of flavours. You can enjoy them with pickles, chutney and a hot cup of tea is perfect for a cool spring evening or just any other day. It also serves as a quick and filling grab and go breakfast.
5.
Khandvi
These little thin rolls of goodness is my personal favourite of all Gujarati snacks. Every time I visit a farsan shop, I make sure I get my share of Khandvi packed. They don’t have a distinctive taste but the smooth almost jelly texture accompanied by raw papaya slaw and a sweet and sour dip will leave you asking for more, a lot more.
6.
Dabeli
The word “dabeli” literally means to be pressed. If you ever visit Gujarat, you’d find vendors at every nook and cranny selling these spicy, tangy and savory stuffed buns.
The white flour buns are stuffed with a potato cutlet, sev, pomegranate seeds, sweet and spicy chutney and peanuts. It is filling and flavoursome.
7.
Patra
Looks like Sushi? It Surely doesn’t taste like one. Patras have a lot of distinct flavours packed in the stuffing. The green thing used to roll the filling in, are Colocasia leaves. A tadka of mustard seeds is a must. Enjoy slices of them with any chutney you like and the Gujarati special masala tea.
8.
Fafda
When the Fafda are freshly fried and kept to cool down a little, they look like a golden version of cinnamon sticks. In Gujarat, this is served as a snack with a sweet yellow sauce. The Fafda is made of a chickpea flour, bishop’s weed and salt dough. This mixture is thinly spread on a wooden plank, scraped and fried.
9.
Gathiya
This is like a denser and heavier version of Fafda. The dough to make this Farsan is quite similar to that of the Fafda. Gathiya is an all time evening munch-on for any Gujarati household. You’ll always find a bowl of this with piping hot tea if you visit a local home.
10.
Khamni
This is the most favoured snack or breakfast in the Surat region of Gujarat. It is made by crumbling Khaman pieces which make the base of the snack and is topped with sev, pomegranate, grated coconut and toasted nuts. Khamni is light yet quiet filling and is enjoyed with a spicy mint chutney.
11.
Khichu
This snack is like cookie dough. Khichu is in fact made to make Papad, but is modified by adding spices for a quick and comforting delicacy. On a general basis, rice flour is used to prepare the dough, but you can use any other flour as well. The flour is cooked with water, cumin, mustard, sesame seeds and finely chopped chillies. The Khichu is tempered with groundnut oil.
12.
Sev Mamra
This is the lightest Farsan of all. Liked by all, preparing this is very easy. The recipe uses puffed rice, sev, fried curry leaves, salt, chilli powder and a little turmeric powder. You can also get this is packets, and they have a variety of flavours. One of the most famous flavours is garlic sev mamra. Best for the health conscious and diabetic patients looking for something to munch on.
13.
Handvo
Handvo is a Gujarati savory cake. The consistency of this delicacy is quite dense. Thus, one can’t eat much. Bottle gourd is the primary ingredient in this recipe. It is grated and added to the cake mix. Nutritious and saporous, this can be served as breakfast as well. Enjoy it with buttermilk and chutney.
14.
Chorafali
Airy, crisp and interesting in texture, this Gujarati farsan can be seen sold all across the street at any time of the day. It is a must during the festival of Diwali. Prepared with a combination of chickpea flour and urad flour it is served with a yellow sweet sauce and green mint chutney.
15.
Panki
Cooked between banana leaves, Panki is a batter usually prepared with rice, gram or chickpea flour. The recipe is open to any improvisation with the flour you wish to use. Urad dal flour is used to bind the mix. These batter spread leaves are cooked on a griddle with a little oil until a golden brown colour comes on the leaves. Voila! Another Gujarati tit-bit is ready to devour.
16.
Moong Dal Pandoli
Making this snack is a little tricky. Apparently, the batter made of Moong Dal is tipped spoonful by spoonful into a muslin cloth which is tied upon a pan of boiling water. New ways of steaming! Served hot with green chutney or pickle, you’ll surely be asking for more.
17.
Methi Dhebra
If you’re looking for a healthy tea time munch-on, Methi Dhebra is perfect. High in fibre and Iron, the Dhebra is made with fenugreek leaves and bajra flour. You can either fry the cutlets or shallow fry them on a flat skillet. Have your plateful of these scrumptious goodies with a hot cup of tea and a spicy, sweet and sour sauce.
18.
Bhakarwadi
Another one of my personal favourites from Gujarati Farsan are these tiny, crisp, sweet, spicy and oh-so-delicious snack. A buttery white flour dough is rolled into thin sheets and a stuffing of coconut, sesame and poppy seeds is spread and rolled into a long cylindrical shape. The log is sliced and fried. You will also find a bigger version of this in a lot of Farsan shops.
19.
Dal Vada
Come monsoons in Gujarat and this specialty will be seen everywhere. Dal Vada is a kind of fritter made with ground lentil batter. The Vada is eaten with tempered chillies and sliced onions with a spicy green chutney. If you’re in Gujarat during the monsoons or any time of the year, be sure to have it. Enjoy opening these beauties from a well-packed newspaper wrapping and lose yourself in the delightful world of Dal Vadas.
20.
Dakor Na Gota
A Holi special in Gujarat, these little scrumptious balls are made with a Bengal gram flour batter with Semolina. They are light, airy, fluffy and best served with a tamarind and date chutney. Not to forget the Gujarati special masala chai.
