Gujarati food is mostly known for its vegetarian delicacies like Khaman Dhokla, Handvo, Khandvi, Khakra, Jalebi and Fafda, Thepla and more. Being largely a vegetarian state because of the widespread Jain vegetarianism, the popular cuisine does not necessarily include a lot of non-vegetarian dishes.

However, that is not to say that the state offers only vegetarian food, since do remember that it is based along a coast, and thus boasts of some amazing seafood-based dishes. Apart from that, you can also find dishes that have chicken, goat, lamb and more in them in Gujarat, that are not that well-known.

The Kharwa community, for instance, is one that is majorly dependent on the sea for their livelihood working as fishermen, seafarers, salt makers and more. Also, the long list of rulers from the British to the Portuguese and the Rajputs and even Mughals have brought their influences to the food here and brought certain meat-based dishes to the state.

As per sources, about 40% of the Gujarati population consumes meat including the Dalits, Muslims, and the coastal population. Here, we take a look at some non-vegetarian food dishes in Gujarat that you wouldn’t necessarily know about easily:

#1. Mutton Nu Shaak

Nu Shaak is just a Gujarati way of saying curry dish where it has a gravy base to it. Mutton nu Shaak is essentially a mutton gravy dish, but a special form of it can be found in the Kathiawadi cuisine wherein they don’t use any marinade for the meat.

This type of a Mutton nu Shaak is made with meat from a billy goat and is then fried with chopped onions till they are brown. This is then slow-cooked in an earthen pot with masala and green chillies.

#2. Chaap ne Bataka Roast

This Gujarati style roasted lamb chops dish is part of the Gujarati Kshatriya cuisine and can be found being consumed by many families of that community even today.

The lamb chops are usually marinated first with a variety of ground spices paste and then roasted over potato wedges that are also covered in the same paste as the lamb.

It can then be paired with some soft roti or bread and enjoyed.


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#3. Gharab nu achaar

A spicy and tangy seafood dish where fish roe is coated in a paste or achaar kind of a mash made from red chillies ground with pickle spices and vinegar.

The word Gharab comes from the Gujarati name for fish roe, however, this can also refer to roe found in Hilsa or Herring fish.

#4. Bhugo

Originally from the Kutch region, the dish of Bhugo was made with minced partridge, a type of small bird. The dish was deliberately made dry so that the growth of fungus could be prevented along with making it easier to carry when travelling long distances.

Nowadays, since partridge is not available, the dish is made with chicken and is baked twice in order to remove all the water and make it fully dry. The meat is also wrapped in a muslin cloth after being baked once in order to take out any water remaining.

It can be a good appetizer or even had with soup to give it a bit of gravy.

#5. Patra ni machhi

The Patra ni Machhi is a popular dish from the Parsi community in Gujarat and is often seen being served at weddings and other special occasions.

The dish is made using either pomfret or sea bass fish which is marinated and coated with green coriander and coconut chutney and then steamed after wrapping it in a banana leaf.

Non-Vegetarian Foods Of Gujarat

The dish is also considered quite healthy due to it having no oil when being prepared or fried quality to it and is considered as a good option for diet food.


Image Credits: Google Images

Sources: Wikipedia, The Indian Express, The Economic Times


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