Description

Published to critical acclaim in 1991, The Flavours of Gujarat introduced a distinctive regional Indian cuisine to the global palate.

The cookbook is packed full of almost one hundred recipes from starters and light meals to breads, accompaniments and deserts via sections on vegetable, pulse and rice dishes. Helpful sections on conversion tables, utensils and ingredients – as well as menu design – guide the reader along each step of the way. Each recipe features a difficulty rating and a guide to soaking, preparation and cooking times, as appropriate, in order to assist in planning. The culinary journey through Gujarat is really brought to life through stunning photography. After all, we eat through our eyes as well as our nose and mouth.

In the three decades since this book was published, many things have changed, including Virani. The company withdrew from the retail market for packed ingredients in 1993 to concentrate on their supply in bulk, procured and processed to the highest technical standards, to food manufacturers. You can find out more at www.viranifoodproducts.com. Custodianship of the market leading “Virani” brand of gram flour passed to us at Besan Brands Limited, together with the last few copies of that 1991 print run of The Flavours of Gujarat!

Naresh Shah, founder of both Virani Food Products Limited and the “Virani” brand of gram flour, wrote the Introduction to The Flavours of Gujarat in 1991. His analysis at the time contained some interesting insights that have stood the test of time remarkably well:-

• • the growing popularity of Indian food;
  • the fragmentation of that category into diverse regional cuisines: “Can you imagine ever saying “Let’s eat European?”;
  • Gujarati cuisine as showcasing a vegetarian diet that is both affordable and healthy;
  • recipes that use both less oil and less salt;
  • Gujarati cuisine as showcasing subtlety in the use of a combination of spices;

How many of the food trends of the modern era did the book anticipate?