Here are the top 10 foods every tourist or city visitor must try in Gondal, with details so nothing is missed during your culinary adventure:
- Dhokla
- Description: A soft, spongy steamed snack made from fermented rice and chickpea flour, tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
- Why Try: Signature Gujarati snack, enjoyed any time of day; often served with tangy chutneys.
- Where: Sweet shops and breakfast stalls throughout Gondal.
- Fafda-Jalebi
- Description: Crunchy, salted chickpea flour strips (fafda) paired with sweet, syrupy jalebi.
- Why Try: The authentic Kathiyawadi breakfast, especially delicious on Sunday mornings.
- Where: Anand Snacks, Maradiya Sweet Mart, local street vendors.
- Kathiyawadi Thali
- Description: A gourmet platter with rotis, lentils, seasonal vegetables, kadhi (yoghurt curry), rice, pickles, and more.
- Why Try: Experience a multitude of flavors, textures, and true local hospitality.
- Where: Dream Land Restaurant, Walk ‘N’ Eat, Riverside Palace Hotel.
- Dabeli
- Description: A spicy potato mixture stuffed in a soft bun, topped with sev, chutneys, and pomegranate.
- Why Try: Street side favorite brought from the Kutch region, now popular across Gondal.
- Where: New Karnavati Dabeli & Vadapav, Kora Food Street.
- Vada Pav
- Description: Deep-fried potato fritter in a bun with garlic chutney; known as “Indian burger.”
- Why Try: Quick snack for those on the go, filling and spicy.
- Where: Goli Vada Pav, main markets.
- Gathiya
- Description: Fried chickpea flour strips, softer than sev, usually eaten with tea and chutney.
- Why Try: Local favorite for breakfast and evening tea.
- Where: Gondal gathiya vendors, tea stalls.
- Sev Tameta Nu Shaak
- Description: Tangy tomato curry topped with crunchy sev (fried chickpea noodles).
- Why Try: Quintessential Kathiyawadi household dish, providing a sweet, spicy balance.
- Where: Local Kathiyawadi thali restaurants, family kitchens.
- Handvo
- Description: Savory lentil and rice cake, filled with vegetables and lightly spiced.
- Why Try: Nutritious and filling, often prepared for breakfast or as a hearty snack.
- Where: Sweet shops, roadside food stalls.
- Undhiyu (Winter Specialty)
- Description: Mixed vegetables and fenugreek dumplings slow-cooked with spices, traditionally made in underground clay pots.
- Why Try: The highlight of winter kitchens, a seasonal must-have.
- Where: Traditional thali restaurants during winter, family events.
- Patra
- Description: Rolls made of colocasia leaves layered with gram flour, steamed and tempered, sometimes with sesame and coconut.
- Why Try: Sweet-tangy-savory snack, unique to Gujarat.
- Where: Breakfast vendors, thali restaurants, snack counters.
Local Food Tips
- Many street snacks are vegetarian and freshly made each morning or evening—early visits get the best taste.
- Look for “kathiyawadi” on menus for the most authentic local food.
- For sweets, also try shrikhand, basundi, and local lassi.
- If visiting during festivals, taste special items like undhiyu or mohanthal.