Introduction: Ghevar is an intricate, honeycomb-textured disc of deep-fried batter, soaked in sugar syrup and topped with rich rabri or nuts, traditionally made in Rajasthan for the monsoon festival of Teej. Its batter is made purely from flour, ghee and cold water, with no ingredients that fall outside Jain dietary practice, making it a natural […]
Introduction: Modak are delicate, steamed rice-flour dumplings filled with a sweet coconut and jaggery mixture, shaped into distinctive pleated pouches. They hold deep religious significance across western India and are commonly offered and eaten during Jain festivals such as Paryushan, as well as during Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi, made entirely from ingredients within Jain dietary […]
Introduction: Dal dhokli is a beloved Gujarati one-pot meal that combines two comforts in a single bowl: a sweet-sour-spiced lentil dal, and diamond-cut wheat dumplings simmered directly in it. It is a common Sunday lunch in Jain households, prized for being filling, warming and entirely allium-free without losing any of its characteristic sweet, tangy, spiced […]
Introduction: Khaman dhokla is a steamed, spongy gram flour cake that is naturally free of onion and garlic, making it a mainstay of Jain snack tables from everyday tea-time to wedding buffets. Its light, tangy-sweet flavour and pillowy texture come from a quick fermentation with fruit salt rather than yeast, so it can be made […]
Introduction: Methi gota are craggy, deep-fried fritters made from a spiced gram flour and fenugreek leaf batter, traditionally enjoyed with hot tea on rainy afternoons. Like most Gujarati snacks, they contain no onion or garlic by default, relying instead on fresh fenugreek's slightly bitter edge balanced against sugar and yogurt in the batter. Cultural Background: […]
Introduction: A warmly spiced tomato soup found on Indian restaurant menus everywhere, shorba is easily adapted to Jain requirements by building its aromatic base from cumin, whole spices and asafoetida instead of the more usual onion and garlic. It remains rich and savoury thanks to a generous hand with whole spices and a final swirl […]
Introduction: Undhiyu is Gujarat's great winter vegetable feast, traditionally slow-cooked upside down (the name means 'upside down') in earthen pots buried in the ground. The classic version includes purple yam and sweet potato, but the Jain undhiyu leaves out every root vegetable, building its heartiness instead from surti beans, broad beans, banana and a generous […]
Introduction: Gatte ki sabzi comes from Rajasthan's arid Marwar region, where fresh vegetables were historically scarce and gram flour dumplings simmered in a spiced yogurt gravy became a clever, filling substitute. The dish is naturally suited to Jain cooking, since it never relied on onion or garlic in the first place — its savour comes […]
Introduction: Mohanthal is a dense, grainy gram flour fudge, slow-roasted in ghee until deeply aromatic, then set with a scattering of nuts. It is a fixture of Gujarati and Jain festive sweet boxes, particularly around Diwali, and its long, patient roasting is considered the mark of a well-made batch. Cultural Background: Mohanthal is a dense, […]
Introduction: Thepla are soft, spiced flatbreads studded with fresh fenugreek leaves, famous across Gujarati households as ideal travel food since they keep well for days without refrigeration. Naturally free of onion and garlic, they are a Jain travel and lunchbox staple, often rolled up with a spoonful of mango pickle or a side of yogurt. […]