Gujarati cuisine is a vegetarian's delight. The cooking balances sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and spicy flavours in a way that is distinctly different from the rest of India -- a touch of sugar or jaggery finds its way into most dishes, even the savoury ones.
The classic Gujarati thali is an experience in itself: a large round plate with a dozen or more small bowls of different vegetables, dals, chutneys, pickles, rice, rotli, and something sweet, all served unlimited. Pakwan Dining Hall in Ahmedabad and countless other thali restaurants across the state serve this format.
Must-try dishes include undhiyu (a slow-cooked mixed vegetable dish, best in winter), dhokla and khandvi (steamed savoury snacks), fafda-jalebi (a Sunday morning tradition), khichdi-kadhi (rice and lentils with a tangy yogurt sauce), thepla (spiced flatbread, the Gujarati traveller's essential snack), and shrikhand (sweetened strained yogurt with cardamom and saffron).
Street food culture is strong, especially in Ahmedabad. The stalls around Manek Chowk come alive after dark with everything from pav bhaji to kulfi.