Authentic Gujarati fare

Gifted with rare culinary skills, migrants from Gogunda in Rajasthan have perfected Gujarati fare and now do a better job of it than locals

Dilip Patel

The best khamans, farsan and undhiyu come from outlets like Gopi, Chandravilas, Das and the like without doubt, but the cooks who make them aren’t Gujarati in the least. They are men from Gogunda region in Rajasthan. Gogunda, yes. It’s no ordinary village, having sent out at least 40,000 expert cooks and assistants to restaurants in Ahmedabad and some more elsewhere in the country.

The ‘discovery’ was made after NGOs from Rajasthan and Gujarat studied the high incidence and patterns of migration from Gogunda. Gujarat NGO Ajivika and its Rajasthani counterpart found that a majority of the migrants were cooks. They traditionally left home for better employment opportunities gifted with rare culinary skills.

Priority for them were food paradises, places where good food sold no matter what. Of such places, a major attraction for Gogunda cooks was Ahmedabad. Ajivika secretary Mahesh Gajera says it all began about 60 years ago when the first of the Gogunda migrants took up jobs in affluent Gujarati households in Ahmedabad as cooks. “The big bungalow owners, rich businessmen, took an instant liking for their fare. With time and fame, more of them landed in the city and joined well-known restaurants of the time. Soon, restaurateurs realised none could a better job with Gujarati fare than these chefs from Gogunda,” says Gajera.

Over the decades, they have understood the Gujarati taste and perfected even some of the most traditional delicacies. Today, outdoor catering at the reputed Grand Bhagwati and Rajpath Club are exclusively with Gogundas. Restaurants like Gopi, Pakvan, MJ House, Gorma and Surabhi swear by the incredible reliability and consistency of taste in the Gogundas’ cooking. And the accolades are doled out in equal measure. Star hotel Fortune Landmark boasts openly of the ‘tandoori roti’ made by specialist Hira Singh. At Hotel Metropol, Gogunda chef Raju Singh is ‘toasted’ with pride.

Swaminarayan Gurukuls and educational hostels almost insist on the cook being from Gogunda. These institutes don’t exactly penny-pinch in matters related to food. The Gogunda chefs are also fond favourites of tour operators, at wedding banquets and large parties.