Rajasthani Cuisine

Being a desert with very limited fertile portion, the love for food inspired Rajasthani people to create great variety out of so little. Today the cuisine of Rajasthan is so rich that the mere mention makes mouth water. Their food is as colorful as their fairs and festivals.

The erstwhile Maharajas took great pride in having amazing cooks with expert knowledge of cuisine. Guests were treated with special dishes whose recipes were kept secret. Anyways, when mouth-watering delicacies make the stomach growl who is interested in knowing the recipe. The Maharajas used to spend lavishly on food.

The Rajasthani kitchens were greatly influenced by Rajputs, Mughals and later the English. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food is cooked in the kitchen of Rajasthanis. Safed Maas or white meat whose ingredients consists of mutton, cashew nuts, almonds, fresh coconut paste, white pepper and poppy seeds was one of the favorite dishes of Mughals. The British influence made the Rajasthani food less spicy.

Lapsi, prepared with broken wheat (dalia) browned in a pan containing a small quantity of ghee and then sweetened with sugar or jaggery, is an auspicious offering to God during the wedding ceremony.

Rajasthani meals mainly consist of dairy products, bread of millets, gram flour, sour buttermilk, fruits and vegetables which according to dietitians are high on nutrition quotient. The food is simply colorful but not very spicy. Desi ghee (clarified butter) is considered to be best for the cuisine as it adds a different flavor to it.

You must have heard about Dal Bati Choorma from the Rajasthani kitchen. In fact, this is the most famous dish of the state. It originated in Jaipur. The daal is a lentil based curry; bati is a round ball of baked bread filled with ghee and choorma is a sweet dish made with bread mashed with jaggery and ghee. Do not miss this dish at any cost. It is simply delicious. Spicy chutneys are made from locally available spices like turmeric, coriander, mint and garlic.

Each region has its own special sweet dishes to cater to their sweet tooth. Mawa Kachori and ladoos from Jodhpur, Alwar ka Mawa, Malpuas from Pushkar, Rasgullas from Bikaner, Ghevar from Jaipur are a few examples. Other popular Rajasthani dishes to be tried when you are here are Balusahi, Besan-Chakki, Chaavadi, Dhungari Hui Chaach, Laapasi and Gevar.