Rajasthan, the state of India, is known for its rich culture, regal heritage, and exquisite cuisine. We are here to talk about the gastronomy of the state. Any cuisine is affected by its climatic conditions, natives’ lifestyle, etc. Rajasthani cuisine has a plethora of lip-smacking dishes and there are many factors affecting the same.
Rajasthan has been an arid region. Scarcity of water has always affected the dishes prepared here. But that doesn’t hold back the Rajasthanis from preparing a variety of delicacies. Instead, Rajasthani recipes see more use of yogurt, clarified butter, buttermilk, etc.
The scarcity of water has lead to the unavailability of fresh vegetables and fruits. And therefore beans, legumes, gram flour (besan), etc became the main ingredients in the Rajasthani recipes. Gram flour is used in such a versatile manner. There are starters to desserts recipes using gram flour.
Due to war situations in the State in the past, people preferred and therefore prepared such food which had a longer shelf life and can be consumed without heating, etc. Chutneys are an integral part of Rajasthani recipes. And probably this could be the reason for the same.
Rajasthani food has seen the influence of many communities. Non-veg. eaters Rajputs to no onion garlic food consumers Maheshwaris, everyone has influenced the Rajasthani recipes.
Rajasthani cuisine has an array of dishes.
Gravies: A dish that symbolizes Rajasthan is dal, baati, churma. And why not?! Such an interesting combination prepared in such an interesting manner, this dish deserves the international popularity it has. But Rajasthani main course has much more than just dal baati. It includes Jaipuri aloo pyaaz, gatte ki sabji, papad ki sabzi, kadhi, pitod ki sabji, panchmel dal, etc.
Bread: Popular Rajasthani bread includes the very popular baati and its variations bafla baati, mawa baati, etc., bajre ki roti, etc.
Side Dishes: Chutneys… are so important in Rajasthani recipes. Lehsun ki chutney served with Bajre ki Roti becomes a complete meal. Papad and chach also form an integral part of the cuisine.
Snacks: It has delectable snacks such as mirchi vada, kalmi vada, pyaaz ki kachori, very popular Bikaneri bhujia, etc.
Desserts: Certainly choorma has to top this list, not only because of its fame but also because of its variations. Traditional choorma is made using whole wheat flour. However, besan choorma is also quite popular. Nowadays choorma is experimented with different flavors such as pineapple churma, rose choorma, and many more. Also popular are mawa kachori, milk cake, ghevar, balushahi, malpua, Mohan thaal, etc.
Of all these, we have many recipes on the blog and the remaining will be updated soon, so stay tuned. Here they are:
What is baati? Baati belongs to Rajasthan. It is a round bread made using whole wheat flour, baked to cook and calls for lots of clarified butter (ghee). Rajasthani baati is served with panchmel d0al and garlic chutney.
View the recipe here.
What is Jaipuri Aloo Pyaaz ki Sabzi? Heavenly preparation using potatoes and onions, both white onions and red onions, cooked in a scrumptious curry, packed with flavors, is Jaipuri Aloo Pyaaz ki Sabzi.
View the recipe here.
What is Pitod ki Sabzi? Soft and melt in mouth bites made up of gram flour cooked in a light and tangy yogurt-based gravy is pitod ki sabji. This foodstuff belongs to Rajasthan. It is prepared in a number of ways, as in, different households make pitod sabzi in different gravies.
View the recipe here.
What is Kairi ka Pani? A simple yet very refreshing beverage from the land of soaring temperatures, Rajasthan, is kairi ka pani. It protects from the scorching sun and heatwaves.
View the recipe here.
What is Mohanthal? Absolutely delicious fudge made using gram flour (besan), ghee and sugar syrup which just melts in the mouth and keeps you craving for more and more is Mohanthal.
View the recipe here.
What is Papad ki Churi? Rajasthani Papad ki Churi is crumbled and crushed crispy papad combined with spicy Bikaneri bhujia (savory snack), crunchy onions and fresh coriander leaves, making it an easy peasy side dish/appetizer.
View the recipe here.
What is Dhaba Style Rajasthani Gatte? Soft and melt in mouth gram flour dumplings with the hint of fenugreek leaves, cooked in a spicy, flavorsome and delectable gravy, is Dhaba Style Rajasthani Gatte.
View the recipe here.
What is Panchmel Dal? As the name suggests panchmel dal means a mix of five dals. This dal preparation belongs to the state of Rajasthan and is prepared with baati.
View the recipe here.
What are churma ladoo? Earthy and divine! Wheat balls crushed, sweetened and bathed with ghee! Churma Ladoo Recipe, a must preparation at my place on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.
View the recipe here.
What is Rajasthani Lahsun ki Chutney? As the name suggests Rajasthani Lahsun ki chutney is chutney made using garlic and Rajasthan, I mean chilies (Okay that was a bad one.) Chutney with very sharp but well-balanced flavors is lehsun chatni.
View the recipe here.
What is Rajasthani Gatta Curry? Gatta is soft and delicious gram flour dumplings. Gatta cooked in scrumptious onion yogurt-based gravy oozing with flavors is Rajasthani gatta curry. This recipe has a punch of ginger and garlic, richness of onions, tanginess of yogurt, heat of chilies, etc.
View the recipe here.
What is Ker Sangri ki Sabzi? Ker is a berry and sangri is a bean, both are found in the arid regions of Rajasthan. The climatic conditions of Rajasthan do not allow cultivation of many crops; therefore whatever is available is used in the best possible manner.
View the recipe here.
What is Fried Pitod? Pitod belongs to the state of Rajasthan. Thin gram flour batter is cooked and then set and cut into the desired shape and used in the desired manner; when fried with mustard seeds, green chilies, and curry leaves, it becomes fried pitod.
View the recipe here.
What is bajre ki roti? Bajra is the Hindi word for pearl millet. The chapatis made with the millet flour are bajra roti. In India, bajra is cultivated in many parts of Rajasthan.
View the recipe here.
