One can rarely see so rich a cuisine anywhere in the world that Rajasthan has. Each region in India has its own traditional dishes and specialities. But the cuisine of Rajasthan is a bit unique. Due to desert condition and scarcity of water & fresh green vegetables, Rajasthanis preferred food that could last for several days a nd could be eaten without the need of heating. In the desert belt of Jaisalmer, Barmer and Bikaner, cooks use the minimum of water to prepare food. They prefer to use more milk, buttermilk and clarified butter in stead of use of water. The cuisine of Rajasthan is predominantly vegetarian and stunning in its variety. The cuisine of Rajasthan differs region to region. Dal-Bati is probably the most famous dish of Rajasthan. This is the dish which is prepared with spicy lentils with baked balls of wheat with use of lot of ghee. Gram flour is a major ingredient here and is used to make some of the delicacies like Khata, Gatta ki Sabzi, Pakodi. Gram flour is also used to prepare Bessan-chakki which is very popular sweet dish. Powdered lentils are used for Mangodi, Papad. The daily food in Rajasthan typically comprises unleavened bread, made of wheat, barley, millet or maize.
A soup of legumes flavored with red chili peppers, yogurt or milk and sometimes a vegetable such as okra, jackfruit, and eggplant, mustard or fenugreek leaf.
Each region of Rajasthan is popular for sweets - Mawa Kachori from Jodhpur, Alwar ka Mawa, Malpuas from Pushkar, Rasogullas from Bikaner, Ghevar from Jaipur to name a few. Predominantly, the cuisine of Rajasthan is vegetarian but people of Rajasthan are not all vegetarians. The unique creation of the Maharaja of Salwar is the Junglee Maas. Junglee Maas was a great favorite among the Maharajas and due to the paucity of exotic ingredients
in the camp kitchen, the game brought in from the hunt was simply cooked in pure ghee, salt and plenty of red chillies.
Some Important Rajasthani Dishes:-
Mughal inspired Dishes : The Mughals influenced the eating habits of the Rajput courts. From the simple grilled meats served on leaves, the royal kitchen introduced elaborate curries, kebabs and pulao's(rice prepared with clarified butter, spices meat and vegetables) served on silver platters.
Chapatti Making : The chapatti is a flat, unleavened bread which serves almost as a spoon, for it is used as a scoop to transfer food to the mouth. It complements both the texture and flavor of the food it scoops up, absorbing runny sauces, balancing strong flavors and smoothness.
Frying Puris : Puris are delicious, fried wheat bubbles which have varied uses; as snacks, scoops for food and as a complement to hot spices. Family members typically sit on the floor and are served piping hot food by the lady of the houses.
Khud khargosh : Khud Khasrgosh (Hare or rabbit meat cooked in a pit) is a Rajput specialty during summer, when the hare is lean. The hare is skinned and stuffed with spices, wrapped in dough and finally in layers of mud-soaked cloth. The ambrosial result is meat perfectly blended with the spices and dough.
The Indian Kitchen :
The simple Indian Kitchen has a brick-and-mud fireplace. Food is usually cooked over a wood or charcoal fire,in clay,brass,or copper utensils.
Lassi : Lassi, Rajasthan Food, Rajasthan TravelsLassi :Natural yogurt is churned to remove the butter content for the making of Lassi or buttermilk a cooling summer beverage
Desert Cooking : Very little produce grows in the desert. Daily food mainly comprises of daal-bati (cooked lentils and roasted balls of dough), accompanied by a variety of dried or pickled berries cooked in different ways.
Recipe for Sula :
In Rajput cuisine, sula refer to tender morsels of meat, the most prized being wild boar spare ribs(bhanslas), marinated in a mixture of dry yogurt, browned onions, garlic, ginger, coriander, red chilli, and kachri, a small pod which tenderizes meat and lends a particular sharp-sour flaver to many dishes. The marinated meat is smoked, spitted on skewers, and grilled over hot coals. Sulas are made of chicken, pheasant, mutton, or fish.
Ingredients for Sula :
2lb lamb leg(mutton boneless), salt to taste, 1 oz malt vinegar, 3/4 oz ginger and garlic paste, 17 oz curd, 3/4 oz red chilli paste, 2 oz mustard oil, 2 oz pineapple (raw) juice , 2 oz butter, 2 lemons, 1/2 oz garam masala.
- Fillet lamb leg and cut into thin one-inch strips, sprinkle salt and marinate with half of malt vinegar.Put aside for two hours.
- Mix ginger and garlic paste, red chilli paste, salt, garam masala, mustard oil, pineapple juice, and the rest of malt vinegar with the curd(curd has to be hung in muslin cloth for two hours to obtain the solid coagulated substance, allowing the liquid to drain). Marinate mutton pieces in mixture and keep in the refrigerator for at least eight hours.
- Skewer mutton pieces . Allow eight to ten pieces per skewer.
- Place skewered mutton in a moderately hot charcoal clay oven. After seven to eight minutes, turn over the skewer so as to ensure uniform cooking on both sides. Cook for another two or three minutes cooking.
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