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Rajasthani cooking was influenced by the war -like lifestyle of its
inhabitants and the availability of ingredients in this region. Cooking here in Rajasthan has its own unique flavour and the simplest ingredients go into preparing most dishes.
Scarcity of water and fresh green vegetables have had their impact
on the cooking in the desert areas of Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Barmer.
Instead of water the women prefer to use milk, buttermilk and
clarified butter.
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the staple grains, are used to make rotis, 'rabdi' and
'kheechdi'; and various chutneys are made from locally available
spices like turmeric, coriander, mint and garlic. |
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Local Food
'Dal-baati' (dumplings with a filling, roasted among hot coals) and
'choorma'(dry, flaky, sweet crumb pudding) are the universal favourites.
The non-vegetarian dishes include 'soola' or barbecued meats, marinated
with a local vegetable. But it is the sweets that the Rajasthanis freak
out on. Each part of the State has its own speciality - so Jodhpur and Jaisalmer are famous for their 'laddoos', Pushkar for its 'malpuas',
Bikaner for its 'rasgullas', Udaipur for its 'dil jani', Jaipur for its
'mishri mawa' and 'ghevar', Ajmer for its 'sohan halwa'; and mouth
watering 'jalebis' can be found in all cities. It is difficult to explain
the merits of each of these sweets, so whichever city you are in just ask
for the local speciality and enjoy it. Most hotels have excellent
restaurants that serve a selection of Rajasthani dishes as well as
international favourites.
The war-like life style of the people of
Rajasthan, necessitated food stuffs that could last several days. This
resulted in a large variety of savoury snacks being developed - 'bhujia',
'mathri', 'khatta-meetha sev', 'daal-moth', etc. These popular
ready-to-eat munchies are now available in attractive, well-sealed
packaging, all over North India - ideal
for on-the-move snacking. |
