Top 13 Rajasthani cuisines one cannot afford to miss

Rajasthani cuisines is one of those rare cuisines that boasts an endless variety of flavors and colors with plenty of dishes; ranging from tangy drinks to spicy starters, mouth-watering sabzis and crunchy bread along with added chutney, achars, papad and chhach delights. Not to mention the delicate desserts and rich crunchy delights that immediately melt in your mouth!

While more than 70% of the state is vegetarian, there is also a fair share of meat dishes in Rajasthani cuisines. The hardship of living in a climate like this added some moulding of their cuisine to the wars they endured in the past. For example, food is preferred that requires less water. There’s a lot of yogurt water substitution that’s a desert effect around them. There’s not enough water there! Another effect of this harsh climate and also of the people who used to inhabit this state’s warlike living styles was that food that could last for many days without being spoiled was preferred.

Let’s get to know some of the best Rajasthani cuisine that one can never afford to miss:

Daal baati choorma

One of the state’s most famous Rajasthani cuisines is Dal Bati Churma without which Rajasthani food is incomplete. With Panchkuti dal and churma, the round Batis dipped in ghee makes an appetizing combination. Served with hot and sizzling mirchi ka achaar the dish is a must try when you are in the land of the Rajputs.

Laal maas

If you love your food to be spicy then this is the best dish for you. Without mentioning the crowd favorite, Laal Maas, you cannot talk about Rajasthani cuisines. The fiery red chillies give this spicy dish its color. Best served with bajra rotis, you will not be disappointed if you eat it along with plain rice too.

Mohan maas

A perfect meal for the Maharajas, for every non-vegetarian this is a delight. The meat is cooked with milk and mild spices, making it juicy and tender. The thick gravy infused with khus-khus, lemon and cardamom flavors reveals the dish’s beautiful flavor.

Gatte ki khichdi

Gatte ki Khichdi is undoubtedly Rajasthan’s best rice preparation. The perfect evening snack is this flavorful dish prepared with rice and soft besan dumplings.

Pyaaz kachori

The one thing my parents always get from Jaipur or Jodhpur when they come back. This is one of the Rajasthani cities most popular street snacks. Prepared in the same way as regular dal kachoris, pyaaz kachoris, together with other eclectic spices, browned onions, salt and spices added to the filling.

Banjara gosht

Being an arid land, Rajasthan had plenty of dishes and recipes that had been popular with a lot of slightly coarse meat dishes. Banjara literally means gypsy and this dish is cooked in the gypsy style where the spices are not smoothly ground but pounded with a pestle.

Aam ki laungi

Aam ki launji is a large part of any Rajasthani meal that is appropriate. This is a special type of mango pickle that does not require the correct pickling time required by most other pickles. The mangoes are cooked with a bunch of spices and powders to make the launji and are held throughout the state with paranthas and pooris.

Ghewar

Nothing is more exciting than getting a huge ghewar disk at home. Usually served at the Teej festival, this beautiful dessert is made from flour soaked in sugar syrup. Sometimes you get varieties that are twice as delicious as having khoya covering the disk!

Rajasthani kadi

Kadi has a nationwide version and each state has a different one. People of Rajasthani prefer a pungent and spicy one that will surely awaken those buds of taste. This Kadi is part of the famous rajasthani thali which was served to the kings and their special guests.

Ker saangri

One of Rajasthani’s most popular dishes, ker is a tangy and peppery wild berry, while sangri is a type of long bean grown abundantly in Jaisalmer and Barmer’s desert areas. Sangri is a cornerstone of drought when there is little else available as it is 53% protein.

Legend has it that there was a famine in Rajasthan a long time ago and these two vegetables were found by the villagers when all the other vegetation was gone. These vegetables were taken home by the villagers and cooked in vegetable oil with spices due to the scarcity of water. With their bajra rotis, they ate this wonderful mixture.

Papad ki subzi

Rajasthanis always thought out of the box because of the shortage of rain and water, and this dish was a lifesaver when they ran out of vegetables. Roasted papads (thin Indian flatbreads made from lentils) are roughly broken in this popular curry and added to the gravy of yogurt made from gram flour, chili powder, turmeric and chopped coriander leaves. Usually served with steamed rice, the result is a mouth watering curry.

Panchkutta daal

This is a quintessential curry consisting of five ingredients widely found throughout the Thar Desert. During long drives on carts and camels, travelers in the desert relied extensively on panchkuta. After cooking, it has a long shelf life and is traditionally eaten with pooris / rotis. Panchkuta’s five ingredients are sangri, ker, kumat (seeds from a deciduous tree’s pod), gunda (a type of wild berry) and dry red chilies.

Bajra ki roti with lahsun ki chutney

Bajra is a black millet flour that has been enjoyed throughout the state. Thickly rolling bajra rotis are cooked in villages over cow dung cakes that give the rotis a smoked flavor. Bajra rotis on a Rajasthani menu can accompany virtually any vegetable. Bajra roti is usually accompanied by lasun ki chutney-a garlic dip made of garlic, red chilli powder, lime juice, jaggery and homemade butter.

Drooling enough!! These were some of the best dishes of rajasthan that will make you go lala over the food. The colors and the flavors of these dishes will leave you demanding for more.

HAPPY DROOLING!!