Rajasthani cuisine

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This article is part of the series
Indian cuisine

Preparation techniques and cooking items

Handi - Karahi - Tava -
Uruli - Other utensils

Regional cuisines

North India

Punjabi – Uttar Pradeshi –
Rajasthani – Mughlai -
Pahadi – Bhojpuri –
Benarasi – Bihari
Kashmiri

South India

Kerala – Tamil –
Andhra – Karnataka –
Hyderabadi - Mangalorean

East India

Assamese - Bengali – Oriya

North-East India

Sikkimese – Assamese –
Tripuri – Naga

West India

Goan – Gujarati –
Maharashtrian/Marathi –
Malvani/Konkani – Parsi

Other

Indian Chinese – Nepali –
History – Jain (Satvika) –
Anglo-Indian – Sindhi –
Chettinad – Udupi –
Fast food

Ingredients and types of food

Main dishes
Sweets and desserts
Drinks
Snacks
Spices
Condiments

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Rajasthani cooking was influenced by the war-like lifestyle of the Rajput inhabitants and the availability of ingredients in this arid region. Food that could last for several days and could be eaten without heating was preferred. Scarcity of water and fresh green vegetables have all had their effect on the cooking.

In the desert belt of Jaisalmer, Barmer and Bikaner, cooks use the minimum of water and prefer, instead, to use more milk, buttermilk and clarified butter. Dried lentils, beans from indigenous plants like sangri, ker etc. are used liberally. Gram flour is major ingredient here and is used to make some of the delicacies like khata, gatte ki sabji, pakodi, powdered lentils are used for mangodi, papad. Bajra and corn is used all over the state for preparations of Raabdi, khichdi, and rotis. Various chutneys are made from locally available spices like turmeric, coriander, mint and garlic.

Rajasthani cuisine is predominantly vegetarian and dazzling in its variety. The spice content is on the higher side, even by Indian standards. Rajasthanis also relish ghee which is an integral part of many of the preparations. The most famous dish would probably be dal-bati, which are spicy lentils with baked balls of wheat with lots of ghee. The variety of sweet dishes is also immense and sweets are relished as much as the spicy curries in Rajasthan.

Corn is a used in a lot of preparations both spicy and sweet. A popular sweet dish made of corn and milk is jhajariya. In fact guests are force fed with lot of affection, also termed manuhar or manvar. It is considered extremely rude to just lay the food on the table and expect guests to serve themselves.

[edit] Sweet Dishes

Sweet dishes are never referred to as 'dessert' in Rajasthan, because unlike desserts which are had after the meal, Rajasthani sweets are had before the meal, with the meal, and after the meal! And typically there is no rationing.

Churma: is the most popular delicacy usually served with baatis and dal. It is coarsely ground wheat crushed and cooked with ghee and sugar. Traditionally it is made by mashing up wheat flour baatis or left over rotis in ghee and jaggery.

Halwa: Not many people know but the halwa is a marwari dish...they are usually made of carrots or loki.

Ghevar: is a honeycomb shaped delicacy made using plain flour and ghee. Ghevars are usually large in size approx. 200 mm. or 250 mm. (8" or 10") squares or rounds and are either sweetened with syrup or served topped with sweet raabdi or thickened milk. They are earmarked as a traditional dish for some special rituals and festivals. They are generally prepared in January for Makar Sankranti, in March-April for Gangaur and in July-August for the Teej festival.