Rajasthan Cuisine

Each region in India is characterised by its traditional dishes and unique specialities. In the kitchens of Rajasthan, as well as most other states, food and style of cooking is a very important issue and is almost treated as an art -form. It is noteworthy that Rajasthani cooking was influenced by the war-like lifestyle of its inhabitants, the availability of ingredients in this region and the scarcity of water.


Cuisine based on different communities
In Rajasthan the cuisine, style of cooking and ingredients used in different sections of the community are different. The Rajput warrior had a flair for hunting, and thus ate both vegetarian and non vegetarian food with great taste. The Vaishnavas, followers of Krishna, were strict vegetarian, and so were the Bishnois, a community known for their love for plants and animals.

The Marwaris are vegetarian too, but their cuisine, is not too different from the Rajputs, but is richer in its method of preparation. Last but not the least are the Jains, who were not only vegetarians, but ate only before the sunset. Another important part of their cooking style is that their food is devoid of garlic and onions which are otherwise an important ingredient of the Rajasthani cooking.



Geographical Influence on the cuisine
Rajasthani food was prepared in a manner so that it would last for several days and could be eaten without heating. Moreover, due to scarcity of water, in the desert belt of Jaisalmer, Barmer and Bikaner, cooks use more milk, buttermilk and clarified butter. The scarcity of water and fresh green vegetables also has its effect on the cooking and dried lentils, beans from indigenous plants like Sangri, Ker etc. are generously used.


Popular Dishes
The best-known Rajasthani dish is the combination of dalbati and churma but there is a lot of variety available for the travelers to love to experiment. Gram flour is a major ingredient here and is used to make some of the delicacies like Khata, Gatte Ki Sabzi and Pakodi. Powdered lentils are used for Mangodi and Papad. Bajra and corn are used all over the state for preparations of Rabdi, Khichdi and Rotis. A soup of legumes, flavoured with red chilli peppers, yoghurt or milk and sometimes a vegetable such as Okra, Jackfruit, Eggplant, Mustard or Fenugreek leaf. Various chutneys are made from locally available spices like turmeric, coriander, mint and garlic.


Desserts
Rajasthani people have a unique liking for sweets or 'Mithai' and each region has its own specialty. Laddoos from Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, Malpuas from Pushkar, Jalebies from most big cities, Dil Jani from Udaipur, Mishri Mawa and Ghevar from Jaipur, Mawa Katchori from Jodhpur, Sohan Halwa from Ajmer, Mawa from Alwar, the list goes on. People residing in Rajasthan prefer 'Jalebis' and 'Fafda' with a large glass of hot milk in the morning. Desserts or sweets of Rajasthan are popular all over the country for their exquisite taste and flavour.