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In the royal kitchens of Rajasthan,as well as most other states, food was very serious business and raised to the level of an art-form. The food was served in gold and silver utensils and the number of dishes at one meal ran into hundreds. It was usually never possible to taste all the delicacies served. But the common man’s kitchen remained untouched. Cooking here has its own unique flavour and the simplest; the most basic of ingredients go into the preparation of most dishes. 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 liberally used. Gram flour is major ingredient here and is used to make some of the delicacies like khata, gatta ki sabzi, pakodi, powdered lentils are used for mangodi, papad. Bajra and corn is used all over the state for preparations of rabdi, kheechdi, and rotis. Various chutneys are made from locally available spices like turmeric, coriander, mint and garlic. Perhaps the best known Rajasthani food is the combination of Dal bati and churma but for the adventurous traveler, willing to experiment, there is a lot of variety available. Besides spicy flavours, each region is distinguished by its popular sweet-ladoos from Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, Malpuas from Pushkar, Jalebies from most big cities, Rasogullas from Bikaner, Dil Jani from Udaipur, Mishri Mawa and Ghevar from Jaipur, Sohan Halwa from Ajmer, Mawa from Alwar Tilpapadi from Beawar……. Try some of these in your kitchen. Dal Bati(Puffed dough dumplings with lentil curry )
Serves: 6 Ingredients For dal: o 2 cups rajma beans (soaked in water overnight with a pinch of soda bicarb) o 3/4 cup whole black gram (urad) (soaked in water overnight with a pinch of soda bicarb) o 3 onions, chopped finely. o 2 tomatoes, chopped finely. o 2 tsps garam masala powder. o 2 tsps chilli powder. o 1 tsp turmeric powder. o 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste. o 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise.
o
2 tbsps cream o 1 cup coriander leaves, chopped finely. o Oil. o Salt to taste. For dumplings: o 5 cups whole wheat flour, sieved. o 1 cup ghee, melted. o 2 tbsps curd. o Salt to taste. Method Pressure cook rajma and black gram till it becomes soft. Heat 4 tbsps oil. Add onions. Brown them. Add ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes. Fry. Add all the masalas, beans and salt. Simmer till well blended. The gravy should be thick. Pour over cream and ghee. Knead a soft dough with flour, ghee, curd, salt and just enough water. Roll into lemon-sized balls. Cover and keep for one hour. Then roast in batches on hot coals till puffed and golden outside and spongy inside. Keep hot. Garnish the dal with coriander leaves and slit green chillies. Dip hot dumplings in the dal while eating. · CHURMAINGREDIENTS :
Method Melt 150 gms. of ghee and mix it in wheat flour. Make a stiff dough using very little water. Heat the rest of the ghee in a kadahi. Make about 15-20 balls with the dough. Fry it on low flame till it becomes golden brown. Churn it in grinder after it cools down. Mix khoya. Heat 1 tbsp. ghee in kadahi. Add cardamom seeds and dalchini. Add the above mixture of wheat flour and khoya. Fry it for one minute. When it cools down, add sugar and chopped almonds. Mix well. Serve in a plate. You can enjoy the taste of churma for 8-10 days if you keep it in an airtight box. (Yoghurt Curry)
Serves : 4 Ingredients
Method : Whip the sour yoghurt and add enough water to obtain a pouring consistency. Add gram flour to it and set aside. Scrape the ginger and finely chop and slit green chilies in two and set aside. Chop the jaggery, wash, chop the coriander leaves and set aside. To the yoghurt mixture add the chopped ginger, the jaggery and salt to taste. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Add slit green chilies and asafoetida. Add the yogurt mixture and stir constantly till it boils. Cook on slow flame for 5-8 minutes. Serve hot with white steamed rice or khichdi (Dumlpings in Lentil Curry)
Serves : 6 Ingredients For Dal :
For the dhokli :
Method : | |
Rajasthani
cooking was influenced by the war-like lifestyle of its inhabitants and
the availability of ingredients in this region. Food that could last for
several days and could be eaten without heating was preferred, more out
of necessity than choice. Scarcity of water, fresh green vegetables have
all had their effect on the cooking.
