One of the most delightful aspects of a visit to the ‘pink city’ is the culinary delights of Rajasthan, the main cuisine of Jaipur. The capital of Rajput kings had an impressive array of mouth-watering delights, kept closely guarded by the royal chefs. Some of them have been passed on through generations, sadly the rest have been lost.
As a matter of prestige the royal cooks were encouraged to experiment and serve unusual dishes to guests. Legends tell tales of cooks trying to impress their guests by presenting at least one unforgettable item on the menu. The royal guests were served savory dishes made from stuffed camels, goats, pigs and peacocks. The food was served in gold and silver utensils, scores of utensils used each serving.
Jaipur is a city of royalty, a land which has served rich food to the Kings and queens of the royal family. The imperial kitchens of Rajasthan used to employ ‘Khansamas' (the royal cooks) to make the best gastronomy. The Pink city still serves the best delicacies to its residents and tourists. If you are planning a trip to Jaipur, leave your worries aside as the city has myriad number of restaurants. Almost all the restaurants serve every type of cuisine, so you need not to think about what to eat.
Jaipur is famous for its Dal Batti, Churma, Mawa Kachori, Ghewar, Mirchi Bada, Rajasthani Subji and different kinds of Chapattis.
Typical dishes include Dal Baati Churma, Missi Roti. Sweet dishes include Ghevar, Feeni, Gajak, Chauguni ke laddu, Moong Thal.
Dal Baati choorma, popular name for a preparation comprising Dal and Baati, is a very well known dish of Rajasthan.
Recognized as a Rajasthan speciality, Dal-baati-choorma is a wholesome Rajasthani meal. Dal, or lentil curry, is served with Baati, a roundel of stuffed flour that's baked in a charcoal fire or oven. Choorma is a sweet dish made with flour, jaggery or sugar and ghee.
Dal is basically prepared from tuvaar dal. Tuvaar dal is first boiled in pressure cooker and after that it is prepared for the tadka. First the oil is heated in the frying pan and then rai-jeera are sprinkled into it then put green meshed chili and garlic then all spices including salt, hing, red chili, turmeric, coriander, ginger and many more spices are mixed into it. And finally we put the boiled tuvaar dal into this paste.
Baati is basically hard bread made up of wheat powder commonly known as aata. First we mesh wheat powder with little bit of salt and water. Then we prepare tennis ball size round balls of this mixture and put it in well heated cow dung cake. After it gets brown color it’s been taken out and stuffed in Ghee. Baati comes in varieties acts as a substitute for rotis. You could opt for plain baati, or try the more exotic masala, dry fruit or missi baatis. Baati is made out of wheat flour, millet or a mix of maize and wheat flour, with loads of ghee.
There is also an unending variety in churma – the color of which depends on the ingredients.
This Dal-Baati choorma is then served with Rava Ladoo, rice, pudina chaatni, Kari (green mango) chaatni, green salad with excess of onion and fresh curd milk. It has the highest number of calories. 100grams of Dal Baati has 99grams of calories.
Dal Bafla
Dal Bafla is a variation of Dal Baati, where the normal Baati is replaced by the Bafla, a softer version of it.
Ghevar is a famous Rajasthani sweet traditionally associated with the Teej Festival. It is disc-shaped, and made from oil, flour and sugar syrup. There are many varieties of Ghevar, such as plain, mawa and malai ghevar.
Mawa Kachori
A kachori filled with mawa and sugar syrup, this delicacy is not to be missed. It is available at all sweet shops in Jaipur.
Mirchi Bada
Sharing prime spot with samosas and kachoris in the snack market are Mirchi Badas – green chilies dunked in besan and deep fried. You can even find vendors selling these on makeshift handcarts by the roadside.
Rajasthani Subji
Gatte ki subji, Rajasthani curry, Mangori, Pakodi and Ker Sangari, the traditional subjis, are part of the daily meals here. A papad – plain or masala – is a must to sum up meals, as a tradition in Rajasthan.
Chapatti/Roti
What is interesting about Jaipur is the variety of rotis one gets, even in the smallest eating place. Bajre Ki Roti, Makki Ki Roti, Jau-Channa Ki Roti, Besan Ki Roti, Cheelra, Paratha, Puri, Methi Puri, Rumali Roti… the list is endless.
The best known cuisine of Jaipur includes two meat specialties. The red meat cooked in a fiery and very spicy manner, while the white meat cooked with almonds, cashew nuts and coconut. The main food here is dal-bati-churma, made of butter, cereals and sweetened bread pudding. There are varieties of bread found in Jaipur namely baati, lachhedar paratha and besan ki missi puri. If you are a spice lover, taste the various chutneys made from locally available spices like turmeric, coriander, mint and garlic.
Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan so rajasthani cuisine is very famous here and the cooking here is greatly influenced by rajasthani style of cooking which in turn was influenced by both the war-like lifestyles of its 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 has all had their effect on the cooking.