Rajasthan is one of India’s many exotic destinations with its breathtaking palaces, spectacular landscapes and rich history, it’s truly a unique experience. Don’t leave Rajasthan without trying these dishes.
21 Traditional Foods to Eat in Rajasthan
1. Dal Baati Churma
This is the state’s classic signature dish. Baati is hard, unleavened bread cooked in desert areas. It is prized mainly for its long shelf life. It is always eaten with dal while churma is a coarsely ground wheat mixture crushed and cooked in ghee and jaggery or sugar.
2. Gatte ki Subzi
Typical Rajasthani food platers are almost incomplete without gatte. For this, you don’t need any fresh vegetables and that’s its specialty. This curry is made with gram flour dumplings and tangy gravy made of tomato, buttermilk and spices. It is best enjoyed with rice and rotis.
3. Laal Maans
This is the most famous non-vegetarian dish in this predominantly vegetarian state. It means red meat and the dish got its name because of its red colour. It is a mutton curry prepared in a sauce of yogurt and hot spices such as red Mathania chilies. While the spices and yogurt make a perfect curry, the meat used is tender to make it a melt in mouth dish. This is a must-try for meat eaters.
4. Ker Sangri
One of the most popular Rajasthani dishes, ker sangri is a wild berry that is tangy and peppery while sangri is a type of long bean. It seems to have evolved during the time of famine. The villagers took these vegetables home and due to the scarcity of water, cooked them in vegetable oil with spices. Today this beautiful concoction is cooked in buttermilk or water and had with bajra rotis.
5. Papad ki Subzi
In this popular curry, roasted papads which are Indian flatbreads made from lentils are broken roughly and added to yogurt gravy made with gram flour, chilli powder, turmeric and chopped coriander leaves. The result is a mouthwatering curry usually served with steamed rice.
6. Rajasthani Kadi
This light and delicious dish has several variations in India, each leaving a different effect on the palate. The kadi of Rajasthan is a spicy and tangy yogurt-based sauce, further thickened with gram flour, also adding pakoras is optional in this version. Give a kick to your taste buds with this very pungent and spicy curry and savour it with rice.
7. Pyaaz Kachori
The popular spicy snack from in and around Jodhpur has found its place in almost all regions. It is a delicious and new variation of kachori. These flaky, deep-fried snacks are filled with spicy onion mixture, potatoes, and spices like fennel, cumin, turmeric, and chili powder. This breakfast snack is best enjoyed with sweet and sour tamarind sauce or with aloo curry.
8. Ghevar
It’s a dessert that blends flour, milk, and ghee and is then doused in sugar syrup, best accompanied by a sprinkling of almonds, pistachios, and saffron on top. Any festival or celebration is incomplete without this classic sweet signature dish.
9. Mirchi Bada
These are spicy fritters available all over India, but no one does it better than Jodhpur, Rajasthan. It has a filling of potatoes and chilies and is served hot with mint and tomato sauce. Such a perfect combination, makes you go over for more and more.
10. Safed Maas
This is a must-have dish to enjoy the brilliance of meat cooked to perfection. It is another traditional meat dish, the tender meat is cooked in a gravy of cream, milk, curd, cashew paste assorted mild spices, and a generous amount of dried fruits. This blend makes up for a lip-smacking dish, making it irresistible.
Read also – 10 Local Dishes For You From the Streets of Kolkata!
11. Bhuna Kukda
It is Rajasthan’s take on chicken. Chicken is thoroughly marinated with local spices and then cooked until it becomes tender. It is topped with fresh coriander and savoured with Indian flatbreads. This is a dish that will keep you hankering for a second help asking for more.
12. Mohan Thaal
It is popular both in Rajasthan and Gujrat. It is gram flour infused with cardamom flavor and topped with sliced almonds and pistachios. With a chewy texture and sweet grainy taste, when you’re craving something a little sweet, this can be your dish.
13. Pav Bhaji
Although it is a Bombay dish it is now famous overall. The Rajasthani version of Pav bhaji is a must-try. It is a combination of mixed vegetables like potatoes, peas, capsicum, onions, carrots, etc. made into a bhaji with spices and served with pav or bread. You can find the best pav bhaji stalls in Jawahar Circle.
14. Shahi Gatte
It is also known as Govind Gatte and is a richer version of the popular dish, Masala Gatte. Gram flour dumplings are first filled with generous amounts of nuts and then deep fried. The rich, thick, gravy tastes awesome with rice as well as rotis.
15. Jalebi
This is the traditional dessert of Rajasthan. It is made by deep frying wheat flour batter in circular shapes, which are then soaked in sugar syrup. It is usually eaten as such but is also accompanied by kachori or samosa to balance its spicy flavor.
16. Imarati
Imarati, Amriti or Jhangri is a dessert invented in the Mughal kitchen and is now popular in Rajasthan. Imarti is made by deep frying urad flour batter in a kind of circular flower shape, then soaked in sugar syrup.No Rajsthani ceremony is complete without this delectable orange coloured dish.
17. Balushahi
A dish that can easily take doughnuts head-on, Balushahi is a traditional Rajasthani sweet dish. A flaky texture on the outside and sugar syrup inside, this is one sweet dish every sweet lover swears by.
18. Kalmi Vada
The kanji or rai ka pani as it is known needs to be prepared a day in advance so that the flavours infuse. A perfect tea-time snack, these deep fried gram dal crispies made with onion, dhania seeds and chillies are best enjoyed with spicy green chutney. The chutney made of mint and chillies gives the perfect amount of heat.
19. Mawa Kachori
A version of kachori, Mawa Kachori is filled with dry fruits and khoya, deep fried, and then dipped in sugar syrup. One must indulge in this dessert after lunch or dinner. If you say you don’t have a sweet tooth, then you haven’t tried this dish.
20. Methi Bajra Poori
This steaming hot Rajasthani snack is a favorite among health-conscious people. Prepared with a minimum amount of oil, these finger-licking steamy pooris taste delicious with chutney and raita.
21. Gatte ka Pulao
Also known as Ram Pulao, this dish is a rich combination of freshly steamed rice and spicy gatte which are boiled and sauteed with grounded spices to bring it to another level. The succulent hot gatte simply melts in one’s mouth. This dish is a reflection of the love of the state for this dish.
