The Pink City of Rajasthan is famous amongst tourists and Rajasthani food is all about generosity and loads of ghee. These are some dishes from the Royal Platter, you should try when you visit Jaipur with some specific places you must explore.
13 Traditional Foods to Eat in Jaipur
1. Bejad ki Roti
It’s an Indian bread made from three different types of flour (wheat, chickpeas, barley) cooked on a clay wok and then directly on wood fire, wood fire gives the bread a nice smoky flavour and it is usually served with garlic chutney (lehsun ki chutney), chilli pickle and aloo pyaz ki sabzi. Aloo pyaz ki sabzi goes so good with the bejad roti and it is tomato gravy with cottage cheese (paneer), onions and fried potatoes, with of course loads of ghee.
And, if you crave for the best, you must visit Mahavir Rabri Bhandar at Chandpole.
2. Daal Baati Churma
It is one of the most famous dishes from Rajasthan, though there are only a few cities of Rajasthan that serve Daal Baati Churma on regular basis, Jaipur is one of those. This dish has three food items Daal, Baati and Churma.
Daal is a basic lentil curry with a spicy tadka on top and the lentils used are Chana, Arhar, Moong, Urad, Urad (skinned) with loads of ghee on top. Baatis are baked dough balls in Bhatti (wood-fired oven).
The ingredients of the dough change accordingly with the place and here in Jaipur, these are usually made with whole wheat flour, semolina, yoghurt and bajra for richness. You can get it in plain as well as in masala form. Churma is a sweet semolina-based crumbled dish with desi ghee and dry fruits.
For specifics, try The Thali House at Sindhi Camp.
3. Gatte ki Sabzi
It is a famous Rajasthani curry you can find in Jaipur. It is a chickpea flour aka “Besan” based curry dish. Besan is most commonly used in Jaipur and you may find it in nearly every dish. Besan dough is mixed with spices and long tubes are made from the dough, boiled/steamed and sliced into bite-size pieces. These pieces are then flavoured with a spicy tadka mix, full of butter/ghee or mustard oil.
4. Papad Mangodi ki Sabzi
It is basically a mixture of two varieties, Papad and Mangodi. Papad is thin sheets of different pulse doughs. Most common are Moong Daal Papad and Urad Papad, made from grinding and making doughs of Moong Daal and Urad Daal. These are rolled in very thin sheets and sun-dried. These papads are then roasted over the flame and can be eaten as snacks like this.
Further, these are crumbled in bite-size. Mangodi is again made from moong daal but this time the dough is fried in small balls and sun-dried. These balls are then broken into halves and are ready to be prepared, boiled with vegetables and treated with a tadka and the Papad crumbles in the last. Papad crumbles soak the gravy in and this is yet again very famous in Jaipur. This is available at any nearby Dhaba.
5. Sev Tamatar Sabzi
Sev is a type of Bhujiya, thick and spicy, with a hint of garlic-ish flavour. This Bhujiya is fried with a tadka of tangy-spicy tomato-based curry. This curry is thick in consistency and you can taste Spicy, Tangy, and Sharp taste of garlic from the Sev at once. This is one of my favourites. You can find this at any nearby Dhaba.
6. Laal Maas
Now, this is something that could bring tears in your eyes, if you love spice then this should be on your must-try list. It is gravy based mutton dish and the gravy is made from the dried red chillies as the base with a thick consistency. The mutton melts apart in your mouth, so well cooked. The recipe came from the Jaisalmer area and now widely served in Jaipur as well. The meat is so tender that it actually falls off the bones as it is slow-cooked for hours in handi (clay pot).
7. Jungli maas
This turns out to be slightly mild in taste as compared to Laal Maas. This one is a non-gravy mutton-based platter. The meat is fried in ghee with fat and dried red chillies, soft in texture and melts in the mouth. Usually served with green coriander/mint chutney and tastes even better with lemon.
Read also – 13 Dessert Delicacies to Try While Touring India
8. Raj Kachori
Raj Kachori can be found anywhere in north India easily but you can always experience a Royal taste in the Raj Kachoris of Jaipur. This is a puffed wheat ball, hollow from the inside, where all the royal-ness is to be filled. Inside it, goes the Vada, Papdi, sprouts, boiled potatoes, and boiled Chana with a spice mix from tangy to spicy. And topped with sweet and creamy whisked yoghurt, tamarind sauce and mint chutney. Garnished with coriander and crunchy snacks (bhujiya).
For the best, try from Kaanji at Sindhi Camp.
9. Mawa Kachori
Kachori is known to be the main food item of Rajasthan, especially in Jaipur. You can find Kachori almost everywhere with a variety of tastes, from onion to Khasta and whatnot. Mawa Kachori is sweet-based stuffed with dry fruits and sweet syrup that is Chashni. The syrup drips off the Kachori and is so crunchy from the outside. From inside, filled with the goodness of dry fruits like pistachio, almonds, cashews and raisins.
10. Khasta Kachori
Khasta Kachoris are also one of the famous Kachoris, neither sweet nor creamy, Khasta Kachori is dry in texture and filled with the richness of spicy fried pulses and chickpea flour, at some places they might be stuffed with onions and potatoes with spices, but a little dry from inside.
The word ‘Khasta’ means dry and crumbly, all the dry and crumbly Kachoris are called Khasta Kachori and stuffing may vary from place to place, and some sellers may have all types of stuffing. You can find Kachori anywhere in Jaipur, or may call Jaipur a “Kachori Land”.
11. Lehsun ki Chutney
Lehsun, aka Garlic and Chutney, is puree/paste. There are many Chutneys available but this one is very spicy, the spiciest of them all. The spicy taste comes from the dried red chillies. These red chillies are sun-dried and used with a mixture of garlic yoghurt, salt, cumin seeds and ginger, that’s all and no other spices.
Originally, it was made on a special rock, called “Silbatta”, pureed with another rock of smaller size by crushing the ingredients all together. Sometimes, to balance the flavours of raw garlic, a tadka with mustard oil and cumin is prepared.
Those who knew about the story behind the word “Chutney”, can comment down below. Also, did you like this one?
12. Kulhad Lassi
Are you tired from wandering around? Lassi is a perfect refreshment for you! You can get lassi from morning vendors and also from special shops, that provide lassi with a variety of tastes and sizes. It is a yoghurt/curd-based drink slightly sweet and in Jaipur, you get it with a layer of Cream (Malai) on top and dry fruits. The salty ones are called Chhas and the sweet ones are Lassi.
For Specifics, visit Mahavir Rabri Bhandaar at Chandpole and try lassi in Clay-glass (Kulhad).
13. Ghevar
It is a desert, made from a special batter, of moderate consistency, deep-fried in a flat pan, inside a disc-shaped utensil, when the batter gains its perfect texture, it is deep-fried without that utensil. It is soaked in sugar syrup and topped with loads of cream and mawa (dry-fruits) when completely fried. Silver/Gold garnishing is done, as this is considered to be one of the Royal sweets.
For the best, check out Rawat Mishthan Bhandaar, Sindhi Camp.
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