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Culinary Delights: Khata, Gatte Ki Sabzi, Pakodi
 

Desserts: Ghevar, Malpuas, Jalebis, Sohan Halwa
 

Unique Feature: Foods that are long lasting
 

Every region in Indian exhibits its unique culinary specialties. Food is given the status of art-form in India and Royal kitchens of Rajasthan are living examples in this regard. The cuisines of Rajasthan show that food preparation in this state is a serious matter and it requires expertise in the field. The food habits of Rajsthani people were influenced largely by the factors like wars and scarce availability of ingredients in this state. Consequently the factors influence the cooking style of this region as well. Hence, when you explore the cuisines of Rajasthan you will find the evidences of these factors largely.

Influence of the Communities over Cuisines of Rajasthan

The food habits of the people of Rajasthan show a wide variety. The Rajput warriors who once ruled this state were not inclined in hunting and using their hunted game as meal. Naturally, this gave birth to the varied vegetarian dishes in this state. The royal kitchens of Rajasthan will present to you some great vegetarian culinary delights.

There are other communities in Rajasthan apart from Rajputs where you will find abundance in vegetarian cooking. The Vaishnavas for example, are followers of Lord Kina and abstain from non-vegetarian foods. Another community named Bishnois, are also vegetarian and they are popular in this state for their passion to save plant and animal life.

The Marwari community forms a significant part of the Rajasthan’s population. The foods prepared by Marwaris are also vegetarian and their cuisine resemble with the Rajput largely. But the food items prepared by Marwaris are not as rich as the foods prepared by Rajputs.

The community of Jains also exists in Rajasthan who are also vegetarians like the other communities describes above.  In fact the Jain community is very strict regarding their food as they refrain from eating after sunset. Their food preparation is unique, as it is devoid of onions and garlic, which are important ingredients in Rajasthani cooking.

Main Dishes

Gram flour is a major ingredient in Rajasthan and it is used to make some of the culinary delicacies such as Khata, Pakodi and Gatte Ki Sabzi. Dishes like Mangodi and Papad are made out of powdered lentils. You will find Bajra and corn, which are widely used all over this region to make Kichdi, Rabdi and Rotis.

A popular dish of Rajasthan is soup of legumes, which is flavored by red chilli, pepper, milk or yoghurt. Occasionally, some vegetables such as jackfruit, okra, eggplant, fenugreek leaf and mustard are also put in this soup to make it rich. Only the wealthy people of Rajasthan can afford to eat non-vegetarian dishes regularly. But a large part of the population abstains from eating meat due to religious causes.

Chutneys

You will find the variety of chutney in Rajasthan very wide and tasty as well. The kitchens of Rajasthan have a great variety of chutneys to offer you, and the combination of Dalbati with Churma is popular all over India.

Deserts

It will be wrong to guess that Rajasthan kitchens have a forte in spicy foods exclusively. Most of the people of Rajasthan have an inherent affinity for sweet food items. The desert such as Jalebi, and Fafda are hot favorite for most Rajasthanis. They love to have these Deserts served with a glass of hot milk.

It’s time for you to discover the taste of Rajasthan, by planning a trip to this state. You can tantalize your taste buds easily through the varied culinary delicacies in the major restaurants and hotels of Rajasthan.