From Popular To Typical Mouthwatering Rajasthani Dishes

Rajasthan or the land of kings is famous for its majestic forts, rich cultural heritage, colorful festivals and undoubtedly its delightful food. Food of this dessert land truly reflects its royal  socio-historical culture and contributes immensely to Indian Cuisine. As a large part of the state is inhabited by the Marwaris, who prefer vegetarian food, you can stumble across some of the most tempting vegetarian delicacies in different parts of the state. And the sweets served here are just irresistible with a lot of ghee in them. Influenced by tribes, customs and traditions, their discreet lifestyles and their royal heritage, Rajasthani food offer you a reason to come back here again and again.

Since Rajasthan is a dry climate state, they have less availability of fresh vegetables, hence they use much of flours, grains and pulses. Gram flour is mostly used to make Kadi , Sabzi and snacks in this hot and dry state. Lots of spices, oil and yogurt is used in Rajasthani dishes. Use of little extra oil helps to keep the food fresh for long time as Rajasthan is a hot and humid area.

If you happen to be in Rajasthan anytime soon, don’t miss out these delicious and unique Vegetarian dishes.

1. Gatte ki Sabzi

Gatte ki Sabzi  is a speciality from Rajasthan and a must not miss dish from the cuisine.  And as far as taste is concerned it will definitely top your list of favorite cuisine. These dumplings dipped in a spicy flavorsome gravy is a sabzi without any key ‘sabzi‘ in it as it is made from gram flour and curd as primary ingredients. The Gatte ki sabzi is served with Rotis.

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2. Dal Bati Churma

Amongst the popular Rajasthani cuisine, Dal Bati Churma is the most esteemed platter. This is a very rich dish with a lot of ghee in it. Bati is hard baked or grilled balls of wheat flour dough, Dal is made of lentils and Churma is a sweet made of wheat flour, sugar & dry fruits. It is commonly served at all festivities, including religious occasions and wedding ceremonies in Rajasthan.

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3. Ghevar

This Rajasthani filigreed delicacy is difficult to make sweet dish, but all the efforts are worth because of its scrummy and unique taste. It is disc-shaped sweet made with all purpose flour and soaked in sugar syrup. Especially prepared during Teej, Rakhi, Gangaur and Makar Sakranti festivals, it is available in many Indian sweet shops around whole year. There are many varieties of Ghevar, including plain, mawa and malai ghevar. Ghevar traces it roots to Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan.

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4. Mirchi Vada

This is a popular street snack of Rajasthan prepared with Mirchi (Chilli), potato and gram flour. A green chili is in center, covered with potato and masala and dipped in gram flour batter then deep fried. It is served hot with tomato sauce or occasionally with mint and tamarind chutney. It is a favorite snack of the local Rajasthani people who love hot and spicy food.

The mirchi vada of Jodhpur, Rajasthan is very famous, as the water in that region lends it a unique taste. It also plays a role of starter in many Marwari’s functions and parties.

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5. Ker Sangri

Ker Sangri is a traditional, spicy Sabzi made with the dried berries (Ker berry) and dried mongri ki phalli (Sangri) which are used to make this nice and delicious stir fry. Cooked simply and easily with common ingredients like red chilies, carom seeds and a couple of spice powders. Ker Sangri is nevertheless extremely tasty, leaving a lingering taste on your tongue. The addition of raisins brings out the brilliance of this recipe, as it enhances the flavour of all the spicy ingredients while also providing sweet respites in every spoonful. This Ker Sangri ki Sabzi is also made with generous amount of oil and spices and is very good to carry for traveling as it stays fresh for 2-3 days without refrigeration.

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6. Kesar Fini

Comprised of saffron, cardamom, maida, sugar and pure ghee, this is the most commonly savored sweet in Rajasthan. This is a secret recipe and no one apart from the specific Rajasthani Halwaiis are able to replicate it.

It requires very less effort in chewing this sweet as it melts as soon as gulped. Its sister dish, White Fini, does not contains saffron, cardamom and sugar. It is especially consumed with milk and by the people who don’t prefer sugar.

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7. Boondi Raita

Boondi raita is one of the tastiest and easiest Indian Curd Preparation, made by adding boondi in yogurt (dahi / curd) and then flavored with right amount of salt, red chilli powder and cumin powder. Boondis look like yellow pearls made from chickpea flour. It is a nice side dish recipe which can be served along with biryani, pulao and Parathas. Moreover, the raita is a simple pleasure packed with nutrients, good bacteria, and is a great way to boost protein levels.

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8. Rajasthani Kadhi

Kadhi is a spiced yogurt based sauce and is thickened with gram flour. The good thing is that you don’t need to chop any veggies for it. Kadhis are naturally cooling as they are made with yogurt and is excellent during the summers and often made in Rajasthani homes. Such a splash of flavors is essential to enjoy food in extreme climates such as that found in Rajasthan.

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9. Mohanthal

Mohanthal is a  Rajasthani sweet fudge made from roasted gram flour, khoya, ghee and sugar. The dessert similar to besan barfi is ideally known to be served to Gods and Goddesses as prasad. It is very popular sweet dish in India and savoured during auspicious occasions like Diwali.

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10. Pyaz ki Kachori

Pyaaz ki Kachori  is one of the famous spicy snack food from Jodhpur and vicinity. Popularity of this snack has made it a local snack dish of not only Rajasthan but several regions of India. These steaming hot, crisp deep-fried Kachoris with an extra zing of onion stuffing is a must for those who can’t resist spicy food.  These Kachoris are often served with sweet and spicy tamarind chutney.

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11. Bajre ki Roti

Rajasthan is famous for it’s rustic cuisine and Bajra ki Roti comes front and center. But not everyone can make this thick Bajra ki Roti the traditional way because  ladies make circles with hand without using rolling pin. The Roti made from hearty gluten free grain is easily digestible containing many beneficial nutrients and is well accompanied by any Rajasthani Sabzi.

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12. Lahsun ki chutney

Rajasthani cuisine is incomplete without Lahsun ki chutney. In fact, Marwaris prefer this healthy chutney with their everyday meal. As the name suggests this unique preparation is made primarily of garlic, so also have its many medicinal benefits for the heart & skin. The color of the chutney is red due to the addition of tomato and red chilli which blends very well with garlic enhancing the taste of the chutney.

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13. Bhujia

In 1877, during the reign of Maharaja Shri Dungar Singh, the first batch of bhujia was produced in the princely state of Bikaner which now provides employment to around 2.5 million people in villages of the region, especially women. But the industry was struggling with numerous copycats over the years. In September 2010, Indian Patent Office confirmed the Geographical indication rights and patent was issued for the brand name Bikaneri bhujia to the local manufacturers of Bikaner.

Well, most savouries in India are made from gram flour (besan), but this Bikaneri bhujia is made from ground moth lentils, a crop which grows only in the deserts of Bikaner and Jodhpur. This factor, along with the desert air, gives the Bhujia a unique crispness and extraordinarily long shelf life. This particular dish is the calling card of a city that has a lot of other delights on offer.

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14. Laapsi

A treat for the palate, Laapsi happens to be one of the very old traditional sweet dish of Rajasthan often prepared for some special occasions or for rituals (puja). It is made of porridge (broken wheat pieces) and ghee while cardomom is also added for its tanatalising aroma  along with nuts, raisins and dried rose petals  for garnish.

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15. Mathri

Mathri is one of the most popular tea-time snack from Rajasthan. It is a kind of flaky biscuit from north-west region of India. It is made from flour, water, and cumin seeds (optional). The creation of this snack was influenced by the need to have preserved food that will stay edible for days and the finished products are often stored in big jars at room temperature.

Mathri is served with mango, chilli or lemon pickle along with tea.

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16. Baajre ka Khichda

Bajre ka Khichda is traditionally made by Jains on the holy day of Akshaya Tritiya (Akhateej) as their first Tirthankar Rishabhdev opened the fast on this day with Bajre ka Khichda and Amalwana (Tangy drink made of Tamarind and Jaggery). As the name suggest Bajre ka Khichda is made from crushed Bajra (Millet) and hence stuffed to core with iron. This Khichda is definitely loved by all and can be relished in any season.

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17. Kanji Vada

The tangy and refreshing Kanji Vadas are moong dal dumplings stewed in fermented mustard stock. The kanji has to be made at least a day in advance so that all the flavours are released into the water. This Marwari delicacy is generally made around the festival of Holi and it comes to the rescue when you have eaten too many sweets on festival and do not feel like eating anything else. It is quite a quencher when the winters are receding and the sun is getting hot.

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18. Dahi Vada

Dahi Vada  is a popular street food fare and are great as a starter or a cold appetizer. Traditional Dahi Vada are dumplings made from lentils (split black gram/urad daal) which are smothered with frothy fresh curds and sprinkled with spices like chilli pwd, cumin pwd, chaat masala or black salt.  The vadas end up as a toothsome treat that blends varied flavours and textures in every mouthful.

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19. Churma Ladoo

The sweet dish sinfully rich in ghee, Churma ladoo are famous in Rajasthan, and is usually served with Dal-Baati. Traditionally it is made by mashing up bajri or wheat flour baatis or rotis in ghee and jaggery and then binding to make a sphere. The other variety of it is churma which is of powdered form. These Ladoos come in different flavors too. Sometimes dried fruits and nuts are added or even fenugreek/methi seeds, depending on the season and the occasion.

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20. Papad ki Sabzi

Another simple yet great dish inspired from the colorful state of Rajasthan is Papad Ki Sabzi. It needs very few ingredients and has a flavor that is distinct and fabulous. Easy to make and great for days when you’re in a hurry but want a hot, cooked meal. It tastes great not just with Bajra Roti but also with any other type of Chapatis or Parathas.

21. Sukhi Sabzis

The people of arid land of Rajasthan could never count only on vegetation and that is the reason they have so many innovative Sabzis having no vegetables at all. We have already seen few famous Sabzis above but there are other Sabzis that are equally tempting – Badi ki Sabzi, Mangodi ki Sabzi, Sirawadi ki Sabzi, Pitod ki Sabzi and the list goes on.

22. Sattu

A very delighting sweet dish, Sattu has its importance especially for women celebrating Teej festival. Women celebrate it with lots of fervour and jollity. And after all the rituals including Katha (the story behind Teej), the moon appears and then the husband takes sattu with help of silver coin and gives it to wife for breaking the fast.

Sattu can be made in different flours like rice flour, gram flour or wheat flour.

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23. Papad ki Choori

Papad ki Choori is another delicious Rajasthani snack that often accompanies meals. This easy to make Choori is a preparation of crushed papads (Poppadom) which are tossed in spices and ghee.

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24. Aam ki Launji

Quick and easy to make pickle that tickles your palate! Aam ki Launji is made by cooking mangoes with a readily available selection of spices and powders. No complex methods, tricky proportions or pickling time involved in making this, yet it stays fresh for almost four days in the refrigerator. This sweet and spicy Aam ki Launji can be served with parathas or rotis of your choice.

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25. Sweets from Wheat

In Rajasthani homes, you will find many sweet dishes made from wheat flour too like Gul Gulla Bada, Aate ka Sheera, Gond ke Ladoo, Kaankri Mirch and many more. All this sweet dishes are just irresistible and are devoured with gusto. The interesting factor is the key ingredient,wheat flour is always available and so some of the sweets can be made instantly and anytime when you are in hurry.

26. Thandai

Thandai, also known as “Sardai”, is one of the most popular drinks not only in Rajasthan but throughout India. This chilled milk beverage is prepared with exotic blend of almond and other seeds, saffron, pepper corn, cardamom, sugar and rose petals and especially savoured on the occasions of Maha Shivratri and Holi when it is often mixed with ‘bhang’ to make an intoxicating drink.

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27. Variety in Rotis

Rajasthani cuisine has variety in Rotis too. Apart from the very popular Bajra ki Roti their are many scrumptious options in Rotis like Moth ki Roti, Mogar ki Puri, Missi Roti. These delectable Rotis accompanies any sabzi very well and even tastes good if you have nothing else than it.

We have tried to put as many dishes from all over Rajasthan to give you an idea of Rajasthani cuisine. Even then it was just a glimpse of the gastronomic delights that the culture rich land has to offer. If you are a foodie then you must try these mouth-watering platters at least once and don’t forget to share this listicle with your kins and friends.