Food
that could be stored for several days and could be consumed without heating
was preferred. Shortage of water, fresh green vegetables had effected the
formula of cooking in Rajasthan. In the desert belt of Jaisalmer, Barmer and
Bikaner, the meals are made with the use of milk, buttermilk and clarified
butter or minimum water instead of water used in most of the Indian cooking.
Food is usually cooked over a wood or charcoal fire in the remote areas but
the people of the urban area use LPGs, Hot Plates, Microwaves, Heater, etc.
for cooking. The utensils of clay, brass or copper are generally used.
Some Mouthwatering Delicacies of Rajasthan are :
Ker-Sangri on Bajara Roti
Dried lentils, beans from indegenous plants like sangri, ker, etc are
liberally used. Gram flour is a major ingrediant here
and
is used to make some of the delicacies like khata, gatta ki sabzi, pakodi,
powdered lentils are used for mangodi, papad. The daily food in Rajasthan
typically comprises unleavened bread, made of wheat, barley, millet or
maize.
Rajasthani Dal-Bati-Churma
Daily food mainly comprises of dal-bati (cooked lentils and roasted balls
of dough), accompanied by a variety of dried or pickled berries cooked in
different ways.
Chapatti
The chapatti is a flat, unleavened bread. It complements both the texture
and flavor of the food it scoops up, absorbing runny sauces, balancing
strong flavors and smoothness.
Frying Puris
Puris are delicious, fried wheat bubbles which have varied uses; as snacks,
scoops for food and as a complement to hot spices.
Khud khargosh
Khud Khasrgosh (Hare or rabbit meat cooked in a pit) is a Rajput specialty
during summer, when the hare is lean. The hare is skinned and stuffed with
spices, wrapped in dough and finally in layers of mud-soaked cloth. The
ambrosial result is meat perfectly blended with the spices and dough.
Lassi
Natural yogurt is churned to remove the butter content for the making of
Lassi or buttermilk a cooling summer beverage.
Sula - Tender Morsels of Meat
In Rajput cuisine, sula refer to tender morsels of meat, the most prized
being wild boar spare ribs(bhanslas), marinated in a mixture of dry yogurt,
browned onions, garlic, ginger, coriander, red chilli, and kachri, a small
pod which tenderizes meat and lends a particular sharp-sour flavour to many
dishes. The marinated meat is smoked, spitted on skewers, and grilled over
hot coals. Sulas are made of chicken, pheasant, mutton, or fish.
Soup
A soup of legumes flavored with red chili peppers, yogurt or milk and
sometimes a vegetable such as okra, jackfruit, eggplant, mustard or
fenugreek leaf.
