Flavours Of India

Rajasthan the princely state of India is almost 2/3rd desert. Still the place rules with its magnificent palaces made of sandstone, white marbles, and stones along with the elaborate dishes of the place. In spite of being a desert the place is so colorful with brightly colored clothes by people, the pink walls of city of Jaipur, the music, the dance, the fun loving folk and the larger than life style of living. There is to some extend Muslim influence with great history. Therefore you can expect some variety of meat preparations though majority of the population here are vegetarians.

Indeed the place is known for their variety of vegetarian food styles. Whether you talk of Lapsi which is wheat porridge or the ‘bhujia-roti’ combination, you have something to stuff in your mouth without any sort of hesitation. If you wish to learn about the taste of Rajasthan and its vivid culture which is reflected in the dishes, read the book on Rajasthan Cuisin by Maharani Gayatri Devi.

Rajasthani food is mostly known for the cooking in Royal Kitchens. Food here is a serious business because of the tourists flooding the state almost all the year round. The cooking here has its unique flavor and they use the simplest ingredients in them. Gram flour is widely used in some delicacies like Pakoda, Ghatta ki Sabji, Khata and others. They use bajra and corn to make bread (rotis). The place is also known for Khichri a particular dish prepared by ingredients like – rice, vegetables, ginger, spices, and some amount of butter. Rajasthan is also known for richly snacks like – ‘Daal-Moth’, Papad, Chips and Bhujia.

Here are few things which you always find in Rajasthan:

Lassi

This is natural yoghurt which is churned to remove the butter and make Lassi (buttermilk) a cool beverage served in summer.

Rajasthani Dal-Bati-Churma

This is a common food of Rajasthani people. Daal-Bati is cooked lentils and roasted balls of dough which is accompanies by pickle berries cooked in different methods. The Churma is a sweet dish made of jaggery or sugar in ghee. For taste and variety some ingredients like coconut, khoya and resins are also used.

Frying Puris and Chola

This is also a Punjabi favorite snack. Grams are soaked in water and later on cooked to a delicious stuffy recipe called chola masala which is served with fried white thin breads that puff like balloons when they are put on hot boiling oil in big pans.

The other common things which you would be able to taste in Rajasthan are – sweets having some spicy flavors, jalebis, mithais, faldas and glass of milk served with thick cream.

Are you looking for some cool, refreshing, healthy as well as exotic experience? Here are some summer coolers for you, which are very part of Indian cuisines and can be supplemented with any Indian meal. Try them for yourself and others.

Plum passion

Ingredients: 600 gm fresh plums;10-15 gm rock salt;140 gm of sugar;700 ml icy water;250 gm trodden ice;4 lemon segments;

Method: Boil fresh plums in the water, then add half amount of sugar along with 5 gm of rock salt and allow it to cook for few more minutes, now squeeze out pulp while straining and discarding the seeds as well as skin(this strained pulp can be stored and used later for the drink in the fridge). Now blend the pulp till it turns into a fine paste in the blender while adding water, lastly season it with salt, lemon slices and sugar. Serve it by adding refrigerated water and packed down ice..

Guava guzzler

Ingredients: 300gm guava seedless;500 ml of guava juice;10-12 gm rock salt;60 gm of sugar;200 ml icy chilled water;100 gm trodden ice;4 lemon slices;10-15 freshly picked mint leaves

Method: Mix fresh guava with juice, ice water and mint to make a fine puree while straining discard the leftover. Spice up the juice with rock salt, along with lemon juice and sugar. Alter the evenness of the juice with the usage of iced water , crushed ice. Serve ice cold

White gazpacho

Ingredients: 4 slices bread (crust removed);150 gm almonds, blanched and skinned;3 garlic clove;60 ml extra virgin olive oil;50 ml white wine vinegar;2 tsp salt; 150 gm white grapes, halved and seeded

Method: Soak the bread in water until it gets soft, for about 15 minutes. Combine the almonds and garlic in a food processor or blender and process until almonds are finely ground. Now squeeze out the water from the bread and add it to the same food processor. Blend to a smooth paste. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow stream. Now adjust the consistency of juice by adding water, and season to taste by adding salt and vinegar to it. Serve immediately or chill the gazpacho. Stir before serving in bowls and garnish with grapes.