What India Likes To Eat: The Taste Of Rajasthan

Jul 15, 20207 min read

Updated: Jul 29, 2020

|By- Het Panchal|

What India Likes To Eat was comprised of the stories about the history of this great nation’s cuisine. The last chapter of this gastronomic journey is Rajasthan, where Rajput, Marwari, Mughlai, and English dishes are served on the same platter. Buried in these beautiful sand dunes is a history which awakens every evening in the songs of Manganiyar in the windows of the palaces, in the glorious saga of Rathore clan, in the ‘Baati’ cooked on coal. Stuck to this golden desert like a sapphire on a gold ring is the city of Jodhpur.

If one speaks of Marwar, then the hospitality here, its culture, and its history are all represented by its cuisine which is renowned globally. Whether it is ‘Jodhpuri kachori’, ‘Lal Maas’ or ‘Dal Baati Churma’. Every dish here has its own unique taste. Oddly, this place where food is so colorful and exotic, the city which is famed worldwide for its hospitality, the land in that place is completely barren.

‘Marwar- The Land of Death’. A place where it hardly rains. Seeing this vast ocean of sand it’s difficult to believe that the fiery arrows of Lord Ram turned this ocean into a desert. You'll find it unbelievable that instead of these sand dunes, this place was once carpeted with green farms. Between the years 3500 BC to 1700 BC, when the Indus valley civilization was at its peak, Kalibangan developed a system of agriculture that is used by farmers even today. Now, even a blade of grass cannot grow here, but the earth isn't called the mother in every language for no reason. No matter how harsh she may be, she surely feeds her children. With its roots digging deep into this desert-like a stubborn Rathore soldier, the Khejri tree fights drought and scarcity. The lives of the people of Marwar thrive in its shade. It has been sustaining the people of this region for the past 4000 years because of this life-giving energy, the people of Marwar call this the wish-fulfilling tree or ‘Kalpataru’. Along with Khejri, branches and twigs that we would consider useless, are a part of the diet of these people. It was during the time when Rajasthan was facing severe drought. The land which is already infertile lost whatever it had. People were starving to death. When they went in search of food, they found wild berries like ‘Ker’, ‘Kumad’, and ‘Sangli’. These are mixed with Khejri to prepare the delicious dish, ‘Panchkuta’. The tempering added to this dish consists of the Mathaniya chili grown in the Marwar region. 5000 years ago, Mexico is said to have the earliest records of red chilies. These Mathania chilies reached India in the 16th century.

KHEJRI TREE (THE STATE TREE OF RAJASTHAN)

The infertile land where wheat and sorghum perish before they can blossom, the pearl millet reigns supreme. Millet needs less water and a lot of heat. Pearl millet reached India in 2000 BC from Africa. It took around 400BC years to reach Rajasthan. This story dates back to 1543.

Sher Shah Suri was leading his 80,000 strong armies on a conquest of Marwar. King Maldev and Sher Shah Suri fought for a month. The Rathore army ate millet bread and Baati and reached the battleground energetic and fresh every morning. After a month, Sher Shah Suri’s army started to decline, then he said, “For a fistful of pearl millet, I could have lost the throne of India.” Since then, pearl millet has been a great strength of Marwar.

The Baati which acted as the shield of Marwar and protected its soldiers has always been popular in Rajasthan. Sold at every junction, this dish is rightfully Jodhpur’s own. It consists of only lentils, tempered with Mathaniya chili and Baati prepared with pearl millet. Whoever came up with the idea did a great job of eating Baati with Dal. Eat this Baatis carefully. They are hard indeed, but when soaked in Dal, it turns completely soft. There must be something special about the pearl millet that earned it a place in Jodhpur’s history.

DAL BAATI CHURMA | Picture credits - www.tourism.rajasthan.gov.in

Piping hot ‘Kheech’ is a gruel made up of cracked millet covered with ghee. It is said that Daliya or gruel was the last dish eaten by Lord Buddha. Daliya is also the first dish prepared in India. There is rarely a child in Rajasthan who hasn't burnt his fingers trying to eat Kheech.

Rao Jodha who had built the fort lost control over it for 15 years. While roaming around he went into a Jat’s Daney (a small hut). The woman in the daney saw a man approaching with his horse. She did not recognize Rao Jodha. She had prepared Kheech at home, and so she poured hot Kheech on to a plate for Rao Jodha. Rao Jodha was hungry, he put his hand in the middle and pulled back screaming. She scolded him saying, “Son, you are also doing the same thing as Rao Jodha. If you want to eat Kheech, eat it from the edges where it's getting cooler.” This gave Rao Jodha a message that if you want to win the fort, then capture the neighboring areas first and then take possession of the fort. The bravery and valor of the Rathores continue to live in the songs of Manganiyar.

THE MANGANIYARS | Picture credits - www.tourism.rajasthan.gov.in

The descendants of the Rathores of Ranba, continue to live the royal life in Jodhpur. Gaj Singh and his family are the protectors of the history, art, and hospitality of this region. Just as Mehrangarh is the symbol of the courage and resolve of the people here, Umaid Bhawan’s grandeur stands testimony to their hospitality and luxuriant lifestyle. When speaking of palaces, one is bound to discuss their kitchens. The kitchen used to be the most secretive and exclusive room in the palaces. Even today, the kitchens of Umaid Bhawan work in great style. The kitchens are the care-takers of the food traditions in the palace. The food prepared here and the centuries-old recipes are no less than a treasure. Even today, Baapji’s (Maharaja Gaj Singh) meal is prepared with the same old method and style by six ‘Khansamas’ (chefs).

UMAID BHAWAN PALACE | Picture credits - www.tourism.rajasthan.gov.in

MAHARAJA GAJ SINGH JI | Picture credits - www.theluxecafe.com

The ‘Bahi Khata’ describes the eating habits of the kings in detail. ‘Bahi’ means the accounts of the entire day. These pages contain the history of Jodhpur. It is very easy to get lost in the pages of the Bahi Khata. Many interesting and thrilling stories are found in them. These Bahi are the pages of history that are written with the ink of stories. They are alive to this day in Marwar. The first mention in the Bahis is about hunting. Hunting popularized many recipes like wild game meat, roasted partridges, quails, and roast rabbit or Khad Khargosh. Rabbit is difficult to find these days, but Khad Murg is prepared using the same method as Khad Khargosh. The arrival of Mughals contributed greatly to Rajasthan’s non-vegetarian dishes but there is one mutton dish that is rightfully Rajasthan’s own and that is ‘Laal Maas.' Along with red chilies, Laal Maas includes ginger, garlic, and various other whole spices.

BAHI (BOOK) | Picture credits -www.tourism.rajasthan.gov.in

The pink city of Jaipur is the crest jewel of Rajasthan. While passing through the bylanes here, you’ll be lured in by the sweet dishes. The most popular is ‘Gulab Chakri’ and ‘Ghewar Pedi’. Gulab Chakri is one of the oldest sweet dishes of Jaipur. Flavored with cardamom it has pistachios and saffron added to enhance its taste and appearance. Ghewar Pedi consists of milk, sugar, and wheat flour. It is believed to be invented in Jaipur and this sweet is eaten across India on the festivals of Teej and Gangaur. While Jaipur is famous for its sweets, the people of Jodhpur take pride in their Jodhpuri Kachoris and ‘Mirchi Bada’.

GULAB CHAKRI AND GHEWAR PEDI | Picture credits - theculturetrip.com

After meeting the people of Rajasthan we realize that the light of life does not flicker even in the hot breeze of the desert. The children here grow up listening to lullabies in a sea of sand. The Khejri and Pearl millets grow here with adequate rains. Though this land appears merciless during the day the arrival of dusk, a new face of Rajasthan lights up, with the desert sky as their roof, the Manganiyar open their bundles to eat Baati and rest. Under the same sky, on a moonlit night, the Rajput enjoy the feast of Sharad Poornima, while the Kalbeliyas entertain them.

The land of Rajasthan teaches us many things. It reminds us of the core concepts of life. The importance of little greenery. Drops of water are much more precious than the pearls here. The confluence of Hindu, Muslim, and English cultures gave rise to a new culture. All this is evident in the delicious food here. Amidst scorching heat and lack of rain, the people of Rajasthan did not limit themselves to just staying alive. Instead, they made a feast out of it. Different colors, different aromas, different tastes, and a unique history. This is Rajasthan.