What to eat Rajasthan? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Rajasthan's largely arid climate limits agriculture. The state accounts for less than 1% of the national rice production, although it is the^5th largest wheat producer in the country. Millet, a cereal that requires little water, is widely cultivated. Lentils, beans, tomatoes, eggplant, squash, onions and other vegetables complete the picture. We can also note some desert plants such as the ghaf, or sangri, a tree whose long pods are appreciated as vegetables, or the ker

, a cousin of the caper, whose berries are consumed. Located on the edge of the Ganges plain, Agra and New Delhi traditionally have a greater diversity of products, which also echo their past and present role as capital cities, as well as a more humid climate that is conducive to a wide variety of crops.

"India" and "spices" often seem to be synonymous, so ubiquitous is their use in the country's cuisine. Pepper, turmeric, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, saffron, bay leaves, coriander and of course chili are everywhere.Ajowan, a cousin of cumin,asa-foetida or hing, known for its pungent smell, and fenugreek, with its bitter seeds, are also popular herbs. Rajasthani and Delhi cuisines are far from the most spicy in the country, but some dishes can be formidable. Ask for " not spicy " dishes at the restaurant to avoid some of the unpleasantness. Ghee and dahi are two basic ingredients of North Indian cuisine. Ghee, or clarified butter, stands up very well to high cooking temperatures and often replaces oil. According to Hinduism, it preserves the purity of food more than oil or water. Used in most dishes, dahi, or yogurt, compensates for the harshness of certain spices. Served plain, this yogurt can be mixed with the fruits or vegetables of the dish it accompanies. It can also be used as a base for certain cold drinks or other accompaniments. Paneer

is a cheese similar to mozzarella but does not melt when cooked.

Breads play an essential role in Indian cuisine, especially in the north of the country where we can note for example the khooba roti, a typical flat bread from Rajasthan recognizable by its characteristic imprints. Another local bread, the bajre ki roti is a millet flour cake. Other breads include naan, of course, which has its origins in Persia. Made of wheat and leaven, naan is cooked on the hot walls of a tandoor, a clay oven buried in the ground and filled with embers. Chapati is an unleavened cake often made with whole wheat that is popular throughout the country. Very tasty, missi roti is a flat bread flavored withajowa seeds, fenugreek andasa-foetida powder. Very popular, the bhatura is a puffed fried bread that forms a pocket thanks to the steam inside. Finally, the bakarkhani roti

- typical of Mughal cuisine - is a crunchy flat bread with nigella seeds.

Between Rajasthan and the Delhi region, meat consumption is quite different. Indeed, it is considered impure by the Brahmins. By devotion, other Hindu castes have taken the habit of not consuming it, even if they are not obliged to. Yogis also advise against "rajastic" meat diets, that is to say, diets that can give the mind an aggressive or unbalanced character, as opposed to "satvic" foods (fruits, vegetables, dairy products, etc.), which would bring serenity and harmony. Purely vegetarian restaurants serving rajasthani cuisine are called " marwari bhojnalaya

".

It should also be noted that the cow is sacred in India, and, of course, an overwhelming majority of Hindus would not even consider eating it in any form. With some 89% of Hindus in Rajasthan, its consumption is therefore extremely rare, not to mention the fact that the population is also predominantly vegetarian. Beef consumption is more common among Muslims, but the slaughter of a cow always causes serious discord between the communities. Some Muslim restaurants therefore display the sign " No beef

" on their storefronts so as not to offend Hindus. The consumption of chicken or mutton is much more common and does not give rise to any conflict.

The maharajas, great hunters, did not however deprive themselves of eating game. It should also be noted that many recipes based on meat date back to the Muslim invasions and were introduced in particular by the Mughals. This dynasty of Turko-Mongol origin came from Central Asia where the diet includes a significant proportion of meat and dairy products. Although strongly influenced by Persian culture, the Mughals kept their culinary traditions - while sophisticated - and in North India many meat dishes, especially grilled ones, have their roots in the Muslim community.

In markets and small restaurants where hygiene is sometimes uncertain, avoid raw vegetables, often washed with dubious water, and unpeeled fruit. Also avoid fruit juices cut with water (ask for them without ice and water), and ice cream sold in the street. Washing your hands regularly is all the more important because in India, people traditionally eat with their right hand, the left hand being considered impure. However, spoons can be found in most restaurants. For those who are a little sensitive to the power of Indian cuisine, more Western dishes - of varying quality - can be found in the shopping malls of large cities and other tourist sites.

Locals are fond of chaat, salty snacks that are often fried, such as kachori, flaky fritters usually filled with lentils. In Rajasthan, people eat pyaaz kachori (from Jodhpur) stuffed with a mixture of onions spiced with fennel, cumin, turmeric and chili. Usually, kachoris are served with coriander and mint and a date and tamarind chutney. Lasun ki chutney is a very garlicky compote with chili and shredded coconut, very popular. Mirchi vada is a chili stuffed with cauliflower or potato puree, coated with fritter batter and fried. Bikaneri bhujia

are spicy noodle-shaped crackers made from bean and lentil flour. Watermelon curry is a popular summer dish made with large cubes of this juicy fruit in a spicy watermelon juice sauce.

The dahi baray or dahi vada consists of vada (spicy lentil flour fritters) topped with a spicy yoghurt sauce. The gatte ki sabzi is a curry of steamed and lightly fried chickpea flour dumplings with a spicy sauce of tomatoes, buttermilk and spices. The baati dal consists of one part of a dal (spicy lentil curry) and baati, unleavened hard rolls soaked in ghee. This dish is accompanied by churma, which is made with crushed baati. Papad ki sabzi is a curry made with papads (thin lentil cakes) coarsely broken in a yoghurt sauce with chickpea flour, chili, turmeric and coriander. Finally, kadhi is prepared with the same yogurt-chickpea sauce but topped with pakora

(vegetable fritters). In this predominantly vegetarian state, the most famous meat dish is laal maans. Traditionally prepared with wild boar or deer, nowadays it consists of mutton, cooked in a rich sauce of red chillies, garlic, onions and fermented milk. The milder safed maas is a delicately spiced mutton stew with yogurt, milk and cashew and almond puree. Ker sangri is a dish of sangri pods - ghaf - and ker berries, known for their pungent and peppery flavor. This recipe is particularly symbolic of Rajasthani cuisine as it is said that during a severe drought, villagers were able to survive the famine thanks to these two plants, which were the only ones to survive the lack of rain. Raab is a thick soup made of millet flour(bajra) slightly sweetened with pepper, cumin andajowan seeds.

Also known as " Mughlai cuisine," the specialties of Delhi - and nearby Agra - include many internationally known Indian dishes. The savory snacks, or chaat, consist of samosa and pakora. Papi is a small fried patty filled with chickpeas, potatoes, yogurt and tamarind chutney. Puri is also a fried and puffed patty served with vegetables. Less fatty, theidli is a small steamed bread with rice flour. This South Indian specialty, served for breakfast with chutney, has become a classic throughout the country. The term " thali

" refers to a complete plate with rice in the center, surrounded by small portions of curry, meat, vegetables, sauces, etc.

A Delhi classic, murgh makhani or butter chicken is a dish of chicken cooked in a rich and spicy sauce of tomato, onion, butter, cream and yogurt. Kofta is a spicy meatball that arrived with the Mongol invasions in South Asia and Persia. In India, it has been adapted into a vegetarian version (based on potato, chickpeas and/or cauliflower). One can find the delicious potato malai kofta, served in a spicy yoghurt sauce. Another Turkish-Mongolian element, the kebab is very common in India. Nothing to do with our doner kebab, here it is a skewer of minced and grilled meat, also called shikh kebab. There are vegetarian versions with paneer (cheese). One should also note the shahi paneer, a paneer curry with tomatoes, onions, cashew nut puree, clarified butter and cream. The term " shah

" (emperor) reminds us that it was served at the Mughal court. Coming from Kashmir, korma is emblematic of Mughlai cuisine. Generally based on chicken or lamb, sometimes with vegetables, this stew is composed of a very creamy sauce based on almond or cashew nut puree, yogurt and various spices. Although the tandoor oven is said to have originated in Punjab, in the north of Rajasthan, tandoori chicken has long been a popular dish in the region. It is marinated overnight in a yogurt and spice mixture and then baked. Chicken tikka has a similar marinade and cooking process, but the meat is cut into cubes. Please note: the chicken tikka masala (in sauce) found in the West is probably an English invention, and in India you will find it mainly in restaurants for tourists. This is also the case of our chutneys, a kind of spicy jam in Europe, which in India are usually prepared with fresh ingredients, although sometimes cooked as well, without excessive sugar. Finally, raita, yogurt with cucumber, mint, tomato, etc., served very fresh, is ideal to soothe the palate after a very spicy dish.

One of the most popular Rajasthani sweets is ghevar, a crispy fried cookie soaked in syrup and sweetened condensed milk, then decorated with chopped almonds, originating from Jaipur. Balushahi are small soft fritters with syrup. Churma ladoo are small balls of cookie crumbs bound with caramel and rolled in poppy seeds. The mawa kachori is a sweet kachori, which is a crumbly doughnut, in this case filled with walnuts and pistachios. Chhena malpua are fresh cheese or paneer pancakes soaked in cardamom syrup. Very nourishing, the doodhiya kheech is a porridge of wheat with milk, flavored with saffron and cardamom, sprinkled with almonds and walnuts. Dilkushar are mithai - melt-in-your-mouth bites halfway between a cake and nougat - made with chickpea flour, milk curd, almond, cardamom, and topped with pistachios. Very similar,the alwar ka mawa

is slightly more spongy.

But you will also find other classics of Indian pastry, especially in Delhi. We can mention the gulab jamun, milk curd fritters soaked in a rose water and saffron syrup, or the barfi, sweetened condensed milk mithaï. Kaju ki barfi are diamond-shaped cashew nuts usually decorated with varq (silver leaf). Modak are steamed bites in the shape of a bulb or pear, filled with coconut, jaggery (palm sugar), nutmeg and saffron. Kheer is a rice pudding flavored with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashews and pistachios.Aam shrikhand is a yogurt-based pudding flavored with mango, while gajar ka halwa is a grated carrot compote with condensed milk and nuts. Of Mughal origin, shahi tukda is a rich saffron-infused French toast. Finally, kulfi

is an iced dessert with condensed milk, flavored with saffron, cardamom, pistachio and almonds.

Fresh fruit juices are delicious and can be purchased on every street corner in fresh juice shops. Make sure your juice is not cut with running water. Lassi is yogurt beaten to a frothy consistency. It can be flavored with a touch of salt or fruit, such as mango or banana. Tea - black - or chai is THE national drink in India. Mixed with milk and sugar, then spiced with ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and pepper, it becomes a masala chai. You will find it absolutely everywhere: in the street, on the menu of any restaurant or dhaba

, in the train stations, in the train, etc. Tea is grown in Assam, Darjeeling (West Bengal) and Kerala. Indians are not big consumers of coffee and it is often quite mediocre, even if more and more locals, often young, appreciate the tastier coffees found in large Western chains. As far as alcohol is concerned, beer is the most consumed alcoholic drink in the country, notably Kingfisher, the most famous Indian beer. One will also find wine, produced in the state of Maharashtra, of varying quality. Some of the royal families of Rajasthan used to produce their own liqueurs, and while many of the recipes have been lost over time, the Royal Heritage Liqueur brand has tried to revive this ancient tradition. Their signature liqueur, Chandra Haas, is a blend first concocted in 1863 with nearly 80 herbs, including saffron, rose, white sandalwood, nutmeg and anise. It should be noted that in some sacred cities of Rajasthan like Pushkar and Nathdwara, the consumption of alcohol is prohibited.