Lesser-Known Dishes To Try On Your Rajasthan Trip

Rajasthan’s culinary traditions have given us mouthwatering dishes like daal bati churma, lal maas, ker sangri, gatte ki sabzi and pyaaz ki kachori, to name a few. These dishes underscore the ingenuity of its people, who preferred food that could last several days and be eaten without heating. The lack of water led to the extensive use of dairy products like milk, butter and buttermilk to compensate for or reduce the water content while cooking. The use of game meat alongside beans, dried lentils and legumes like gram flour, bajra and jowar means that Rajasthan is home to a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian cooking styles. Using ghee (clarified butter) as a quintessential ingredient also lends a distinct richness and flavour to many traditional Rajasthani dishes.

If you want to go beyond the popular Rajasthani meals of the day, check out these lesser-known dishes that will have you licking your lips in no time.

Safed Maas

Rajasthani safed maas is a special mutton dish consisting of a thick gravy made from almond or cashew nut paste. To add to its richness, cream, milk and yoghurt are added. These ingredients lend the dish its signature whitish colour, which is why it is named safed maas (“white flesh”). The dish does not have many spices and is usually served with tandoori roti or phulkas. The creamy texture, nutty aroma and subtle spices of this authentic Rajasthani meat curry make it a favourite of residents in the state.

Rajasthani Lapsi

Lapsi is a type of halwa that is not made with sooji (semolina). Rather, it is prepared using broken wheat, also known as dalia, desi ghee, jaggery, coconut, cashews and green cardamom. The key to lapsi lies in roasting the broken wheat in hot desi ghee for at least 10 minutes until it turns aromatic and changes colour to light brown. You can use sugar to sweeten it up, but adding jaggery complements the flavour of the broken wheat and gives lapsi its signature taste. To make the halwa richer, you can also add almonds and raisins. Be it summer, winter or monsoon, there is no specific time to enjoy this dessert as it can be prepared year-round.

Aam Ki Launji

Aam ki launji is a sweet and sour chutney made of raw green mangoes. It’s the perfect accompaniment to Indian meals and also tastes amazing with paratha. You make it by peeling mangoes and cutting them into half-inch pieces. Add salt, turmeric powder, sugar and the mango pieces, and blanch in a pan of water. Heat oil in another pan and add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, onion seeds and asafoetida. Sauté well, drain the blanched mango pieces and add them to the pan. Sprinkle some more sugar and salt to taste, mix well and serve. Rajasthani families typically make aam ki launji during the summer.

Chakki Ki Sabzi

This is a popular and traditional vegetarian curry made with whole wheat flour, spices and mustard oil. It takes some time and effort to prepare, but it is worth doing so as the taste is delicious.

Start by kneading dough and submerging it in a bowl of water. Wash the dough by squeezing and rubbing until the water becomes thick like milk. Squeeze and filter out the excess water from the dough. The process of washing and squeezing out the water from the dough must be repeated four to five times until the dough stops dissolving in the water.

Once this happens, you will be left with pure chakki. Place it in a sieve and press it with something heavy to filter out any remaining water. Afterwards, make medium-sized pieces of chakki and place them in a steaming bowl of water. Boil the pieces on a low flame and then take them out to cool. After cutting them into small pieces, heat a pan, add oil, and fry them until they turn golden brown before being taken out.

In the pan, add cumin seeds, tej patta, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, cardamom, asafoetida, tomato paste, ginger and chilli to mix. Then add turmeric powder, coriander powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder and dried fenugreek leaves. Roast the masala until the oil starts to separate and add curd and milk.

The addition of water will create either a thick or light gravy, depending on your taste. Add the chakki to the gravy mix as well as salt and garam masala. Mix well and garnish the sabzi with green coriander leaves.

Mohan Maas

Mohan maas is a mutton curry that is cooked in a gravy of milk or curd, dry fruits and herbs. Slow-cooked to perfection and as rich as can be, it is believed that this dish was created as an alternative for women. The popular lal maas mutton curry was traditionally cooked and served by men, but mohan maas was created for women. The dish used to be prepared with lamb, goat or hunted meat but is now made using mutton as well as chicken. This underrated mutton curry is seasoned with cardamom and cinnamon, which lends a beautiful aroma and tempting flavour. The dish has subtle flavours and a creamy, white gravy (like safed maas).