Royal Repast

A long time ago, a friend got me a wonderful liqueur from Rajasthan. It was made out of rose petals for and by one of the royal families of the state. The liqueur was hard to get and was exorbitantly priced even in those relatively inexpensive days. But it was sublime. It had a wonder fragrance, was fiery, but as smooth as good single malt.

Rajasthan is full of all these creative people who stay hidden in some haveli ( the Islamic style of architecture and usually contain a courtyard often with a fountain in the center), but produce some of the most exotic things ever. You can picture them ------ all those wizened faces with curly, off white moustaches, wearing a colourful dotted pagdi, and wielding a mean karchi. Behind latticed windows and arched doorways, you can think of some rare meat cooking on slow fire.

Actually, not all this a imagination. Royal cuisine of Rajasthan as some like to call it -------- is being celebrated. The recipes have mostly travelled by word of mouth. The strenght and weaknesses of every region reflected in its food. Rajasthan is dry ---- of it used to be so till something called climate change reared its ugly head ----- and that is why vegetation ts sparse in the region. You do not find the lush green vegetables of Kerela or Bengal in Rajasthan ------ so vegetables don’t have much of role to play in its palace cuisine.

What Rajasthan does, or did have, is game. The maharajahs were all fond of hunting. The forested areas of Rajasthan had their share of wild animals and birds ------- partridge, quail, pheasant, deer, wild boars and so on. These days, of course, you can’t hunt any of these, but farmed birds are available, cooks are making do with substitute meat.

On the vegetarian front ------ though a good number of Rajasthanis are vegetarians. Vegetarian Rajasthan cuisine competes for pride of place with International Cuisines. The recommended gourmets delights in the restaurant is a meal starting with 'Besan ki Chakki & Gal ke Ladoo' followed by Kersangri, Methibadi,, Gatta & Sattakutta with Dahi Vada as an accompaniment. Do not forget to ask for Bajre ke Roti and Missi Roti as Breads with the meals. A truly enjoyable gourmet feast for the Bird watching connoisseurs and the discerning traveler.

Cooking in Rajasthan, North India has always been treated as an important art form and is an important part of Rajasthan's culture.