Of all the culinary wonders of Rajasthan, its sweet dishes are truly unforgettable. Here are five delicacies that you must try on your next trip to the desert state.
At some point or other in life, we all have peeked into the dessert spread before starting our meals. I caught myself doing it during my recent tour through Rajasthan. However, they don’t really classify as desserts because people of Rajasthan have it anytime—before, after, and during meals.
Rajasthan, in spite of its arid landscape and geographical conditions, is one of the leading states for innovative and exciting sweets. These sweets aren’t made with any rare ingredients, but with two regular food elements—chickpea (gram) flour and milk. The chickpea grows in abundance in Rajasthan; the state contributes to 14 per cent of India’s total produce. It also ranks third in the production of milk in India.
With culinary skills that have been passed down generations, Rajasthan has preserved its recipes, and the regional sweet dishes have evolved into newer versions. Almost every region has a signature dish, and the experience of travelling across the state is enhanced by these dishes. After all, it is the food that makes the place. Here are top five sweets that have their origin in different cities of Rajasthan. So, next time you are in these popular tourist destinations, do treat your taste buds to these unique preparations.
Five Must-try Sweets in Rajasthan:
Malai Roti, Jodhpur
Most unique among all sweets, malai roti is found only in Jodhpur. It is an accidental invention of Jeevan Ram Bhati, a vegetable vendor, that took place around 50 years ago. The name translates to ‘creamy flat bread’. Except for the shape, it holds no other similarity with regular rotis. It is made entirely out of milk; the thick creamy layers of milk are laid in a puddle of sugar syrup and topped with dry fruit garnish. It is neither chewy nor does it melt in the mouth. Somewhere in between, the texture is smooth and juicy. It is sold only in Vijay Restaurant, an establishment that is more than three decades old. The owner, Vijay Bhati, does not reveal the exact ingredients or process of making the sweet.
Address: Vijay Restaurant, 1st Floor, Katla Bazar, Main Chowk, Old City, Jodhpur.
Diljani, Udaipur
A big spoon full of diljani, which translates to ‘sweetheart’, would be the best way to bid goodbye to a meal during winters in Udaipur. Head to Jagdish Misthan Bhandar for a taste of this seasonal sweet. It is a tangier version of the boondi (tiny droplets made from gram flour batter soaked in the sugar syrup), the subtle difference being that the boondi grains of diljani are much smaller in size. There is a special diljani spoon (jhara) to eat this sweet dish. Once cooled, the fried balls of gram flour batter go through two rounds of immersions—once in sugar syrup, and next, in a mixture of orange juice and almonds, which gives the unique tangy flavour and essence. It is advised to have them fresh as orange juice if kept longer and unrefrigerated can turn bitter.
Address: Jagdish Misthan Bhandar, 16 Sarang Marg Surajpole, Jawahar Nagar, Brahmpuri, Udaipur.
Ghotua, Jaisalmer
Ghotua is a traditional sweet of Jaisalmer origin. This is also an evolved form of boondi. Boondi is crushed with pestle; the paste is seasoned with cardamom powder and saffron and turned into balls. Unlike diljani of Udaipur, which has a shelf life of few hours, ghotua stays good for one month. Best place to have ghotua in Jaislamer is at Dhanraj Ranmal Bhatia—a house of traditional sweets, located in a bylane near Jaisalmer Fort.
Address: Dhanraj Ranmal Bhatia, Amar Sagar Pol, Jaisalmer.
Mawa kachori, Jodhpur
Mawa kachori is a mind blowing, sweet version of the famous street food, kachori. Unlike the savoury ones, these are stuffed with an aromatic mixture of mawa (evaporated milk solids) and dry fruits. Mawa kachori was invented by late Rawatmal Ji Deora of Rawat Mishthan Bhandar of Jodhpur. It is said that the late prime ministers of India, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi visited the shop to taste its famous invention.
Huge brown dumplings, these can be broken and dipped into sugar syrup before a bite. Janta Sweet Home in Jodhpur is a leading name for this dessert since 1980.
Address: 3, Nai Sarak, opposite Priya Hotel, Chauraha, Jodhpur.
Paneer Ghewar, Jaipur
Ghewar, known for its unique shape and texture, is popular all over Rajasthan. It is part of the cultural fabric of the state where during the festival of Teej, married daughters are gifted ghewar along with other items.
Paneer ghewar is a modified ghewar, made after a series of experiments with several quintals of milk and kilos of all purpose refined flour in 1961. The variant uses thick curdled milk or chhena in addition to chickpea flour. It is served with hot rabri or dipped in sugar syrup.
The best place to have Paneer Ghewar is Laxmi Misthan Bhandar in Jaipur. You can try their Mawa Ghewar and Malai Ghewar too.
Address: No. 98, 99, Johari Bazar Rd, Bapu Bazar, Biseswarji, Jaipur.
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