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A feast from the land
of sand dunes THE richness of Indian cuisine is worth exploring as each region has a distinct style and a varied repertoire of traditional recipes. The colourful land of Rajasthan, the land of sand dunes and gutsy Rajputs has a vast array of dishes. I had the chance to taste some of the traditional dishes, courtesy my maid who belonged to Jaipur. The spicy palate-tickling dishes whetted my appetite to learn these. But it was only during my visit to the state that the wide variety of Rajasthani cuisine unfolded before me. Whether it was the special dal-baati-churma enjoyed in the historic Jaipur city or the tangy mirchi vadas in Ajmer, each city has a speciality to be savoured by those on a gourmet trip. Here, I bring some of my favourite Rajasthani dishes for you, dear readers. Dal-baati
Ingredients For baati Wheat flour 2 cups Rava 1 tbsp Ghee 2 tbsp Salt to taste |
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Green moong dal 1/2 cup Chana dal 1 tbsp Ghee or oil 1 tbsp Garam masala 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder 1 tsp Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp Coriander powder 1/2 tsp Lemon 1/2 Coriander chopped 1 tbsp Ginger grated 1/2" Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp Water 2 cups Salt to taste Method for baati: Mix the flour, rava, salt and ghee. Knead very stiff dough with warm water. Shape in ball the size of a ping pong ball. Heat a gas tandoor or oven and roast on low heat till the outer cover is brown and crusty. For dal: Wash both dals together add 1 cup water and a pinch of turmeric. Pressure cook dal. (Approx.4 whistles will cook the dal). Cool the cooker. Remove dal. Mix all the spice powders in 1/2 cup water to make a thin paste. Put ghee in a pan and heat. Add the cumin and coriander seeds. Once they splutter add ginger. Add the paste of spice powders. Fry for a minute, add the dal. Add remaining water and stir well. Bring to a boil. Add lemon juice. Add salt if required. Garnish with chopped coriander. Break open the baatis and pour fresh ghee on them. Serve hot with dal and pickles. Moong dal bhajias Ingredients Yellow or green moong dal 1 cup (washed & soaked for 4 hours) Green chillies 4-5 Coriander 1 tbsp Coriander seeds 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp Aniseed 1/2 tsp Hot oil 3 tbsp Salt to taste Oil to deep fry Method: Wash and soak dal for four hours drain and wet grind not too fine. Coarsely grind coriander and cumin seeds and finely chop coriander leaves. Mix in all other ingredients, except oil to deep fry. Beat well with hand to mix. Heat oil, drop rounded bhajias, with wet hand or spoon. Fry on medium till golden. Serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys. Ghevar Ingredients Plain flour 3 cups Solidified ghee 1 cup Ice cubes 3-4 Water 4 cups Milk 1/2 cup Food colour 1/4 tsp. Oil for frying 1 kg For syrup Sugar 1 1/2 cups Water 1 cup For topping Powdered cardamom 1 tsp Chopped dry fruits 1 tbsp Milk 1 tbsp Saffron 1/2 tsp Silver foil Method: Prepare sugar syrup of one- thread consistency. Take solidified ghee in a large wide bowl. Taking one ice cube at a time rub the ghee vigorously. Take more ice cubes as required and rub till ghee becomes very white. Add milk, flour and 1 cup water. Mix to make smooth batter. Dissolve yellow colour in some water and add to batter. Add more water as required to make a thin batter. Take an aluminum or steel cylindrical container (height 12" and diameter 5-6"). Fill half with ghee. Heat. When ghee is smoky hot, take a 50 ml, glassful of batter. Pour in the centre of ghee, slowly in one continuous thread-like stream. Allow foam to settle. Pour one more glassful in hole formed in centre. When foam settles again, loosen ghevar with an iron skewer inserted in hole. Lift carefully, at a slant, and place on wire mesh to drain. Keep hot syrup in a wide flat bottomed container to fit in ghevar. Dip ghevar in it, and remove, keep aside on mesh to drain excess syrup . Alternatively, pour some syrup evenly all over, keeping ghevar in a mesh placed over a container. Cool a little, top with silver foil.Splash a few drops of saffron milk, sprinkle some chopped dry fruit and a few pinches of cardamom powder. Dal dhokli Ingredients For dhokli Flour 2 cups Oil or ghee 2 tbsp Red chilli powder 2 tsp Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp Salt to taste Ajwain 1 tsp Coriander chopped 1 tbsp Warm water for making dough For dal Green moong dal 1 cup Toor dal 1 tbsp Chana dal 1 tbsp Water 10-12 cups Dhania powder 1 tsp Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder 2 tsp Cinnamon-clove 1/4 tsp powder Garam masala 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp Coriander seeds 1/2 tsp Lemon 1 Green chillies (slit) 2 Curry leaves 1 stalk Asafoetida 1/8 tsp Ghee 3 tbsp Coriander leaves 1 tbsp Method: Wash all dals, soak in water and keep aside for 1 hour. Put dals in a large cooking vessel, add water, turmeric and salt. For dhokli: Mix flour and all other ingredients. Add very little water gradually making a stiff dough. Take a lump of dough, shape into a thin cylinder. Pinch bits of dough, about the size of an almond. Roll each into a round, press in palm and make a saucer like depression with thumb. Repeat for all dough. While making dhoklis, put dal to boil. Scatter in all dhoklis,one by one. Stir so that they do not stick in lumps. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Add more water if too thick. Add all dry masalas of dal, except clove cinnamon powder, asafoetida and garam masala. Press a dhokli between fingers, it should break easily when done. Dal should also be thoroughly cooked. In a small saucepan, heat ghee, add cumin and mustard seeds, allow to splutter. Add green chilli, curry leaves, asafoetida and 2-3 pinches red chilli powder. Add clove, cinnamon powder and add spluttering seasoning to boiling dhokli. Add garam masala, lemon juice and coriander, stir and check taste for spices, salt and lemon. Simmer till the liquid is of thick dal consistency. Serve piping hot with lime pickle and homemade ghee. Shahi gatta Ingredients Besan 250 gm Khoya 100 gm Curd 250 gm
Cashewnuts 6-8 Raisins 12-15 Ginger (grated) 3 tsp Corander powder 3 tsp Garam masala 1 tsp Jeera powder 1 tsp Salt to taste Chilli powder 2 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Oil to fry Method: Mix 2 tbsp oil in besan add salt and red chilli powder and add enough water to make a hard dough. Rub khoya to soften it and add cashewnuts and raisins. Take a small portion of the dough, flatten and fill the khoya mixture. Deep fry the balls and keep aside. Heat 1tbsp oil in a thick
-bottomed pan and add grated ginger. Fry till it becomes golden. Add
turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander and jeera powder and
fry some more. Add beaten curd and keep stirring till it comes to a
boil. Lower the flame and let it simmer for some time. Add the fried gattas.
Sprinkle garam masala on top and garnish with finely chopped coriander
leaves.
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