Royal Rajasthani Cuisine

While there was much to absorb and luxuriate in during our few days in Rajasthan, the elaborate Rajashani royal cuisine was clearly one of the highlights.  Typical local fare here tends to be made with creativity from the few ingredients that grow locally.  However, elaborate versions of this same cuisine mastered by generations of royal cooks can clearly impress even the palate of the most jaded foodie.

Suvarna Mahal is the signature Indian restaurant of Rambaugh Palace; I can unhesitatingly say I haven’t dined in a more opulent place than this!  This was the main dining room of the kings of Jaipur and transports you instantly to the glory days of its past.  The sheer grandeur of its crystal chandeliers, frescos - hand painted by visiting Italian artists - and custom fittings and adornments designed for its royal inhabitants leaves you quite overwhelmed.



That dinner would be served on gold-plated tableware should therefore be expected, I guess.  The surprise was the quality of the food itself.  Usually, most restaurants that play up the atmosphere and decor never quite get the food to match it.   In this Suvarna Mahal stood out and made our dinner that night one that we would not easily forgot - and not only because we were eating in a place that hosted kings and queens.



We began with a Potli Samosa, a different rendition of the common Indian savoury snack, made perfectly crisp with a tasty potato filling. The Dahi Ke Kabab that followed next was a tender kabab made of hung curd, cheese, herbs and spices -- delicately flavoured and with melt-in-your-mouth goodness.  The final starter was the Maas Ke Sule, piccata of lamb treated with kacchri, cloves, red chillies and yogurt before being smoked and roasted in a tandoor.



For our mains, we had ordered Laal Maas, a local delicacy.  This true Rajasthani delicacy is made of lamb cooked with (a lot of) red chillies.  We had it with some biryani and dal-baati-churma, a local bread made by burying balls of dough into hot coals before serving them with jaggery and ghee.





Dinner ended on a sweet note with perfectly made Malpuas with Rabdi.



On a different day, we savoured this cuisine all over again in the form of a Royal Rajasthani Thali for lunch as we sat outdoors and looked out into the distant forts.  The robust, fiery Rajasthani curries were a delight for me!







At the end of our Jaipur visit, we spend a couple of days at the excellent Oberoi Vanyavilas.  Even here, we couldn’t get enough of Rajasthani cuisine. The chefs did not disappoint.  At the jungle-themed tented resort, we gorged on every delicacy that they dished out.  One of the most memorable discoveries was the dish of Akkha Palak, an innovative dish of uncut spinach leaves, tomato, red chillies and other spices.  Hot, very hot, but absolutely fantastic!







All of this, as musicians and dancers would regale us with folk songs and lively performances.  Oh what we had!  I would go back here any day at the drop of a hat, just for the food alone.