By Iti Misra
The moment one thinks of Rajasthan the picture that comes before the eyes is that of an arid, barren land with thorny shrubs and bushes. Nature has been very niggardly in her gifts of fruits and vegetables to Rajasthan. Consequently, Rajasthan has given birth to very hardy people who try to make the best of whatever nature provides them. Like its culture, folklore, and songs, its cuisine also tells the tale of these people’s relentless battle with the omnipotent Nature, to survive and thrive.
Rajasthani cuisine is very simple and basic. In a typical Rajasthani kitchen cereals, legumes and pulses are used in plenty. Besan, or Black Gram flour is an important ingredient in a Rajasthani “thali”, in the form of Karhi, Gatte ka Sabzi, Papad ka Sabzi and even in the making of Rotis.
Due to scarcity of green vegetables in Rajasthan, dried beans and herbs are used in plenty. Sangri, ker and Kasoori Methi being the most well known. The Gatte ka sabzi is a unique creation of spiced Besan. It is made into a dough and cooked in boiling water. The boiled gatte is cooked in a gravy made of onions, ginger, garlic, red chilly powder, coriander powder and yogurt.
Papad ki sabzi
Junglee maas
The most famous Rajasthani dish is the Ker-Sangri ki Sabzi. The Sangri is a variety of thin beans about 3-4 inches long, which grows mostly in winter. These are sun dried and stored to last during the long hot summer months. This sabzi is made with a slight gravy using yogurt and is eaten with rotis. However, sometimes a dry pickle like preparation is also made from Sangri using dried mango powder. This preparation can be stored upto 4 weeks. This dish is a must at all Rajasthani feasts.
To be continued…
