Making the most of a desert: From ker sangri to dal baati churma and junglee maas, exploring Rajasthani delicacies

I first got acquainted with Rajasthani food at a close Marwari friend’s home in Calcutta during our school days. I am Bengali, and I’ve never been served a meal at home without meat or fish. But, in her home, I was willing to overlook the absence of meat, for the thali served to us for lunch––an expansive silver platter with silver bowls, each brimming with the most delectable, unique vegetarian dishes accompanied by hot puris––was a feast. The meals were cooked by Maharajas in the kitchen, a space under their command.

Marwaris, a prominent business community of Rajasthan, are mostly vegetarian, often eschewing even onions and garlic in their cooking. This desert state and its people offer a wide spectrum of cooking styles and influences. On exploration, it becomes clear why certain ingredients like ghee, milk, buttermilk, dried red chilis, gram flour, berries and nettles find such favour in the cuisine.

This is also one of the few cuisines I find vegetarian preparations richer than their meat counterparts, and this is due to the generous use of ghee, and are fried or doughy. There is a reason for this.

Rajasthan’s arid landscape can be deceiving amid the palaces, hotels and lush greenery you see today. The desert topography means water is scarce. Like any other area, the choice of ingredients is determined by what grows locally and how food is stored. Because of the lack of green vegetables, such as spinach, cabbage or even cauliflower, the cuisine relies on lentils, pulses and legumes. A distinctive feature of Rajasthani cuisine is the use of milk, curd, and buttermilk instead of water in gravies, with curries often made from besan (gram flour) or curd.

Rajasthanis also adapted their diet using what is easily available, using ingredients like ‘kachri’, ‘fofliya’, ‘khumattiya’, ‘gawar’ and ‘jowar’. A popular dish — ker sangri, a dry vegetable you eat with roti––made from unripe ker fruits and sangri beans from the “Prosopis cineraria” tree, showcases this resourcefulness. The ker and sangri are soaked in turmeric water, then mixed with mustard oil and pickling spices.

Rajasthani cuisine reflects the land it comes from—hearty, robust, and resilient. If Mexico cooks with cactus, Rajasthan serves up its desert delicacies.

Another distinctive feature of Rajasthani cuisine is that sweet dishes are not necessarily reserved for dessert, it can be part of the main meal, along with dal and vegetables. A classic example is dal baati churma, a combination of three dishes. Panchmel dal, made from five types of lentils cooked with garlic and desi ghee is paired with baatis––wholeweat dumplings, originally baked on dry cow dung cakes––and churma, a grainy mix of fried wholewheat flour, ghee and sugar.

Junglee maas is attributed to the kitchens of Maharaja of Salwar and was highly popular during hunts since it barely used any ingredients.

Amrud ki sabzi, where guava is simmered in a tangy tomato and yoghurt masala, is also a must-try dish. For all the diet-conscious folks who enjoy besan ka chilla, you have Rajasthan to thank.

Having said all of that, meat dishes––which the Rajputs used to eat––are my favourite part of Rajasthani cuisine, especially because I know they use the most spartan set of ingredients possible. The region of Mewar or Udaipur in Rajasthan is believed to have created the form of barbecue called sooley and dil jani. Sooley kebabs are unique to Rajasthan, and a direct outcome of the Pathani invasions that brought with it the art of barbecuing. Sula-smoked kebabs or skewered boneless lamb can be prepared in 11 different ways. Maas ka sooley, which I tried on a recent trip to Jaipur, is prepared by taking thin slices of lamb and marinating it overnight in buttermilk and salt. The next day, the meat is removed from the buttermilk and then marinated in mustard oil, red chilli powder, cloves, and black pepper. It is then skewered and cooked on a charcoal grill.

Junglee maas is attributed to the kitchens of Maharaja of Salwar and was highly popular during hunts since it barely used any ingredients. The freshly-hunted game was cooked in the camp kitchen in pure ghee, salt and generously spiced with red chillies. The abundant use of red chillies in Rajasthani cuisine reflects the region’s chilli cultivation.

Khad khargosh is another fascinating delicacy. A summer specialty made with lean hare, it involves skinning the hare, stuffing it with spices, wrapping it in dough and mud-soaked cloth, and then cooking it for hours in a pit of burning coals. A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of savouring a similar preparation with chicken. Historically, the hare was placed in the pit before the hunt, and by the time the hunt concluded, the dish was perfectly cooked and ready to eat.

I’ve tried this junglee maas recipe and you should too.

JUNGLEE MAAS

Ingredients

Ghee – 6 tablespoons
Garlic cloves – 12-14
Salt – to taste
Dry red chillies – 12
Mutton – 500 gms
Water – 1 litre

Process

*Soak the red chilis in water for 30 mins, place the water and the chilis in a pan and bring to a boil. Remove the chilis from the water immediately. Discard the water.

*Heat ghee in a deep pan or pressure cooker. Add the dry red chillies and garlic cloves and sauté for 2 minutes on low heat. Add the mutton and keep stirring for 10-15 minutes.

*Add salt and water and cover and cook till mutton is tender.

*There should be very little gravy in the pan. If required, dry up the water.

*Serve with roti or with rice.

Next week, I’ll be writing about two of my favourite preparations – paturi and patrani – and why a dolma isn’t really a dolma in India.

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