A marwari repast

If you’re itching to bite into the local foods that Jaipur has to offer, you neednt risk a Delhi belly at roadside stalls. Instead, try the many restaurants in five-star hotels in the city that bring the local flavours onto your table in style.

There are two kinds of travellers in the world – those that demand the same kind of food they are used to at home and those that prefer local dishes wherever they go, just so they get a complete feel of the place. This is especially so when it comes to Rajasthan, which is as rich in its heritage as it is in terms of gastronomy.

The state’s largest city and its capital – Jaipur – was once also a capital for the Rajputs and other royalty. With such monarchal reputation, can it be far behind where food is concerned? The city is known for its rich and spicy food; dal baati churma, gatte ki saag and ghevar feature in the top ten foods to be had here. We sneak into the city’s five-star hotels’ kitchens to find out what is on their menu this high season.

Dal baati churma

Subrata Kumar Roy, corporate chef at Hotel Mansingh’s rooftop restaurant-and-lounge bar Hightz, recommends these local dishes: Jodhpuri gatta, papad mangodi ki sabzi, aloo pyaz ki sabzi, laal maans, palak pakodi chat, paneer kasula, and Rajasthani lamb chop. According to Chef Roy, while domestic tourists prefer to order local cuisine, international guests aren’t far behind. “Foreigners, particularly British, German, American, Australian, Malaysian, Singaporean and the French prefer local cuisine, including vegetarian dishes,” he says.  

Most chefs like Rakesh Ghai at ITC’s Sheraton Rajputana Hotel believe that Rajasthani food being largely vegetarian is a myth. “You will be surprised to know that Rajasthani food is mainly non-vegetarian.  That’s why three out of the top five local dishes that we are serving at Jal Mahal restaurant have meat:  laal mans, maans ka soola and murgh Jodhpuri. The other two are kair sangri and gatta curry,” Chef Ghai says.

Kair Sangri

The specialty restaurant at Shiv Vilas, Jaipur – Sheesh Mahal – ensures that they maintain the authenticity of all local dishes, and adjust to tailor-make it if need be. Executive chef at the hotel, Chef Anurag, lists five local dishes that have made it to the top this season: laal maans and safed maans, achari kair sangri, aloo kande ki subzi and stuffed gutta.

In unison

Those with a slightly more sensitive palate need not worry; they can tuck into the many international cuisines as well. Hotels always keep a mix of authentic Rajasthani cuisine and international offerings. At ITC, its at a 35:65 ratio with roast chicken, spaghetti bolognese, lasagna and grilled fish, roast turkey and carved ham featuring as the main dishes on the international menu. This despite the fact that heavy snowfall in Europe has hit the tourism industry in Jaipur, as around 70 percent of tourists from the European nations have cancelled their bookings in hotels.

Chef Ghai says, “We always have a fifty-fifty mix of international and local dishes. So our Oriental Bay, as the name suggests, serves Oriental food.” This includes: sayap ayam (Malay-style marinated chicken wings grilled and served with hot garlic sauce), tod man pla (Thai fish cake mixed with Thai spices, fried until golden brown and served with fresh cucumber sauce), Thai coconut soup (mild aromatic soup prepared with coconut milk, galangal, onion and lime juice), mala xia (wok-cooked king prawns with chilly flakes and Szechwan peppercorns), and chinese eggplant and string beans in flaming wok (fresh Chinese eggplant and string beans, prepared with scallions, garlic and ginger, tire-fried in chef’s special sauce).

Ashish Bhasin, executive chef at The Oberoi Rajvilas, also rates laal maas at the top of the local cuisine list, followed by murgh tikka makhani, chicken tikka, tandoori raan, shammi kebab and gutta curry. He has also churned up some interesting dishes from around the world on his menu. At the two restaurants in the hotel – Suryamahal and Rajmahal – he has Thai curries, mezze platter, lamb racks, and tenderloin steak.

Sweet tooth

Coming to what many consider the most interesting part of the meal, hotels give special attention to dessert. According to Chef Anurag at Shiv Vilas, foreign tourists find the variety of Indian desserts very exciting. “So we always have multiple choices in Indian sweets as well as international ones. Indian tourists on the other hand find foreign desserts very interesting since very few hotels in the country serve authentic foreign desserts,” he says.

Ghevar

However, Ashish Bhasin at The Oberoi Rajvilas, has kept mostly international options this season - French pastries and chocolate fondant. In comparison, Chef Subrata of Hightz restaurant at Hotel Mansingh prefers to keep mostly Indian sweets. He says, “Indians always prefer Indian sweets and almost 80 per cent of foreigners love our ghevar, gulab jamuns, kulfis and jalebees. At Sheraton Rajputana, Chef Rakesh prefers to have more of Western desserts since “foreigners find Indian desserts too sweet”. No prizes for guessing what the Indian tourist prefers – both, of course.

Glossary

Dal baati churma: Flaky round breads baked over firewood served dipped in ghee accompanied with dal (a mix of 5 lentils)

Gatte ki saag: Granflour cubes cooked in yogurt gravy

Papad mangodi ki sabzi: Raw popadum pieces cooked in split yellow gram

Aloo pyaz ki sabzi: Spicy potato and onion vegetable in garam masala

Laal maans: Spicy red meat

Palak pakodi chat: Spinach deep fried in split yellow gram flour, served with tamarind chutney

Paneer kasula: Cottage cheese dish

Maans ka soola: Lamb kebab  

Murgh Jodhpuri: A chicken dish prepared in a traditional way

Kair sangri: A dish made with three berries

Achari kair sangri: The above dish prepared in a slightly different way and eaten as a pickle

Safed maans: White meat prepared in the traditional way

Murgh tikka makhani: A chicken dish

Tandoori raan: Spring lamb leg cooked in spiced yoghurt and roasted in tandoor

Shammi kebab: Ground beef dish

Ghevar: Disc-shaped sweet dish made from oil, flour and sugar syrup

Gulab Jamuns: Sweet dish made of deep fried dough consisting mainly of milk solids

Kulfi: Milk-based frozen flavoured dessert

Jalebees: Deep-fried batter in a shape of pretzel soaked in syrup

Shiv Vilas
Near Durga Temple, N. H No.8,
Kukas, Jaipur-303101
Phone: +91 141-2531100
E-mail: info@shiv-vilas.com

The Oberoi Rajvilas

Goner Road

Jaipur – 302031

Phone: +91 141 268 0101

E-mail: reservations@oberoigroup.com

Hotel Mansingh

Sansar Chandra Road, Jaipur - 302001

Phone: (91-141) 2378771 (7 Lines), 5118771 (7 Lines)

E-mail: sales.jpr@mansinghhotels.com

Sheraton Rajputana Palace Hotel, Jaipur

Palace Road, Jaipur - 302006

Phone: (91)(141) 5100100