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Rarely
has the world seen so rich a cuisine from so little
that was available from the land. Ehile the eastern
region of the set has fertile soil capable of crops of
everything from wheat and maize to millets and corn,
for much part the desert's dry terrain, prone to
droughts, was incapable of producing even basic
necessities of survival.
PICNIC FOOD
Jaipur many be known the world over for its
impressive Hawa Mahal and the fortifield old city of
Amber but connoisseurs recognise it for another
speciality dall bati choorma > This cuisine owes
its origin to the Jaipuri penchant for picnicking in
tyhe rainy season when the surrounding hills turn
lush. On such occasions the picnic meal almost
invariable consisted of dall bati choorma usully
cooked on site rather that carried in a hamper.
An important feature of non-vegetarian cooking is the
Rajput kitchen was that it weas rarely cooked on the
main stove in the kitchen and usually employed the
male head of the family as its chef.
REGIONAL
SPECIALTIES
If jaipur has its specialty none of the other
princely states have lagged behind.
Bikaner has its savouries especially bhujiya, which
has accounted for its fame and the quality of its
papads and badi remains unrivalled, The lean mutton of
the desert goats of this region too is considered the
most favourable Jodhpur has its kachoris puffed breads
with stuffing those with mawa being
extraordinarily sweet while others have biting hot
green chillies laced with a masala that is also
intended to singe the palate.
SHIKAR
IN RAJASTHAN
Till the time of independence,m hunting expeditions or
shikar where organised with fanfare, At the top of the
heap was simply the thrill of bagging tiger or
panther, mounting another trophy on the wall. Srummers
and beaters would round up the jungle's beasts as they
marched towards the machan, the raised platform where
the hunters sat, their guns ready.
FOREIGN
INFLUENCES ON RAJASTHANI FOOD
The Royal families, alone could claim some degree
of variety in their meals because of the influence,
first, of the Mughal court, and later the English,
Mughal cuisine was varied and lavish and used the huge
variety of ingredients at its disposal, all of which
was harder to come by in the desert, even in the
erstwhile palaces.
The British influence was to formalise the manner in
which the meal was eaten at the table and to make the
Rajasthani dishes somewhat more bland. Over the years
however, even this Indianised somewhat, with stews and
bakes and roasts including Indian spices, so the
peculiar Anglo Indian cuisine of the pqalace too
created an all too distinctive cuisine.
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