Rajasthan Cuisine - English

Difficult to spot, but we two share a great passion, which may pass unobserved to most of the people we meet.. FOOD!! ;) .. so these days in the romantic Udaipur we have taken one lesson of Rajasthan cuisine, really one activity that should always be done when travelling... unless you are in the Philippines and you just ate a full plate of squids!! ;) ..

So here are the recipes we have loved so much.. I think they are quite easy and could be tried from anybody.. not that we are suggesting you to try, but if you are brave enough, just divide by 2 all the quantities of CHILI!!! ;) ...

Here a quick description of the plates:

• Vegetable Pakora: a deep fried delicatessen
• Masala Chai Tea: the most successful tea in India, our most loved drink in India :)
• Mutter Paneer: green peas and fresh cheese in a tasty sauce 
• Paneer Butter Masala: fresh cheese in a heavenly heavy sauce :) lots of butter
• Khichri Rice: a very good mix vegetable rice typical from Rajasthan
• Chapati/Paratha Base: the base dough for making chapati and paratha
• Plain Chapati: flat bread, the most used in India 
• Plain Paratha: flat bread in layers with oil
• Stuffed Potato Paratha: paratha with boiled potato and spices in the pastry
• Malai Kofta: a tick sauce plate with some sweet taste and potato croquettes
• Halva: typical Rajasthan sweet.. simple but tasty with plenty of possible variations

Here the acronyms for the recipies:

• TS = Tea Spoon
• Cup = Cup of 250ml

For the "exotic" ingredients see here:

• onion paste: take 1 part of onions and 1 part of water and blend in a blender 
• garlic paste: same same but with garlic
• ginger paste: same same but with .. Ginger! 
• Lemon salt: salt with fresh lemon juice dried at the sun (difficult in north Europe!)
• Chick peas flour: take dry chick peas and blend finely
• Garam masala: mix of spices you can find in shops
• Masala Chai: mix of spices you can find in shops
• Paneer: fresh cheese like cottage cheese 
• Ghee: it is similar to butter, but fatter if possible!

Vegetable Pakora

In a bowl mix:

• 100 gr chick peas flour
• 1 cup of  raw vegetables
• 1 TS chili
• 1 TS turmeric
• 1/2 TS Gara Masala
• 1/2 TS salt
• 1/4 TS anise seeds
• 1/4 TS Cumin
• Pinch lemon salt (or just lemon and salt!)
• 2 TS coriander

Add Water to obtain a dough a little bit liquid
In a pan warm oil at medium temperature
Drop delicately small balls of dough in the oil and cook about 5 minutes up to when they become golden

Masala Chai Tea x2 people

In a pot add:

• 1/2 cup of water medium hot
• 1 TS black tea (or 2 tea bags)
• 1 pinch of masala chai spices

Bring to a boil and keep for 1 minute, then add:

• 1/2 cup of milk

Boil for 3 minutes
Filter to serve

Mutter Paneer

In a bowl mix:

• 1/2 cup of green peas
• 2 TS of yogurt
• 1/2 TS chili
• 1/2 TS coriander
• pinch of turmeric
• 1/4 RS of gara masala
• pinch of salt
• 1 TS coriander

In a wok on medium fire add:

• 3 TS of vegetable oil and warm up to medium temperature, then
• 1 TS of chopped onions
• 1/2 tomato in small pieces

Fry to reduce; when oil separates, add:

• 1/4 TS of ginger paste
• 1/4 TS of garlic paste

Add the mixture from the bowl in the wok
Cook at medium fire for 5 minutes, then add:

• 1/4 Cup of water
• 50 gr Paneer 

Cook medium fire for 5 minutes
Serve with pinch of fresh coriander

Paneer Butter Masala

In the wok on medium fire add:

• 50gr of butter
• 1 TS of chopped onions
• 2 TS onion paste
• 1 TS Kasturi methi  (optional, at least, since it is possible to find only in Rajasthan!!)
• 1/4 TS Ayno Motta (optional.. same same)
• 1/2 TS garlic paste
• 1/4 TS ginger paste

cook at medium fire up to brown color, then add:

• 2 finely chopped tomatoes
• 1/3 TS chili
• 1 TS coriander
• pinch of turmeric
• 1/4 TS gara masala
• pinch of salt

Cook for few minutes to reduce, then add:

• 1/2 cup of water
• 150g of paneer (for Butter Chicken Masala add 200g boiled chicken in medium pieces)
• 1 TS coriander

Cook for 3 minutes
Serve

Khichdi Rice (Rajasthan Special Rice)

In a bowl mix

• 1 TS onion paste
• 1/2 TS garlic paste
• pinch of ginger paste
• 1/2 TS chili
• 1/4 TS coriander
• pinch turmeric
• 1/4 TS salt
• 1/3 cup water

In a wok add:

• 4 TS oil and take it at medium temperature
• 1/4 TS anise seeds
• 1/4 TS cumin
• 2 TS chopped onions

Add the mixture of the bowl in the wok

• 3 TS of peas
• 1/2 boiled potato

Cook up t when the oil separates
Add:

• 1/2 Tomato in pieces
• 1 Cup of boiled rice
• 1/t TS gara masala
• 2 TS coriander

Cook 2 minutes mixing carefully to avoid breaking the rice (not like Ami does)
Serve

Chapati Base Dough

In a bowl add:

• 1 and 1/2 cup of wholemeal flour
• pinch of salt
• a bit of water

Mix to uniformity

Plain Chapati

Take a small ball of the chapati base and flat it in a round with 2mm thickness
Cook it on a hot pan

Plain Paratha

Take a small ball of the chapati base and flat it in a round with 2mm thickness
Spread some oil on the top surface and fold in two
Spread again some oil on the top surface and fold in two
Flat the pastry down to a 2mm thickness
Cook it on a hot pan

Stuffed Potato Pathata

In a bowl mix uniformily:

• 1 boiled potato cut in small pieces
• 7 pinches of the 7 spices (chili, turmeric, coriander, gara masala, salt, cumin, anise seeds)
• pinch of lemon salt

Take 1 big piece of dough and spread like a small pizza
Put the potato mix at the center of the pizza and close the pastry over the mix (picture)
Spread the pastry in the form of a big square of 2-3mm
Put the paratha on a hot pan and wet the top side with oil
Turn the paratha and wet with  oil the second side
Serve

Malai Kofta

In a bowl mix

• 2 boiled potatoes
• pinch of gara masala
• pinch of salt
• pinch of cumin
• pinch of coconut powder
• 1/2 TS cashew nuts
• 1/2 TS dried fruits

Make 2 balls
Take 1 ball and cover with flour and shape like a croquette
In a wok deep fry the croquette until it is golden brown, then remove and keep aside

In another bowl add:

• 2 TS onion paste
• pinch of garlic paste
• pinch of ginger paste
• 1/2 TS chili
• 1/2 TS coriander
• pinch of turmeric
• pinch of salt
• 2 TS water and mix uniformly

In a wok with 4 TS of oil at medium temperature add:

• 3 TS  chopped onions
• the spices from the above bowl

when oil separates add:

• 1/2 cup of water
• the second ball of potato 

Mix uniformly and cook for about 10 minutes, up to when the sauce is thick
Serving: add the croquette on a plate and pour the sauce on the croquette
Add add yogurt on the top and then pinches of gara masala and fresh coriander

Halva

In a wok add:

• 3 TS of ghee (or butter)
• 3 TS rice powder

cook until a little brown, then add:

• 1/4 cup of water

Continue cooking until thick, then add:

• 3 TS sugar

Cook 2 minutes more and serve in a small dessert cup
Variations: add whatever you like (coconut bits, dried fruit, ..) at the same time of the sugar

...ENJOY!!!... 

..and if you don`t, we will force you when we are back!! ;)