A helping of Rajasthani swad

Editor’s note: Chef Sameer Jain, respected for his contribution to Rajasthani cuisine and his work with the royal families of the state, digs into his vault to give readers an insight into his craft in Relishing Rajasthan. The book, written with Pratibha Jain, respected author of cookbooks, captures with finesse the wonders of Rajasthani cooking, as Chef Sameer provides dozens of exquisite recipes—ranging from treasured family preparations, regional fare, and royal cuisine—for readers to sample and prepare. 

Here, we feature three exciting recipes for you to try your hand at: A Mewa Chaat to get things going. Followed by Dal Chandni as the entree. And to cap it all off with some dessert, we feature a recipe of Jhajhariya, a dessert made using tender corn. These recipes from Relishing Rajasthan: Time-honoured Vegetarian Recipes from a Chef’s Home Kitchen have been published with permission from Westland Books. 

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MEWA CHAAT

Dry Fruit Munch

As lovers of rich food, it’s no surprise that this robust, tangy, crunchy chaat made with the finest nuts is one of the most anticipated starters at Rajasthani weddings. Known for their craze for dry fruit and nuts, people of Rajasthan fuss over procuring the best quality and serve them to guests with pride. Many dishes, especially those served at special occasions, include almonds and pistachios. In this protein-rich chaat, the nuts are roasted to perfection in salt, mixed with spices and enriched with the smoky flavour of caramelised sugar. 

Serves 4 to 6

For nut mix

½ cup kala chana (brown chickpeas)

1 cup salt (to roast nuts)

¼ cup almonds

¼ cup cashew nuts

¼ cup walnuts

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup dates, cut into tiny bits

For caramelising

1 tbsp ghee or oil

1 tbsp honey (or agave syrup or maple syrup)

1 tbsp sugar 

For seasoning

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black salt

½ tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp pepper powder 

½ tsp yellow chilli powder (optional, but adds a punch)

1 tsp chaat masala

1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and crushed

1 tbsp lemon juice

1. Wash chana and soak overnight. Pressure cook chana with ½ tsp salt and a pinch of turmeric for 3–4 whistles. It should be well cooked, but not become mushy. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Heat a cup of salt in a wide pan for about 5 minutes on high heat. Reduce to low heat and roast the nuts in this salt, one by one: almonds for 3 minutes, cashews for 2 minutes and walnuts for 1 minute, or until they turn golden brown. Stir continuously so they are evenly roasted. Remove each of the nuts with a slotted spoon before adding the next one. Sieve them through a metal strainer to remove the salt.
3. Transfer the nuts to a plate, cool and break them into small pieces (almost the size of chickpeas). Add raisins and chopped dates. Mix in the cooked chana. Set this nut mix aside.
4. For caramelising, melt ghee in a wide iron pan or skillet on medium heat. Add 1 tbsp water along with honey and sugar. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously, as the liquid starts bubbling and turns frothy. Add the nut mix and continue roasting for a few minutes, stirring gently. When the nut mix turns a little smoky, turn off the heat. 
5. Sprinkle the ingredients for seasoning, except the lemon juice, over the nut mix. Mix well, then add lemon juice.

Serve in mini leaf bowls, shot glasses or in a paper cone as an anytime munch. 

Chef Sameer says 

You can cook the chana and roast the nuts in advance. Do the steps for caramelising and seasoning just before serving.

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DAL CHANDNI

Moonlight White Lentil with Malai

On full moon nights during the winter months, members of Jaipur’s royal families would dress in white and eat special meals in large silver plates, arranged on low tables known as bajots. The menu would always include this white dal, earning it the tag of ‘chandni’ meaning ‘moonlight’. Do not compromise on the malai in this recipe. Use the thick layer of cream on top of boiled milk; also available as milk malai in the market. This ingredient makes this dal perfectly buttery. 

Serves 4 to 6

For dal

1 cup white urad dal

½ cup malai (milk cream), beaten

¾ tsp salt

¾ tsp Marwadi garam masala (p. 193) or 1 tsp dal masala (p. 194)

¼ tsp dried ginger powder

For tadka

4 to 6 tbsp ghee

¼ tsp hing (asafoetida powder) 

¼ tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp black cumin seeds

½ inch piece of mace, crushed

½ cup onions, thinly sliced 

10 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

1 green chilli, finely chopped

For garnish

2 dried, long chillies, broken into 1-inch bits and fried in 1 tsp ghee 

10–12 juliennes of fresh ginger

1 sprig of coriander leaves, chopped

1. Wash the urad dal and soak in water for about 30 minutes. Wash again and drain. Then pressure-cook with 4 cups water for up to 2 whistles. Once the steam has settled down, open the cooker, add malai and salt into the dal, and mix well. Transfer the dal to a serving bowl. Sprinkle garam masala and ginger powder over the cooked dal. Set aside.
2. For the tadka, add ghee and hing in a small pan on medium-high heat. As the ghee warms up, add cumin, black cumin and mace. 
3. As the seeds crackle, add onions and sauté until golden brown. Add chopped garlic and green chillies, and cook for a minute. Pour this mix over the dal. 
4. Garnish the dal with fried red chillies, sliced ginger and coriander leaves. 

Serve hot with steamed rice or any roti of your choice. 

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JHAJHARIYA

Sweet Dish with Tender Corn 

Also known as Dudhia Makki ki Mithai, Jhajhariya is a favoured dessert of the Chhitod-Merta-Udaipur belt. The natural sweetness of milk and tender corn combine well with spices like cardamom and saffron. Buy a batch of tender corn when in season, remove the kernels with a sharp knife or grate to separate from the cob. Use straight away or freeze to make delicacies with tender corn round the year. Veena-ji Gelda, an Oswal Jain from the Udaipur region and a close family friend, specialises in churning out many delicacies with corn, among which this sweet preparation is Sameer’s favourite. 

Serves 4 to 6

3 cups tender corn kernels

2 tbsp ghee

3 cups milk

½ cup condensed milk or sugar

¼ tsp cardamom powder

For garnish

8–10 saffron strands

½ tbsp almond slivers

½ tbsp pistachio slivers

1. Grind corn kernels into a fine pulp, without adding any water. Strain this pulp through a medium-holed strainer to get a smooth paste. Discard the husk that stays on top of the strainer.
2. In a pan, heat ghee and add the corn pulp. Cook for 10–12 minutes on medium heat while the pulp thickens, turns golden brown and almost turns dry. 
3. Add milk and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.
4. Add sugar (or condensed milk) and cardamom powder, and cook for another 10 minutes. Make sure you stir frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. The consistency of this dish is like thick kheer. 
5. Garnish with saffron strands and almond and pistachio slivers. 

Serve warm or chilled as a sweet dish any time of the day. It’s an ideal addition to your party menu.

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Relishing Rajasthan: Time-honoured Vegetarian Recipes from a Chef’s Home Kitchen has been excerpted with permission from Westland Books.