Notion Press Old No. 38, New No. 6 McNichols Road, Chetpet Chennai - 600 031 First Published by Notion Press 2018 Copyright © Gitanjali Gurbaxani 2018 All Rights Reserved. ISBN Hardcase: 978-1-64324-929-2 Paperback: 978-1-64429-331-7 This book has been published with all efforts taken to make the material error-free after the consent of the author. However, the author and the publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. No part of this book may be used, reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission .from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews Contents • Acknowledgment 4 • Preface 5 • Foreword 7 • Recipes from the Royal Family of Jodhpur at the Umaid Bhawan Palace 41 • Recipes from the Royal Family at the Ranbanka Palace, A Heritage Property 49 • Palaces to visit in Jodhpur 149 • Restaurants to visit in Jodhpur 171 Acknowledgements Ranbanka Palace, A Heritage Hotel, Jodhpur: Rajkumar Karan Vijay Singh, Mr. Vinit Chhabra, Chef Sunil Dogra, Chef Sarwan Ram, Mr. Dhan Bahadur, Mr. Pappusingh, Mr. Ramesh Mehar, Mr. Sunny Kumar, Mr. Varis Khan, Mr. Ishwar Kumar, Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Mr. Jag Bahadur, Mr. Bishwamitra Dass, Mr. Budhasingh, Mr. Abdul Jabbar, Mr. Kushal Neghi, Mr. Hari Bahadur, Mr. Rajpal Singh, Mr. Bhagwan Singh, Mr. Bhagwan Singh, Mr. Narayan, Mr. Gopal, Sahdev Mehra, Mr. Rakesh Kumar Yadav, Mr. Sunil, Mr. Ranjeet, Mr. Peersingh, Mr. Ravinder Singh Rathore, Mr. Rajendersingh, Mr. Girdharisingh, Mr. Sairam. Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur: His Highness Maharaja Gaj Singh II, Marwar Jodhpur, Chef Chander Singh, Chef Anbalagan Kesavapillai, Chef Sujoy Gupta, Mr. Bhanupratap Singh, Mr. Vincent Ramos, Ms. Mehrnavaz Avari, Mrs. Dolly Mathur, Ms. Divya Chugh, Mr. Pratyush, Mr. Vardhaman Singh Rathore, Mr. Anuj Kanchan, Mr. Nitesh Dhar and their efficient team, Dr. Lotika Purohit, Ms. Hrithika S. Purohit and Mrs. Pragna Pravin Shah. Balsamand Lake Palace Hotel: His Highness Maharaja Gaj Singh II, Marwar Jodhpur, Mr. P. K. Purohit, Ms. Ruchika Verma, Mr. Hanuman Singh, Mr. Sawai Singh, Mr. Arjun Singh, Mr. Shyam Singh, Mr. Punjraj Singh, Corporate Chef Mr. J. S. Bhatnagar, Mr. Jitendra Shekawat. Mehrangarh Fort: His Highness Maharaja Gaj Singh II, Marwar Jodhpur, Kr. Karni Singh Jasol, Mr. Jagat Singh Rathore, Mr. Pradeep Deora, Mr. Devvrat Singh Rathore. Photography: Ms. Mexy Xavier & Ms. Gitanjali Gurbaxani Preface Jodhpur is the second largest city in Rajasthan, after Jaipur. Referred to as the “Blue City” due to the blue painted houses around the Mehrangarh Fort, it is also known as the “Sun city” for the bright and sunny weather it enjoys throughout the year. The old city circles the fort and is bounded by a wall with several gates. However, the city has expanded greatly outside the wall over the past several decades. The opulent forts and majestic palaces, the beautifully restored “haveli's” and colorful temples, the rich ancient tradition and culture, the booming handicrafts industry with its ancient art tradition, rich detailing and textured fabric and its array of delicious Jodhpuri cuisine are the jewels of this city. I am indebted to my parents Dr. Dolly and late Dr. Govind Gurbaxani for imbibing in me to experience eating local food whilst traveling as the cultural diversity of a city is well reflected in it's elaborate cuisine, and sharing great food with local people is the perfect moment to discover new people with different cultures and cuisines. Upon this, a visit to the villages to meet the local people, interacting with them and having the simple and delicious vegetarian food, made by the ladies in the village served in the shaded dining and discovering their local music area was an experience. When I visited Jodhpur first in summer fo 2007, I simply fell in love with the city for the gastronomic delight it had to offer. The “Blue City” is known for its sweets ranging from the traditional “Palangtod Mithai” and “Rabri Ghewar” to “Gond Pak” and “Mawa Kachori.” An invitation to visit the Umaid Bhawan Palace is still very memorable in my mind. Visiting His Highness The Maharaja Gaj Singh II at his residence at this palace, which is one of the World's largest residences was a memory to treasure. His Highness, is an unforgettable personality, very gracious and humility personified. The interiors of the Umaid Bhawan Palace specially the kitchen in the Palace is what I hold very pleasant memories of. It was a visual treat working on the recipes of the Royal Kitchens of Jodhpur in this kitchen. The staff at the Ranbanka Palace had very painstakingly conjured up local delicacies minutes before setting up a practical outdoor kitchen for us to do the shoot in natural light. Under the guidance of the Executive Chef Mohasinali Ayub Sayyad and his efficient team, we worked for twelve hours a day to shoot all these recipes from the scratch. Although exhausting, we enjoyed every bit of it. The entire team holds fond memories of this shoot in Jodhpur as we savored all that we shot. I am exceptionally grateful to Rajkumar Karan Vijay Singh and Mr. Vinit Chhabra at Ranbanka Palace, Jodhpur for extending their hospitality to us, showing us around the city and for making our long stay at the hotel very comfortable. I would like to express my gratitude by thanking respected “Baapji” for giving me the opportunity to write this book. A big thank you to Chef Satish Arora for always encouraging my interest and curiosity in good food and for having taken me through a diverse culinary journey over the years by dishing out gastronomical delights in a variety of finger licking cuisines. A heartfelt thanks to my close friend Mrs. Romy S. Wadhwani for her support. Many thanks to Chef Mohasinali Ayub Sayyad at the Ranbanka Palace for sharing with us recipes of authentic Jodhpuri cuisine and to Chef Chander Singh and Chef Anbalagan Kesavapillai at the Umaid Bhawan Palace for having shared with us some rather rare recipes from the Royal Kitchen of Jodhpur. UMAID BHAWAN PALACE JODHPUR- 342 006 RAJASTHAN Foreword "Jodhpur — An Insight to a Gourmet Destination" is a collection of the rich culinary heritage of Marwar, Jodhpur; which has evolved over centuries in our arid climatic conditions. Ms. Gitanjali Gurbaxani, the author gives a brief historical introduction & takes us on a gastronomic journey of traditional Jodhpur delicacies, which are now a gourmet's delight in India and across the world. She has travelled extensively in and around Jodhpur, meeting the culinary experts at Umaid Bhawan Palace. Ranbanka Palace, Bal Samand Lake Palace, the Old City recapturing and compiling culinary heritage of Jodhpur. It is believed that 'to know a community, eat its food", on this note I recommend this book for those who wish to discover Jodhpur, the destination; through its rich traditional cuisine. GAJSINGH MAHARAJA OF JODHPUR 7 The Cuisine of Rajasthan is a product of it's geographical, historical and cultural background. Although the emphasis is simply more on nutrition than on fuss, given the harsh climatic conditions, the people of Rajasthan have produced so much variety from so little. The war like lifestyle of the Rajputs and the unavailability of ingredients in this desert region has influenced the eating habits of the people ; food that could last for several days and could be eaten without heating was preferred more out of necessity than choice. Given the fact that more than half of Rajasthan is made up of a desert, there is very little that grows here. And fresh vegetables are unheard of in pre – communication days. Improved means of transportation and communication changed all that. And now more fresh vegetables and fruits are available by the day. But not less than twenty years ago, there were only hardy desert vegetables and cereals. The desert region comprises Jodhpur, Jaisalmar and Bikaner. The land here is unyielding. Rainfall is scanty and vegetation comprises patches of grassland, dry shrubs and shunted trees. Crops cultivated are hardy cereals like “Bajra” or Millet and “Jawar” or Barley. It is indeed a hostile, harsh and merciless region. Yet culturally, the more interesting side of Rajasthan. Thar, the great Indian Desert, immortalized in song and folkshore as “Marusthali” ( the land of death) lies in the north west Rajasthan. But not all of this state is wasteland. The Aravalli hills, the oldest geographical feature of the Indian sub – continent, is a rocky spine that divides Rajasthan into two regions of starling contrasts. One is barren, while the other has lakes, forests and fertile land. While the Royal Kitchens could put together variety to please the royal palate, it was the common man's kitchen that had to be more innovative. The common man's resources being limited, he had to make the most of the limited local repertoire of vegetables and cereals. Over the years, the Rajputs have lovingly preserved their culinary 9 traditions and perfected the art of simple cooking. Outside influences have been blended in very carefully. The Jains, Maheshwari's, Sindhi's and Brahmins have adapted and innovated from each other while retaining their individual nuances and preferences. Water being scarce, women in marwar have always used the minimum of water. They would rather use milk, buttermilk and ghee (clarified butter ). There is a very old saying in marwar that pleads with the guest to spill milk if he / she wants to but to be very careful with the water because that could really upset the woman of the house.