Presenting the bestselling recipes from Jodhpur, the land of the kings.

Mumbai-based food consultant Geetanjali Gurbaxani has chronicled her gourmet trip to Jodhpur, Rajasthan and turned it into a book.

Jodhpur -- An insight to a gourmet destination presents a wide range of recipes from the royal kitchens of the city.

We bring you some recipes from the book courtesy chef M A Sayyad from Ranbanka Palace, a heritage property.

Ker Sangri

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ker
• ½ cup yogurt
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 whole red chillies
• Ajwain
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves
• 1 cup sangri
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp desi ghee
• ½ tsp amchoor powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• Salt to taste

Method

• Soak the ker and sangria in adequate water for 2 hours.
• Boil it for 10 to 12 minutes till al dente.
• Heat oil and ghee in a kadai.
• When hot, add in the chopped garlic, whole red chillies, garlic paste, ajwain, amchoor powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
• Saute for a minute then add in the beaten yogurt. Mix well.
• Add in the ker and sangri.
• Adjust seasonings.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Jodhpuri Bharwan Karela

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 6 karelas
• 1 tbsp desi ghee
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic, chopped,
• 1 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• ½ cup onion chopped
• ½ tsp amchoor powder
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp garlic hopped
• 2 tbsp coconut powder
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 3 tbsp tomatoes chopped
• Coriander leaves to garnish
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Method

• Peel the karelas and keep the trimmings aside.
• Slit the karela lengthwise and remove the seeds.
• Apply turmeric powder and salt to the karela. Keep aside for 2 -3 hours.
• To make the stuffing, heat oil in a kadai.
• When hot, add in the cumin seeds, mustard seeds.
• When they crackle, add in the chopped ginger garlic and saute it.
• Add in the chopped onion, tomatoes, turmeric powder, amchoor powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, coconut powder and salt.
• Saute till the mixture leaves the oil.
• Drain water from karelas and stuff this filling into them.
• Tie with a cotton thread.
• Heat oil in a kadai.
• When hot, add in the karelas one at a time.
• Fry till they are evenly golden brown in colour.
• Cut the thread and serve hot.

Laal Maans

Ingredients

• 500 gm mutton, cut into cubes
• 4 tbsp desi ghee
• 2 tbsp garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
• ½ cup curd
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 3 green cardamoms
• 2 cardamom masala
• 3 tbsp oil
• 100 gm mathania, whole red chilies
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 3 bay leaves
• 5 cloves
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• Coriander leaves to garnish
• Salt to taste

Method

• Wash and cut the mutton into ½" chunks.
• In a large bowl, mix together the curd along with garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt.
• Marinade the mutton pieces in it.
• Heat oil and ghee in a handi.
• When hot, add in the whole garam masalas.
• Add in the garlic, let it brown, then add in the onion.
• When onion turns light brown in colour, add in the chilli paste.
• Mix well, add in the marinated meat pieces.
• Saute over low flame for 10 minutes.
• Add in some hot water and let it cook till the mutton is tender. This will take approximately 45 minutes.
• Adjust seasonings, garnish with coriander leaves and red chillies. Serve hot.

Jungli Murg

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken
• 200 gm red chilli whole
• 1 ½ cup onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 200 gm desi ghee
• 4 tbsp garlic chopped
• Salt to taste

Method

• Deseed the red chili and boil it and make it into a paste.
• Cut the chicken into small chunks.
• Heat ghee in a kadai.
• When hot, add in the bay leaves and garlic, let it brown, then add in the onion.
• When the onion is light brown in colour, add in the chilli paste. Mix well.
• Add in the chicken pieces. Sauté it till it gets cooked.
• Add in the salt. Mix well. Serve hot.

Rabri Ghewar

Ingredients

• 500 gm refined wheat flour
• 50 ml ghee
• 1500 gm sugar (for sugar syrup)
• 5 ml rose water
• 825 ml water
• 500 ml milk
• 25 gm unsalted pistachios
• 0.5 gm saffron
• 125 gm sugar (for rabri)
• 50 gm whole wheat flour
• 3 kg ghee for deep frying
• 600 ml water (for sugar syrup)
• 2500 ml milk (for rabri )
• 1000 ml water
• 500 gm ice
• 3 to 4 sheets of silver warq
• ½ tsp citric acid

Method

• In a large bowl, mix together the maida, atta and ghee.
• Add 30 ml water in between intervals and mix well.
• When the batter is ready, add in the ice and 500 ml milk. Mix well.
• Add in a litre of water. Stir well.
• Heat ghee in a kadai.
• When hot, add in 50 ml of this batter to make a single ghewar.
• Continue frying till the colour changes. Drain and set aside.
• Repeat the same procedure again and continue frying till the batter lasts. This will take 30 minutes.
• To make the rabri, mix together milk and sugar. Bring it to a boil, then simmer.
• Cook till the rabri is made and is net weight 750 ml. This will take approximately 16 minutes.
• To make the sugar syrup, bring together the sugar and water to a boil.
• Simmer for a few minutes. Add in the citric acid.
• Cool the syrup for 30 minutes.
• Add ghewar in the sugar syrup. After a few minutes remove and serve hot with rabri.

Gond Pak

Ingredients

• 250 gm whole wheat flour
• 250 ml ghee
• 100 gm gond
• 10 gm black pepper corns
• 10 gm saunth
• 375 gm sugar
• 125 ml cold water
• 5 gm green cardamom
• 50 gm almonds
• 50 gm raisins
• 25 gm pistachios

Method

• Place the gond in a dry blender and grind.
• Heat ghee in a kadai.
• When hot, add in the gond.
• When cooked, drain and set aside.
• Add the whole wheat flour and cook over low flame for 40 to 45 minutes till it is well roasted and the colour has changed to a light brown.
• Add in the sugar and gond. Mix well.
• Add in the cold water.
• Add in the raisins, almonds, pistachios, cardamom, black pepper corns, and saunth. Serve immediately.

 Excerpted from the book Jodhpur -- An insight to a gourmet destination by Gitanjali Gurbaxani and published with the kind permission of publishers, Notion Press.