A 'REGAL' FEAST

When one pictures a feast fit for the kings, there can be just one cuisine that comes to the mind - the mouthwatering 'Rajasthani Thali.'

- Purvashree Mahasani

The one state of India, which is synonymous with royalty, is Rajasthan. In a state dotted with palaces and havelis of great architectural splendour, was born a cuisine, which was equally elaborate and raised to a level of perfection just like their miniature paintings. The royal cooks created recipes to impress the guests and it was not uncommon to serve hundreds of dishes at these royal meals. The dishes were elaborately decorated and very often, live pigeons and birds flew out of the preparations to add to the gaiety of the evening.

The royal chefs, who predominately cooked a lot of meat delicacies, were influenced by Mogul and European cuisine. Rajasthan is a desert region where the common man was faced with scarcity of water, fresh green vegetables were a rarity, and a harsh climate in which cooked food perished easily was a real problem. The Rajasthani cuisine, thus, uses a lot of buttermilk and ghee instead of water as a cooking medium, imparting to the food a mouth-watering aroma. Elaborate spicing is done to enhance flavours. A lot of accompaniments like papads, a variety of chutneys and pickles are served with each meal.