Places to eat in State of Rajasthan

Ah, the tea... how can you forget.... all the memories.... everywhere I go in India I was offered tea... one day in Bundi (Rajasthan), Raj, my host in spotted me in the street and invited me to his project (a hotel he is building) for a cup of chai (masala tea). Indians take their tea with milk, sugar, and spices. It's delicious! The secluded terrace of his allowed me to see the night fair taking place below on the street.

I found just what I needed waiting for me in town, a delicious lassi from Sathi's Cold Drink shop. Sathi makes one o the best lassis I’ve had so far. They're made out of saffron, pistachios, nuts, raisins, and more. Ask anyone in the old town and they'll point you on the right direction.

I had a delicious home cooked a thali at the Kishan Niwas Guesthouse in Bundi. These basic dinners are available all throughout India. They usually have one to three dishes (mainly vegetables, but sometimes with cheese, egg or meat), rice, dal (lentils), curd (yogurt) or raita (desert with yogurt), papad (tostada), and chappatti (pita or tortilla looking flat bread made out of wheat). Each region varies in how spicy or sweat the dish is. At times, the chappatti is substituted by nan (oven baked flat bread), parathas (flat bread that may or may not have a filling), or a massive portion of rice (as in Bengal). I truly think Raj's wife (see my Bundi tips) makes the best chapattis in India!

A lassi is an Indian drink made out of milk and yogurt. It's really hard to explain unless you've had it for it doesn't quite have the flavor of yogurt or milkshake. It's definitely good to have any time of the day. It can be either be sweat or dry. It also can be combining with fruit, spices, or nuts.

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'Dal-baati'(dumplings with a filling, roasted among hot coals) and 'choorma'(dry, flaky, sweet crumb pudding) are the universal favourites. The non-vegetarian dishes include 'soola' or barbecued meats, marinated with a local vegetable. But it is the sweets that the Rajasthanis freak out on. Each part of the State has its own speciality - so Jodhpur and Jaisalmer are famous for their 'laddoos', Pushkar for its 'malpuas', Bikaner for its 'rasgullas', Udaipur for its 'dil jani', Jaipur for its 'mishri mawa' and 'ghevar', Ajmer for its 'sohan halwa'; and mouth watering 'jalebis' can be found in all cities. It is difficult to explain the merits of each of these sweets, so whichever city you are in just ask for the local speciality and enjoy it. Most hotels have excellent restaurants that serve a selection of Rajasthani dishes as well as international favourites.

Gypsy is one of the most popular restaurants in Jodhpur. Known for its trendy look (Jodhpur Standards) and large menu, Gypsy is a favourite among the young and old alike. The menu is 100% vegetarian but draws from a wide variety of cuisines. There is of course the standard, fast food, south indian, north indian, western stuff but in addition there are some interesting dishes like Vegetarian Tajine (Morroccan) and Haldi Mutter Sabzi (Rajasthani). The thali is huuuuge and one can suffice for two light eaters.

They also have a home delivery service but I cannot comment on speed and quality of service.

There are 2 branches :

New Gypsy
PWD Colony, Jodhpur
Ph: 91-291-5103888 / 5105999

Gypsy
9th C Road, Sardarpura, Jodhpur
Ph: 91-291-2433288 / 2629201

Favorite Dish: The thali is wholesome, the food is tasty and the quantity is enough for 2 light eaters. It costs Rs. 70. The south indian stuff is also good enough. I tried the rawa masala dosa. The dosa was great but the masala (potatoes inside) were too oily. My wife tried the veg pizza and it was as good or bad as a pizza served in any other indian restaurant. The cheese burger was also ok.