This is the first of a series of posts over the next few months where Markley Boyer, friend and foodie, will explore the desert cuisine of Rajasthan.
The food of Rajasthan is dictated in large part by its geography. It is by far the driest state of India. The northern half of the state has no rivers at all and most of the significant towns - Jodhpur, Jaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer lie in this arid region. Even towns like Udaipur, with its famous Lake Palace show more about the luxury of kings than about natural water. No wonder that the camel is the preferred beast of burden in a land where rain rarely falls and oases are few and far between.
But this desert landscape has yielded a rich culinary tradition that relies extensively on a range of long-lasting staples that can be combined endlessly. Cereals, lentils and spices are used in complex and sophisticated ways to generate mouth-watering delicacies. Vegetables too are limited - garlic, onions and chilis create the rich, spicy base for innumerable dishes. Water is so scarce here that many of the classic Rajasthani dishes are prepared without any water at all, relying on milk, yogurt, buttermilk and clarified butter for their liquid.
But from this apparent poverty of ingredients, the ingenious Rajasthani chefs have extracted the maximum flavor and interest from each element. As an approach to cooking - utilizing a few simple ingredients that store well in the larder - Rajasthani cuisine is a great resource as we cook at home.
On our culinary and photography tour of Rajasthan in March 2015 we will experience and learn this rich traditional cuisine and apply the innovative approach to making the most of what we find in our own kitchens.
