Bursting with flavours, brimming over with textures and aromatic narratives, Jaipur’s street food is a foodie adventurer’s culinary magnum opus. Even itinerant foreign travellers have discovered how to find some rich experience to take home that has suited their palates–something they probably never imagined could. Oh, and the smart ones even wangle out a recipe of a favourite, from a local host to recapture in their kitchens back home.
While Masala Chowk, Jaipur’s -open-air food court is your one-stop-spot for your street food indulgences, locals have their irresistible favourite eat-street places, shared from one generation to the next. So let’s give it a go!
Helping one to shrug off even the barest trace of summery heat, is lassi a super local coolant, which is a yogurt-based drinks that has for centuries revived flagging spirits and behaved as well trained usher to the amazing eat streets of this historic royal city. Spend happy moments at Lassiwala, on MI Road to quaff down some amazing creamy lassi, in both its sweet and salty variants. Traditionally served in kulhads, terracotta tumblers, the lassis remain cool and collected even on the hottest day! In keeping with nowadays trends, they’ve also introduced a sugar free variant .Being such a sell-out (it’s thronged by both locals and foreigners) you need to be here between 7amto 4pm as to not miss out this iconic eat-street experience.
If you are tea or chai aficionado, look no further than Gulabiji Chaiwala, started out as a hole-in-the wall outlet in the 40s. Tuck into slow cooked, aromatic milky, gingery, cardamom and mixed spices chai, in old-fashioned glass tumblers you can also opt for a terracotta tumbler which gives the tea another flavour all together). Team it all up with muska-bun (lavishly buttered buns) and samosa-bun. It’s open for business from 4.30am to 10pm.
Your sweet and savoury needs are beautifully taken care of by that iconic institution Jaipuri Lakshmi Mishtan Bhandar located in Johari Bazaar. Over three centuries old now LMB is on most people’s bucket list when visiting the city. The hottest seller is that fabulous, intricately made ghewar, available in several palate-pleasing variants such as the exotic malai ghewar. Before indulging your sweet tooth join the line-up for LMB’s spicy chaats.
On Station Road step into Rawat Mishtan Bhandar and top up on the yummy pyaz kachori and mirchi vada, Jaipuri staples for those who love spicy snacks. Wash it all down with kesar laasi, an exotic yogurt coolant. Feeling the bit still, try the sweet variant known as Mawa kachori.
Here’s a quick look at what’s not to miss out there: Mirchi Bada, Pyaz Kachori Masala Baati, Chhote samosas, Nasirabad ka Kachora, Kalmi Vada, Kanji Vada, Laung Sev, Makke ka Dhokla…
Oh no! This list can go on endlessly!
Just go indulge your taste buds and discover your own favourites. The street stalls of Jaipur are there to stand and serve…