Spice Route

Udaipur Calling

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Royal Holiday

Boating at Pichola Lake in the backdrop of the Lake Palace

The heritage city of Udaipur was always on my “must visit” list and this year I was lucky to visit the beautiful city aptly dubbed the “Venice of the East” twice in quick succession. This is where you can discover Rajasthan’s rich culture, art, tradition and food and more. It is a potpourri of cultures you will see women dressed in traditional clothes with a ghunghat covering their faces and there is rapid urbanization on the other end. However as I started exploring the beautiful city, what struck me was that the city has a central soul where the present Maharana, Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar still resides around which the city has developed. So what are some of the things you must do in Udaipur? Well here is my list:

  • See the City Palace
  • Check out the Udaipur Car Museum
  • Pray at Jagdish Temple
  • Experience Rajasthani heritage and art
  • Boating at Pichola Lake
  • Visit the Sahelion ki Bari

 Jagdish Temple

Read my story in the August issue of Spice Route magazine here – Udaipur Story for more details.

This apart, I also highly recommend that you sample a traditional Rajasthani thaali.

Rajasthani Thaai at Club Mahindra

When in Rajasthan, eat like a Rajasthani! And I had a firsthand experience of sampling a royal Rajasthan Thaali at Club Mahindra Udaipur. Rajasthani cuisine has a big focus on millet, grains and pulses and tends to be quite heavy so it is advisable not to have had a very heavy breakfast. I’d also suggest that you sample the thaali over lunch. In fact the rotis are typically made from bajra, makka and jowar which also make it a great choice if you are gluten intolerant. Chef Satish Kumar Jaipuria, Executive Sous Chef, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd. says, “Rajasthani food is known for its spicy curries and delicious sweets. Rajasthani cuisine also has an enormous variety of sweets, which one takes before the main course as well as after the meal, unlike other desserts. Ghee is a key ingredient in preparation of all dishes as it helps to reduce dryness which is important for the hot dry weather of the region.” Apart from the dal baati churma, the traditional laal maas is a meat dish that is an local delicacy that must be tried. The food uses milk, curd and cream in generous portions and the salads, papad, pickles and chutneys add the zing to the food. Don’t forget to try the desserts ranging from imarti, malpua, moong dal halwa and of course the ghewar made with flour and soaked in a sugary syrup. So let you taste buds go on a culinary journey like no other while you are in Udaipur.

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