Jaisalmer caters to the Rajasthani cuisine, mostly influenced by the war-like lifestyle. By war-like lifestyle, we mean that the locals take heavy meals so as to stay full for a long time. Also, since Jaisalmer is a desert city, the food habit of the locals incorporates coolants like lassi, chaach (buttermilk), and a variety of sharbat (syrups).
Following are some of the delicious local food of Jaisalmer worth trying at least once in life.
Dal-bati Churma
Dal Bati is a flagship dish of Rajasthan. Bati is a baked or deep-fried ball of flour. It is then dipped in ghee (butter). The locals crush the bati in dal and eat them with hands.
Churma is made of flour. People roast the dry wheat flour in ghee and add melted sugar and dry fruits to prepare this sweet dish.
Ker Sangri
Ker Sangri is a vegetable prepared with desert beans and capers. These are locally grown and can be stored for years. The dish has a tangy taste because of Ker. Ker is so sour that it needs to be soaked in salt water for days to reduce its sourness.
Pyaz Kachori
You can find Kachori almost everywhere in India. Jaisalmer has a different version of it. Instead of spiced gram flour stuffing, locals here stuff the Kachori with fried onion.
Ghotua
Ghotua is the traditional dessert of the region. It is a gram flour, khoya or mawa, pure ghee, and sugar preparation. Such a great taste with minimal ingredients – that’s Ghotua!
Lassi
It is a yogurt based drink. The Jaisalmer version of this drink is thick, sweet, and creamy.
Majority of the population in Jaisalmer is vegetarian, but you can also find some great chicken and mutton dishes, prepared in a local style. If you wish to try the authentic food, you can also hire a car for the entire day in Jaisalmer and enjoy your food trail.
Where to eat in Jaisalmer?
For the street food trails, we recommend-
- Hanuman Chowk– for tea, desserts, and snacks
- Amar Sagar Pol– for desserts
If you are looking for different cuisines, you can visit-
- Jaisal Italy in Aakhe Pol. It is an Italian terrace dining place.
- Free Tibet Restaurant. It serves Tibetan cuisine and dishes like Thukpa, momos, soups, etc.
- Cafe Kaku. It is an 800+ years old bastion and serves Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, and Indian food. You will enjoy the traditional style of eating here.
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