In India, some people choose to ignore the smell of other issues of survival and how they feel sharper, no one knows exactly why. In my case, I belong to the second group, I am particularly acute in terms of flavor, but upon arriving in Jodhpur, the city hooked me above the noise, the rattling of autoricksaw, pollution and the thin dust rising from early in the morning, smelling spices.
Photography by michael clarke stuff
Knowing the city:
In the foothills of the Mehrangarh fort, a network of streets where it is impossible to maintain a steady course, extend the blue houses of Jodhpur. This curious tone that initially distinguished the houses of the Brahmins, was adopted throughout the city to ward off the heat, and apparently also to mosquitoes.
As blue sea surrounded by a Bill under the relentless sun of Rajasthan, stands the Mehrangarh fort, built according to the shape of the mountain and belonged to the Maharajah of Jodhpur. After India’s independence the Maharajas lost all political power, but kept their titles so honorable. Now converted into thriving entrepreneurs century, philanthropic aspects remain.
Photography by varunshiv
A good example is the Maharajah of Jodpur, who restored the fort and all its interior buildings, making it a museum. For India, the tour is really well documented and the price of admission includes an audio guide is carrying us from voluptuous silk blinds and another world, the burgeoning wealth of the Maharajas of Rajasthan.
Although he suffered many sieges over the centuries, solid and impregnable Mehrangarh Fort was never conquered. His great wall appears out of the same mountain as an extension of the rock itself, keeping intruders inside a labyrinth of courtyards and palaces that transport us to a tale from the Arabian Nights.
A more than 35 degrees in the sun, the shadows of the buildings and we find juicy relieve secrets, like the balconies ‘hidden’ from which the wives of the Maharajah spy on visitors during the political audiences. Perhaps they had no public voice, but heard and influence decisions and power struggles of the kingdoms of Rajasthan.
The aromas of the city:
The spices are part of the identity of Jodpur, as it is the characteristic blue color of its houses and the impressive Mehrangarh fort.
Stimulated the senses and palate alert to discover new flavors, Jodhpur not want to leave, but especially did not want to leave the paradise of spices without learning some of his tricks, his simple but tasty recipes always seasoned with a pinch of 4 or 5 spices.
Food stores, like most in Jodhpur is open on the street and the tangle of wires that run up buildings, is a colorful sign that gives us some clue of what we will find inside: Spice Paradise .
Learning to cook:
As starters, we learned to make vegetable pakoras. Tomato, onion, potato or zucchini coated in chickpea flour seasoned with special and then fried. Sounds easy, but no, we tried some really bad and certainly no as we cook that evening (the credit goes to the cook of course), served with cilantro chutney.
To cool down, prepare another simple dish, raita. Is the salad with cucumber and yogurt seasoned of course with the magic numbers of spices that make the difference.
Photography by Vincent Desjardins
After the first, came the dish, the ‘mix veg’, which is a mixture of spiced vegetables and chapatis and nan famous Indians. Make the dough, flatten with a rolling pin and place it directly over the fire, both as the mass swells and takes on a golden delicious, it’s almost magic.
If you visit Jodhpur, enjoy the cuisine in this part of Asia!
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