Jodhpur India – Best Places to Eat and Dishes to Try

Jodhpur (/en/india/jodhpur) food belongs to the Rajasthani cuisine and with its famous recipes and well known sweets it can make your visit even more enjoyable. This becomes possible because of the crossing of cultures and habits due to the position on the globe. A lot of vegetables are used in different forms, diverse types of flattened bread and also gorgeous marinated meat can be tasted.

Traditional dishes from Jodhpur

The Indian cuisine is incredibly loaded with lots and lots of recipes that also vary from region to region, from household to household. Therefore it is not always easy to track down the origin of the dish and many types of food can be attached to more areas of the country.

Here we have chosen few specific kinds of food that are considered to be Jodhpuri and are related to the state of Rajasthan.

Gatta ki sabji is very special curry where the dumplings made of gram flour are prepared with yogurt based gravy.

Ker sangri ki sabji or Panchkutiya is another distinct dish reflecting desert climate. It is made of a mixture of various beans and berries and it has a dry texture without gravy.

Sev tamatar ki sabji is a gravy based curry prepared with tomatoes and sev – unordinary gram flour noodles.

Indian dishes are usually served with chapati – flattened bread made of wheat flour. In Rajasthan, there is another popular type of flattened bread. It is called bajra roti and it is based on the use of bajra – millet flour. These kinds of bread are usually quite thick and feel heavy, so you do not need to order too many pieces. They are good for digestion though.

Drinks cannot be missed at all so here we add the traditional Rajasthani makhaniya lassi. Lassi, in general, is a dairy based yogurt drink that can be made as plain, sweet, salty or with various flavours. Makhanyia lassi from Rajasthan is traditionally savoured with saffron, cardamom and rose water and kewra water (specific type of a tree) with the addition of raisins, almonds or cashew nuts. It can be easily found in restaurants as well as street shops.

Jodhpuri desserts

Usually the menu should include a nice dessert. Indian desserts are quite specific compared to the western ones so not everyone understands the taste. But if you are the one who gets it then you will be in heaven. Mawa mishri, made of mawa – thickened mild sugar and cardamom, ghewar – a very specific sort of spongy cake made of syrup and wheat flour, often flavoured with almonds, saffron, pistachios etc., or mawa ki kachori invented directly in Jodhpur belong to the most famous in Rajasthan and Jodhpur. Mawa ki kachori is a sweet style of favourite street food – fried pastry stuffed with sweet mawa filling.

Street food in Jodhpur

Except ‘regular’ dishes, India is a great hub for extraordinary street food tastes. Usually sold in small ordinary food stalls where you grab your food and eat it standing with other customers, but many of these items can also be found in street type restaurants.

We would like to mention pyaz ki kachori, stuffed pastry with stuffing made of pyaz, aka onion or mirchi bada, which is basically chilli capsicum filled with potatoes and cauliflower put in thin dough and deep fried. Both delicious snacks are served with tomato, mint or tamarind chutney. Yes, it may sound scary but you should definitely go for it.

To find nice street food cannot be difficult in any case. You can check out any stall you pass by on the road but we can recommend going to the Clock Tower area and markets behind the gate where cars are not allowed and you will surely find ‘your’ spot somewhere. The prices of street food items are usually very low, in tens of rupees.

Local restaurants

There are plenty of restaurants and food stalls with endless eating opportunities, so the choice between a family restaurant, bar, high end eating or just a local street experience will depend on your preference. Jodhpur is full of eating spots so you can just walk down the street and choose what interests you.

We would recommend the Om Cafe and Restaurant near the Clock Tower. They serve a variety of Indian food and are very popular among visitors to Jodhpur.

Another well known restaurant is the Gypsy Restaurant in Sardapura area where a nice choice of Rajasthani dishes is offered. Check the thalis and combos and enjoy the local taste.

For nice views over the Mehrangarh Fort and, of course, enjoyable eating, you can check out the Keshar Heritage Restaurant just on the way to the fort. It is nice to spend some time there in the evening when the fort is illuminated. They serve many dishes, not only typical of Rajasthan.

If you are in search of fine dining, it is better to make a reservation beforehand. The Darikhana at RAAS is a cosy place with great views and tasty food as well as the Pachranga housed in the heritage Ranbanka Palace. High end restaurants usually have magical ambiance with lots of decorations and colours, going hand in hand with the message of history and culture.

As for the choice, restaurants in Jodhpur focus mostly on the Indian and especially local Rajasthani cuisine with the usual addition of Chinese and continental cuisines to various extent. That is good for those who do not like spicy food or for any other reason do not wish to eat Indian food. The continental choice is often represented by pizza, pasta or burgers.

Cafes and coffee houses in Jodhpur

For coffee lovers India can be a bit difficult and despite the growing number of cafes, it is not always so easy to find really proper coffee. The easiest way is to find one of the cafes belonging to the network of cafes in India.

In Jodhpur, you can find the cafe Coffee Day, where the overall taste of coffee is fine at affordable prices. They also serve food and really lovely desserts. These are located in four different areas of the city.

The cafe Coffee Break is very similar, located in Circuit House Road and Shastri Nagar. They offer various kinds of cold and hot coffee and some snacks as well.

From non-chain cafes we can mention the cafe Frespresso Coffee and Food in Gulab Sagar Road, not far from the Clock Tower. They serve well made coffee as well as Indian and continental food.

Opposite the Clock Tower there is the cafe Sheesh Mahal – the Palace of Mirrors. The coffee is fresh and the desserts are delicious.

The advantage here is the convenient vicinity of the main sights.

Bars and other dinking spots in Jodhpur

Getting a beer or an alcoholic drink is not difficult or problematic. Find any restaurant where there is usually a bar and check the taste of locally brewed Kingfisher beer, rum or whiskey or if you find a cosy place you may get some mixed drinks as well. Do not look for a pub as they are not at all usual in India.

Food tours

If you wish to know more about the tastes of Jodhpur or learn and try to cook the dishes by yourself, you can find specialised tours visiting the chosen restaurants of the city or courses of the Indian or Rajasthan cuisine. You can check Jodhpur Food Tours, Spice Paradise Cooking Classes or Ayurvedic Cooking Class, if you prefer so.