Beyond its palaces and lakes, Udaipur delights with rich flavours, from smoky meats at Raffles to traditional sweets. Discover the city’s culinary treasures that make every meal unforgettable

Udaipur: The Dhungar Maas, cooked to smoky perfection, is redolent of fragrant, hand pounded spices. There’s also Banjara Murgh, a nomadic style curry; gently spiced kurkuri bhindi and dal makhni all of which we mop up with fluffy breads, the dishes creating a symphony of flavours that will linger on our palates for a long time to come.

We’re at Raffles Udaipur’s award-winning Patisserie restaurant experiencing the culinary wizardry of Executive Chef Avijit Deb Sharma and his team at a bespoke lunch. And what a delight it’s has been. From the time the amuse bouches – bon mots of avocado on toast and watermelon cubes topped with feta - sail to our tables in sculptural containers, we know we’re in for a treat. The palak patte ki chaat, embellished with swirls of saunth and curd, explodes on our tongues like flavour bombs. The shrimp, fish, chicken and mutton kebab platter is a palate pleaser while the grapefruit salad topped with micro greens and balsemicoincludes a burrata so creamy and sweet we make a mental note of skipping dessert.  

Semi - comatose with much good food, we amble around the stunning property set on its own private island, amidst the placid Udai Sagar Lake encircled by the Aravalli Hills. Its stately Indo-Saracenic architecture peppered with ornamental gardens, tumbling fountains, and a slew of restaurants and bars have bagged every conceivable global award possible.

We inspect the baroque gardens, their foliage sculpted into breathtaking emerald sculptures moving next to the Writer’s Barwhose woodsy innards feel like a warm embrace. A legendary fixture in Raffles Hotels all over the globe, it is a spectacular and  sophisticated space that stocks titles—a few of them autographed copies of world-renowned authors. We sip and savor a delicious blue curacao mocktail freshly concocted by its liveried barman.

Fun foodcation

Raffles’ culinary act is a hard act to follow but we have no cause for complaint on our recent five-day foodcation in Udaipur. Indeed beyond the grandeur of royal palaces, and its seven glittering lakes, the city - recently voted by Conde Nast Traveler as Asia’s best - offers a scrumptious smorgasbord. From the traditional daal/baati to crispy khasta kachoris; ambrosial jalebis; sohan papri, and more, it is a treat for the tastebuds.

A cooking class at The Ananta luxury resort – a 100-acre sprawling property with a mini forest and sparkling waterbodies – offers us an insight into meticulousness that goes into crafting some of these regional delights. We learn to make ghevar, a beehive-like confection that requires the dexterity of an artist and patience of Job to craft. The gifted Master Chef  GauravMishra also coaches us to rustle up laal maas and curd-infused gatta curry. The aroma of fresh ingredients, the friendly chatter, and the clinking of kitchen utensils create the perfect setting for a fun cooking session.

“Traditionally in north Indian cuisine, when meat is cooked, the sourness comes from yoghurt, but Rajasthani cuisine uses kachri– a locally grown sour berry which is dried and used to tenderise the meat,” informs Mishra sharing tidbits about the city’s gastronomic heritage. We stand behind the kitchen counter with a constellation of spices by our sides including Jodhpur’s famous and fiery mathania chillies poised to get a GI tag for their unique flavour.

Udaipur’s proximity to Gujarat (Ahmedabad is just 200 km) means Gujarati cuisine is a runaway hit. So one day, we’re served a beautiful Gujarati thali with an array of dishes —Khandvi, Undhiyu, Gujarati kadhi, khichdi, Handvo, Gathiya, Khaman, Fafda, and Khakhra – on a silver platter.

Indeed, the staff at Ananta brings it’s A game to every meal. Breakfast is always a cargo of Instagram worthy items - freshly baked goodies, juicy fruits; spongy idlis, crispy dosas, cashew-encrusted upma. As a result each morning we find ourselves volleying between different counters trying to wolf down everything in sight.

Ananta’s menu - a vibrant tapestry of the freshest vegetables, meats, and ingredients – is thoughtfully curated, with the kitchen leveraging local homegrown produce, some of it harvested from the property’s organic gardens. Service is unobtrusive with the staff quietly placing soaked almonds and local fruits in our villa for us to munch on - phalsa, jamun, kiwi, apples and various local berries to name a few.

Willy Wonka’s paradise

Udaipur is also a Willy Wonka-esque paradise for those with a sweet tooth. From Besan Ki Chakki, crafted from condensed milk, sugar and chickpea flour to Sangam Barfi and melt-in-the-mouth Kaju Patisa, it is a living, breathing candy shop. Diljani, crafted from gram flour, sugar syrup, clarified butter, saffron, and dry fruits, is sold out the moment it hits shop shelves, we’re told.

Much of this information is shared by Srinivas Gola, Master Chef at Zana Lake Resort, a stunning property nestling on UdaySagar Lake. A famous halwai from Agra, Gola’s culinary genius in creating decadent desserts like dodha barfi, Sohan papri and balushahi is on full display during our stay. His savory creations crispy khasta kachoris with hing-infused aloo ki sabzi, gossamer gold bondas, matar kulchas, vada pao, poha and more brighten up our breakfasts.

Every day Zana’s kitchen curates a diverse menu comprising local and international treats. One starlit night, we partake of an Oriental dinner next to the glutinous lake. On an incandescent table bedecked with flowers and candles, we dig into garlickynoodles, Thai seafood curry; translucent dimsums, crispy spring rolls and more.   

On the last day of our trip, Zana’s team organises a `liquor and liqueur’ tasting evening on our suite’s private lawn. Against a glittering backdrop of Udaipur, we sip and savour cocktails and finger foods raising our glasses to a city that has not only fed us very well but also given us a lifetime of memories to savour!

Neeta Lal, a New Delhi-based Editor & freelance journalist has worked with India’s leading publications in senior editorial positions and has travelled to 75 countries in search of good stories on gastronomy, travel, art and culture