Festival Foods of Rajasthan

Rajasthan's festivals come with their own foods, and many of them are tied to a particular season. Here is a festival-by-festival guide. For everyday meals, see What an Everyday Rajasthani Thali Looks Like.

Teej (monsoon)

Teej, celebrated by women in the monsoon, is famous for ghevar, a lacy, honeycomb-like disc of fried batter soaked in sugar syrup and often topped with rabri, dry fruits or saffron. Sweet shops in Jaipur and beyond fill with ghevar in this season. Malpua and sweet puris are also popular.

Gangaur (spring)

Gangaur honours the goddess Gauri, and women prepare sweets like gunas (sweet fried snacks made from flour, ghee and sugar) and other fried sweets as offerings, along with festive meals.

Diwali (autumn)

Diwali means dal baati churma for many families, along with besan chakki (a dense gram-flour barfi), mohanthal, ladoos, mathri, and namkeen like bhujia. Read more in Traditional Foods of Diwali.

Makar Sankranti (January)

Sankranti, known for kite flying in Jaipur, brings sesame and jaggery treats: til ladoo, til patti, gajak and pheeni (fine vermicelli-like sweet served with milk). Dal ke pakode are also common on this day.

Holi (spring)

Gujiya, malpua, thandai and dahi bade are favourites, as across much of North India.

Winter celebrations and weddings

In winter, bajra dishes become festive comfort food: bajre ki khichdi, raab, and bajra roti with ghee and gur. Weddings and large gatherings often feature ker sangri, gatte ki sabzi, dal baati churma, pyaaz kachori and mirchi bada.

Why festival food is so ghee-rich

Festive cooking in Rajasthan traditionally leans on ghee, milk, wheat, besan and jaggery. These were valued, energy-dense ingredients, and festivals were a time to be generous with them. Regional, caste and family customs vary widely, so you'll find many versions of each dish.

Bring a little Rajasthan home

Make a festive meal with PoshBhumi Kair Sangri, Mangodi, Bajra Atta and A2 Cow Ghee, with Bujiya on the side. Browse Rajasthani Specialities.