A few days ago, Flavors of Jaipur- a group of foodies conducted a food walk in Jaipur. It was scheduled on a Sunday afternoon in the walled city area of Jaipur. I too joined this food walk. The starting point was the famous Jantar Mantar and it continued through the Tripolia Bazaar and Johri Bazaar. It was attended by 12-15 participants.

Jantar Mantar needs no introduction. It is an iconic Jaipur attraction, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The meeting point was near the ticket window. After waiting for some time, everyone walked towards the first pit-stop- Pandit Kulfi in Sirehdyodi Bazaar. Kulfi is traditional Indian ice cream or rather a frozen dessert made from milk. There are two famous Kulfi shops in Jaipur and Pandit Kulfi is certainly the most famous of all.

The owners of this shop claim that they are in business for the last 60-70 years. Looking at the history of Jaipur which is 300 years old, this seems like an insignificant number. But being able to carve out a niche and keep it rolling for years is a big feat.

If you are a patient kind you can witness a part of the Kulfi making process. The staff refills the empty metal container with the milk which has already undergone some processes. It is then parked in a container with ice so it gets frozen.

With everyone done with Kulfi, the walk leaders led the tour to Hawa Mahal where everyone was asked to introduce themselves. A few interesting introductions later, the session at Hawa Mahal concluded with a group photo and we headed towards Tripolia Bazaar.

Tripolia Bazaar is a famous bazaar having shops selling metal utensils and hardware items. The most distinguishing feature of this bazaar is the Tripolia Gate.

 

Of all the food shops, the Pakodi Wala opposite to Ramchandra Kulfi Bhandaar is famous. In winters, he sells out Pakodi pretty fast. Pakodi is a fried snack made out of gram flour and has a filling usually of onion/potato/spinach/green chilies. Pakodis are usually eaten throughout the year but they are popular during monsoon or winters. People usually love to have them with tea during the rainy season.

Apart from the Pakodi, this vendor also sells Kachoris and Michi Bada.

Kachori is a popular snack in Jaipur and there are many variants of the same. Dal Kachori, Hing Kachori, Pyaaz Kachori, and Mawa Kachori are the most popular ones in Jaipur.

A couple of people who were not very keen on eating any of the above decided to walk across the road another iconic shop in Tripolia Bazaar-Ramchandra Kulfi. Although this shop is famous for Kulfi, over the years, people visit this place for shakes and Rabdi apart from the Kulfi which is served in cut-pieces, unlike Pandit Kulfi where it was served like a popsicle.

Once done in Triploia Bazaar, the leader took us to a sandwich shop in MSB Ka Rasta, Johari Bazaar. The sandwiches were not outstanding.

The next stop was a Bhelpuri shop.

Bhelpuri too was quite average and nothing to write about.

Jaipur food walk was by invitation and restricted to its members. It wasn’t a well-structured walk, unlike other conducted food tours in Jaipur. While the food walk took us through some of the popular eating joints & shops of Jaipur, but only a few were popular. It was a mixed experience. Efforts of the organizer is appreciable, but a little more thought and structure could have improved the overall experience! I had to leave the food walk in midway due to other engagements; I only visited a few places.

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