Bajre Ki Raab: Beat The Chill With This Warm Rajasthani Soup

The ‘land of royals’, Rajasthan never fails to surprise you, even when it comes to the weather this time of the year. Warm afternoons give way to chilly evenings, and Rajasthan adapts accordingly. What’s common between winter in Rajasthan and winter in most other North Indian states is the range of fortifying foods. So, household staples like laddoos and panjiri take centre stage. Copious amounts of nuts are added to everything they find a place in. Ghee is another healing, nutritious food that finds new significance over the season. But the obsession with bajra remains unchanged.  

Also Read: Know The Benefits Of Bajra, a Rajasthani Staple

For the uninitiated, bajra is one of the staple foods of Rajasthan. While most think that the millet is native to the region, the truth is that bajra originated in Africa, it came to India somewhere around 2000 BC. From excavations sites near Hallur district, it was found that bajra was one of the most widely cultivated crops around 1500 BC. Rajasthan’s climate is not conducive to the growth of many grains like wheat or rice, but bajra saves the day. Bajra is used to make rotis, khichdi and even soups that provide comfort on a nippy day.

Bajre ki Raab is a savoury soup made with bajra flour, ghee, salt and ajwain. To make this soup, Bajra is roasted in ghee on low flame and then flavoured with ajwain seeds and salt, etc. Water is then added to this bajra mix and stirred constantly to avoid lumps. A hint of jaggery right at the end that adds a lovely flavour to the soup, making it more balanced and wholesome.  

Here’s a delicious recipe for Bajre ki Raab by Chef Pankaj Rawat - Chef de Cuisine at Hyatt Regency Dehradun.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp of ghee
• 1 ½ tbsp of bajra (millet flour)
• 1 tbsp of grated jaggery
• 1/8 tbsp of carom seed (ajwain)
• 1/8 tbsp of dry ginger powder

Method:

• Heat the ghee in non-stick kadhai, add bajra flour and sauté on medium flame for 2 minutes till the flour turns light brown in colour.
• Add 1 cup of water and jaggery mix well and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes while stirring continuously with a whisk.
• Add the carom seed and ginger powder mix well and cook in medium flame for 1 minute while stirring continuously with a whisk.
• Serve piping hot bajra raab.