Rajasthan's 'Sweetheart' sweet, foreigners' favourite: Kings and Maharajas used to call it 'Diljani', 350-year-old taste is also included in the menu of Palace on Wheels

 

Rajasthan's signature dish 'Dal-Baati-Churma' is believed to have originated in Mewar about 1300 years ago. 'Diljani' is a royal sweet of the former royal families of the same Mewar.

This 350-year-old sweet was once the pride of royal feasts. Even today, there are people in the country and the world who love it. This is the reason why it has been included in the menu of 'Palace on Wheels', one of the most luxurious trains in the country.

Foreign tourists visiting Udaipur call it 'sweetheart'. The 'Diljani' decorated with three colors has a sweet and sour taste due to the orange juice, which makes one want to eat it again and again.

This sweet has been prepared for the readers of Bhaskar App in the Diwali special Jaika series by the chef of Karohi Haveli, a heritage hotel located on the banks of Pichola Lake in the Old City of Udaipur.

So let us introduce you to this special taste of the city of lakes...

'Diljani' which pleases the heart Sudarshan Singh Karohi, MD of Karohi Haveli Hotel, says- 'Diljani' means that which pleases the heart. Perhaps this is why it was named Diljani in those times. This royal taste of Mewar has been the pride of festivals for centuries.

There is no clear history of when it started, but it is believed that this recipe is more than 350 years old. If you want pure, sattvik, excellent and delicious food on festivals, then there is no better option than Diljani. When a tourist demands it in our hotel, our heart blossoms from within.

Holi-Diwali's special sweet According to the sweet sellers, the fragrance of Diljani is known even in foreign countries. Whenever a tourist comes to Udaipur, he definitely makes a special demand for Diljani. Foreign tourists call Diljani 'sweetheart'.

Although Diljani can be made any time of the year, but it is definitely made in Mewar on special occasions like Holi and Diwali. If there is a wedding or any function in the house, then Diljani is a must. There are many heritage hotels in Udaipur city, where it is made on demand of the visiting guests.

Diljani is prepared in two types of syrup. It looks like Nukti (also called Bundi or Badana in some places). But Diljani is Diljani. There is no other sweet that can match it. This dish made with Desi Ghee has two types of flavours. Apart from sugar syrup, there is also orange juice syrup. Due to orange, this dish gives a sweet and sour taste.

This is how Diljani is made Karohi Haveli's Chief Chef Laxmi Lal said that to make Diljani, basic ingredients like ghee, gram flour, sugar, saffron, cardamom powder, orange juice, chopped almonds are needed. Just a few simple steps have to be followed.

Step-1: Mix water and sugar and keep stirring on low flame. Mix cardamom powder and saffron and prepare one string syrup.

Step-2: Mix gram flour and water and stir it with a spoon so that no lumps remain in it. In this way the batter for making boondi is prepared.

To make the boondi colourful, divide the solution into three parts. Mix green food colour in one and orange food colour in the other.

Step-3: Heat Desi Ghee in a large pan. To make boondi, pass the mixture through a strainer with fine holes. Boondis of three different colors will be prepared.

Step-4: Dip the prepared boondi in sugar syrup. Now add orange juice to it. This will add both sweetness and sourness to it.

The syrup is not squeezed out at all in Diljani. There should be a little syrup left so that the sweet and sour taste remains. Now garnish it with the already prepared Gulab Jamun, rose petals and dry fruits. Everyone's favourite Diljani is ready.

Maurya Pratap Singh Ranawat, Operation Manager of Karohi Haveli Hotel, says- Diljani is usually made on big festivals. We especially include it in the menu for tourists coming on the occasion of Diwali and festivals.

If you want to taste Diljani from the market in Udaipur which has been made since the time of kings and Maharajas, then Jagdish Mishthan Bhandar (JMB) located at Surajpol is the best place. Operator Rakesh Bajaj says that we have been hearing from elders that Diljani is an age-old dish. It has been made since the time of kings and Maharajas. There was a lot of demand at that time. Our shop has been there since 1964. Since then Diljani has been in our list. While it was in vogue even before that.

He says that in Mewar, Diljani is connected to the hearts of the people. This is the reason why even today there is a demand for it in feasts. Special orders keep coming.

Diljani is included in the dessert menu of luxury train 'Palace on Wheels'. Rakesh Bajaj says that we keep getting special orders for this special dish. Whenever Palace on Wheels brings tourists to Udaipur, their lunch also includes Diljani dish as a dessert. He says that tourists like it very much. Tourists who have tasted Diljani before, do not forget to eat Diljani when they come again.