It is 40 degrees in Jaipur as I’m writing this story. One iced coffee, a litre of chilled water and a bowl of muskmelon down, but my organs still feel parched. And that’s when I know it’s time to bring out the big guns – kairi ki chaach–think of it as aam panna but much thinner in consistency and slightly tangier.
The people of Rajasthan are no strangers to blazing heat and we have created recipes and cooking techniques that are light, fermented, aid digestion, and keep the body cool. “You should try Neera, an unfermented drink made from coconut palm trees. While it is popular in coastal regions, a shop in Johri Bazaar serves Neera in Jaipur too,” says Dipali Khandelwal, founder of The Kindness Meal. Another summer favourite she highly recommends is Jau Ki Guli Ki Raabdi. This is a staple in many Rajasthani households, including mine. While bajra raabdi is typically a winter beverage, this version is prepared with barley and served with chilled chaach. You can find multiple hawkers in the walled city selling this in the afternoons.
Khandelwal, who highlights disappearing food cultures by documenting indigenous knowledge, shares how even before the summer starts, Rajasthani households start drying lentils, grains, making mangodi, and pickling vegetables to preserve food for the leaner summer months. For anyone visiting, Vijaylal Acharwala in Gopal Ji Ka Rasta, Johri Bazaar, is a great place to buy pickles and chutneys. And while it may be Insta-trending only now, Rajasthanis have been incorporating Gond Katira (a natural cooling agent, extracted from plants) in their summer diets for generations.
While I grew up sipping gond katira nimbu pani, slurping kairi ki chaach, and relishing home-made achaars every summer, I’m also that kid who’s first in line for new summer menus, knows her iced coffee order by heart, and will chase down her favourite street chaat even in the scorching heat.
If you’re heading to Jaipur this summer, here’s your ultimate food guide — from someone who knows the Pink City inside out (and is always up for a good food crawl).
While no trip to Jaipur is complete without a shopping day in Bapu Bazaar, might I suggest you add a sweet stop? At this 70-year-old establishment, you’ll have the best kulfi faluda of your life (no exaggeration here). The kulfi–sweet enough, sewaiyan–just about slippery to add texture, a handful of crushed ice and finally, a drizzle of Rooh Afza that makes all the difference.
In Bapu Bazaar you are also in chaat haven.You can trust almost any hawkers opposite Saraogi Mansion for a quick chaat fix. Since I do not fancy fried snacks during summer (come winter, they’re the reason my diet goes to trash), I often stick with the Bombay sandwich, sev puri, and bhel puri. Is it spicy, sure? Would you have a runny nose after? Maybe. Would you still want seconds? Absolutely!
My friend and I often joke that if we ever saved the money we buy our Vietnamese Coffee with, we’d have enough for the down payment of an apartment by now. The coffee is dark, luscious, and when poured over ice, you just know you’ve found the ‘It’ drink of the season. Pro tip: If like me, you don’t like your coffee sweet, ask for 18 ml condensed milk, and thank me later.
At this OG salad place in Jaipur, the watermelon feta salad is the perfect, fresh pick-me-up for a hot day. With crunchy watermelon, crumbly feta, fresh mint leaves doused in olive oil and lemon–if summer were a meal, this would be it.
The whole row of Lassiwalas on MI Road will claim to be the ‘OG’, but honestly, they all deliver. Go for a kulhad of chilled lassi with a generous layer of malai, saffron, and pistachios. It’ll beat the heat, satisfy your sweet tooth, and leave you feeling happy and drowsy for hours — definitely worth it!
Right opposite Lassiwala on MI Road is Jal Mahal – one of Jaipur’s favourite ice-cream spots. Going strong since 1952, it’s difficult to even get a table here on a casual Wednesday night. And that’s why I say, get a tub of their guava ice cream to go and devour it with your friends and family. The best part? It comes with a spice mix of chilli and salt that instantly transports you to your childhood.
Opened just over a month ago, Taffeta has soon become J-town’s favourite spot with an al-fresco seating, fabulous coffee, and a display of desserts that’ll leave you wanting them all. Of their summer specials, mango matcha and mango tres leches are second to none. The matcha is fresh and the dessert will melt-in-your-mouth.
Sitting on the vibrant Hawa Mahal Road, Agora is known for its wholesome, mindful meals. This summer, they’ve launched a mango-centric menu that takes the fruit in every direction imaginable. From the classic mango lassi to spicy chilli mango salsa with buckwheat crackers and masala breadsticks, and even childhood favourites like mango toasties with sweet cream cheese. Don’t miss their mango-topped pancakes, and tapioca pudding with vanilla sponge, chia seeds, and a generous serving of Alphonso mangoes.
As a kid, one of my favourite things to do in summer included devouring the season’s freshest mangoes, brought by my nanaji, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Fast forward to today, and Chef Tejasvi Chandela of Dzurt Patisserie has crafted the ultimate summer treat: a mango vanilla ice cream cake that’s just as nostalgic and airy as those childhood days.
