Created out of a thorny region in the late 1400s, Bikaner is a vibrant city steeped in history and culture. With generations preserving their family traditions in the city, this is a paradise for foodies. Here, thirst quenching sherbets, special bhujia, cool ice creams and kulfis, along with mouthwatering rasgullas are a delight to relish. Let’s delve into the unique flavours that define Bikaneri cuisine.

Chotu Motu Joshi

The food trail begins immediately after getting off the train. Right outside the railway station is a shop to please you with flavoursome pooris and bhaji. Chotu Motu Joshi is an ages-old shop where you can find something delish to eat with as little as INR 10. The shop is run by Jagmohan Joshi and is famous for dana methi kairi, poori, bhujias and rasgullas.

Joshi’s lineage goes back to 1488 when the town was founded by Rao Bika. His grandfather Chotulal Joshi worked in the royal kitchens. “Along with his elder brother Motulal Joshi, he started this shop. My father,Gopal Joshi, took over the shop and now I manage it. The food was cooked in ghee then and now–‘Shudhta ka prateek, Chotu Motu Joshi’ is our tagline. We are renowned for purity, freshness and quality,” elucidates Joshi. “Everything is prepared by hand.” The shop is in a building built by Maharaja Ganga Singh and was earlier a college hostel.

Everything is made from scratch and huge iron kadais are used for frying. Fresh milk is sourced daily to make paneer that is used for rasgullas. Bhujia from moth besan are made in groundnut oil.

A few stops away, Joshi has created a kulfi parlour to enjoy in various flavours such as badam-pista, kesar kulfi and the seasonal mango. And the legacy continues as his two sons have divided their portfolios in managing the business.

Natural sherbets

Chunnilal Tanwar’s sherbet shop at Old Jail Road is famous for its natural sherbets served in a kulhad. “The shop was started in 1939 by my father,” says Vidhan Tanwar who runs the shop with his son Vivek Tanwar. There are 12 eco-friendly and natural flavours available and all of them are sourced from different parts of the country.

In summer, bela sherbet is the most popular. Other flavours are rose, white rose, laung or clove, khus, kesar milk, paan, elaichi, saunf, kewra. A kulhad costs INR 20 and the price of the expensive kesar bottle goes upto INR 350.

Gulkand milkshake

Famous for its fresh and tasty gulkand milkshake, Vardhman Cafe at Ambedkar Circle is run by Jay Daga. “My grandfather, Trilokchand Rampuria, ventured into the ice cream business over 50 years ago. We have our own recipe and unit. I expanded the cafe over the last decade and currently there are over 250 prodcuts comprising ice creams, milkshakes, cakes, bakery items and other items,” says Daga.

With over 50 varieties of ice creams, there are flavours such as sitaphal, anjeer, thandai, mixed fruit, pineapple. A cup costs as little as INR 20, but price varies from flavour to flavour. Despite this, the fresh gulkand milkshake with tiny bits of fresh rose blended into a creamy fresh mixture remains the cafe’s crowning glory. There are over 30 kinds of milkshakes, including a sugarless one. There are takeaway packs too, along with sundaes.

Camel milk treats

When you reach the National Research Centre on Camel in Bikaner. the first stop has to be the camel milk parlour right next to the ticket counter. It has camel milk kulfi, flavoured milk, raw milk, tea, lassi, coffee! This pocket-friendly kulfi costs INR 40, other items are priced at INR 20.

This kulfi is a precious dessert for camel milk is a rarity in the country, albeit a tad bit on the salty side. Camel milk is a healthy diet with more protein than fat, probiotic qualities and helps in managing diseases such as type 1 diabetes, tuberculosis, skin infections. People with milk allergy can also consume camel milk.

Do remember to watch the camels of different breeds at this centre.

Bikaji Bhujia

Bikaji foods is an offshoot from Haldiram Bhujiawala’s family. The founder of Bikaji Foods, Shivratan Agrawal, is the grandson of this legendary man. In the 1930s, Haldiram, a household name in India, started his bhujia business from a small shop in Bikaner. As the family grew and migrated to various parts of the country, so did the name. However, Agrawal stayed put in his ancestral city along with his son, Deepak. Bikaji has been in existence since 1987.

This state-of-the-art unit employs over 2,000 people. While many things are done through automated systems, the core is handmade savouries. Over 4,000 women from different neighbourhood villages supply fresh papad that are packaged under the Bikaji brand. Sohan papdi is still made the traditional way by hand. With over 150 products under its umbrella, the brand exports across the world along a good share of the domestic market.

A Maharajah’s Feast for the New Age Traveller

Narendra Bhawan, the well-known luxury hotel, offers thoughfully curated meals such as the ‘literary dinner’, meditation course, blindfold meals and even the Marwari thali. This arty hotel houses a classy restaurant, Perals & Chiffons, where you can eat these special meals in really fancy crockery. It was the home of the last Maharajah of Bikaner, Narendra Singh.

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