Udaipur New: Local Beverages

Black tea, milk and sugar are boiled together rather than steeped. Crushed ginger, cardamom, clove and black pepper go into the pan. Udaipur stalls often add tulsi and mint to the blend. It is poured into a small glass or a clay kulhad. Prices at old-city stalls start at around ten rupees.

Almonds, melon seeds, fennel, poppy seeds and pepper are ground to a paste. The paste is whisked into chilled milk with sugar and saffron. Rose petals scent the finished glass. The drink is linked to Holi and to Shivratri. It is sold through the summer at sweet shops and chaat markets.

Almonds are soaked, peeled and ground into simmering milk. Saffron, cardamom and sugar are added while the milk reduces. The drink is served hot in winter and chilled in summer. Udaipur's older ice cream houses build thick badam shakes on the same base, finished with a scoop on top. Portions are poured into tall steel glasses.

Roasted cumin, black salt, dried mango powder and mint are ground together. The powder is stirred into cold water with tamarind and lemon. Boondi is sometimes floated on top. The drink is taken before a meal as a digestive. Street counters sell it by the glass from earthen pots. The salt content is deliberately high.

Curd is churned with water until it thins, then salted. Roasted cumin, green chilli and coriander season the glass. The drink cools the body after a heavy meal of ghee and chilli. Most Udaipur thali houses pour it at the close of the meal without charging separately. It is served cold in a steel tumbler.

Curd is blended with sugar and water until it froths. The sweet version is topped with a spoon of cream or crushed nuts. Udaipur counters also serve it layered with rabadi or with kulfi. A salted version exists for those avoiding sugar. It is served in a tall glass or a clay tumbler.

Cane stalks are fed through a roller press at the counter. Ginger, lemon and black salt go in with the last pass. The juice is poured over ice and drunk immediately, since it darkens within minutes. Stalls near Surajpole run the presses from spring until the monsoon breaks. A glass costs between ten and thirty rupees.

Rose petals are steeped with sugar to make a thick cordial. The cordial is diluted with chilled water or with milk. Basil seeds are often stirred in for texture. The drink is offered to guests as a welcome in Rajasthani households. Sweet shops and chaat markets sell it by the glass through summer.