I am going Jaipur for a short 3 day trip, and I am a big fan of Rajasthani food especially dal bhati churma. I would like to find out which places in Jaipur sell the best dal bhati churma, so I can indulge in the true and authentic flavours of it.
Hello, @Asheesh, welcome to the forum! Dal Baati Churma (Image Courtesy of Maheima Kapur) Overview Rajasthan food is synonymous with the Dal Baati Churma. It's a heavenly concoction of dal (boiled lentils with spices), baati (wheat rolled into dough, either fried or baked) and churma (crushed wheat with ghee and sugar). Some variations of the Dal Baati Churma differ too, depending on the restaurant serving it. There are a variety of ways as well of eating the Dal Baati Churma, the most preferred ones, either dipping the baati into the dal and then into the churma or breaking the baati into small pieces and mixing it with the churma and dal. The richness of the flavours combine with each other, which makes for a heavy but satisfying meal. Since Rajasthan is where the dish originated from, it's only natural to find the best restaurants here, serving the most delicious Dal Baati Churma, although you can also find the dish in other cities of India. Best Restaurants Serving Dal Baati Churma in Jaipur 1. Santosh Bhojanalaya - This restaurant/dhaba is one of the most popular places in Jaipur for Dal Baati Churma. It is a fairly small place with a very limited menu. You can either order their Dal Baati Thali or their Dal Roti Thali. Of course, the highlight here is their Dal Baati Thali, which comes with Dal Baati Churma, Aloo Ki Sabzi, Green Dal and Gatte Ki Sabzi. All of these dishes are only for Rs. 100 and what's more, you can order as much as you can, as this is a thali variant. Their Dal Baati Churma has this home cooked appeal to it. The dal isn't too thick but it is very flavourful, the baati is very crunchy and well-cooked from the inside too and lastly, the churma is optional to have, since it adds to the heaviness of the meal. If you want to have that authentic experience of eating Dal Baati Churma in a dhaba-style of restaurant, you cannot miss Santosh Bhojanalaya. Their Version - Dal Baati Thali. Address - Near Central Bus Stand, Station Road, Sindhi Camp, Jaipur, India. Contact Number - +91 94149 57031. Dal Baati Thali of Santosh Bhojanalaya (Image Courtesy of Kaylan Karmakar) 2. Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar - Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar is one of the oldest restaurants serving Dal Baati Churma in Jaipur. For tasting their authentic Dal Baati Churma, you can either go for their Thar Platter (Rs. 410) or Rajasthani Royal Thali (Rs. 540). The Thar Platter serves the classic Dal Baati Churma, complete with two pieces of baati, plus a side of churma and dal. Served with heaps of desi ghee, the experience of trying their Dal Baati Churma is as authentic as can be. It's up to you whether you want to crush and mix them all together or just dip the crunchy baati in the churma and dal. The Rajasthani Royal Thali is a good option for dinner or even lunch. It comes with a Papad, Bela, Kair Sangri, Kadi, Kishmish, Vegetables and Desserts too. The main highlight of the thali though is the Dal Baati Churma. You can choose which type of baati you prefer, they have a Sada Baati (wheat flour roasted ball) or Masala Baati (stuffed wheat flour roasted ball). For the churma, you can opt for wheat flour or gram flour. A serving of Lassi can help with the heaviness of the meals, because of its sweet goodness. Their Version - Thar Platter or Rajasthan Royal Thali. Address - Shop No. 98-101, Johri Bazar, Gangori Bazar, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302003, India. Contact Number - 0141 4001616. 3. Chokhi Dhani - Chokhi Dhani is an all-in-one cultural spectacle, with a village-themed ambience and loads of activities to keep guests busy. But do you know one little secret? They also serve delicious and authentic Dal Baati Churma through their well-known thali. There are three types of Rajasthani dining available here, namely: Traditional (Rs. 600), AC Royal (Rs. 800) and Multi-Cuisine Buffet (Rs. 999). The former two offers Rajasthani cuisine while the latter offers different cuisines. Over 25 different varieties of dishes are served in your plate, including the cult favourite Dal Baati Churma. It is very heavy though as it is served with plenty of ghee. Plus, you won't need to worry about getting hungry as they load your plate with dishes every chance it gets empty. It's better to reach the restaurant when your tummy is grumbling so you can enjoy the heavy dishes they prepare for you. An added bonus is that everything here is served from scratch by the chefs, from the ghee to the delicious churma. Everything is personalised so you have that authentic taste of Jaipur. Their Version - Traditional Thali or AC Royal Thali. Address - Chokhi Dhani Village Resort, 12 Mile, Tonk Road, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Contact Number - +91 96672 22203. 4. Rawat Mishthan Bhandar - Yet another legendary restaurant in the city of Jaipur is the Rabat Mishthan Bhandar. The restaurant has three parts, namely: AC Dining Hall, Dhaba Area and Sweets Area. You can either dine at the AC Dining Hall or the Dhaba Area for tasting their authentic Dal Baati Churma. Ambience-wise, everything is very simple, as it usually is with older restaurants. Their Dal Baati Churma Thali (Rs. 250) is a winner, as it has different variants of baati, churma and of course, papad, rice and other dishes. You get three types of baati, their original one, masala one and sweet one. For the churma, you get their original one, besan one and rose flavoured one. Although there are some options, the baatis they serve are kind of small so you might get leftovers when it comes to the dal and churmas. The restaurant also serves other famous dishes like mawas and kachoris. Their Version - Dal Baati Churma Thali. Address - Opposite Polovictory Cinema, Station Road, Sindhi Camp, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Contact Number - 0141 2363593. 5. Khamma Ghani - Featuring brightly coloured interiors with bamboo furnitures, the Khamma Ghani is another must try restaurant in Jaipur. Ambience is very laid back although from the outside, the restaurant looks quite small and cramped. They do not only serve Rajasthani cuisine, they also have South Indian, American and Chinese dishes. Also, they are very affordable as compared to the other restaurants mentioned above. For example, their Economy Thali is just for Rs. 79 and it includes Dal Baati Churma, Gatte Ki Sabzi, Chutney, Salad and Mirchi already. Their Dal Baati Churma, for this thali, has four basic baatis too. Their Special Thali is at Rs. 99 and includes the same dishes as above plus Papad and Chach. Along with that, you get three basic baatis and one Masali Baati. Even their Maharaja Thali is only for Rs. 149, which can be compared to Chokhi Dhani's Royal Thali. Overall, Khamma Ghani is the best restaurant when it comes to value for money. Their Version - Economy Thali, Special Thali or Maharaja Thali. Address - Shop 1, Mittal Colony, Near Rathi Petrol Pump, Ajmer Road, Sodala, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Contact Number - +91 99833 30359. Economy Thali of Khamma Ghani (Image Courtesy of Yummraj) 6. Thali House - Thali House is a very basic restaurant with an open area along with an air-conditioned area. Their best feature? They serve unlimited thali for such an affordable price. Plus, you won't have to wait long just to have your meal served to you. It's the best place for a quick meal or those who just want to enjoy authentic Dal Baati Churma without having to spend too much. Their Rajasthani Thali is just for Rs. 115 and comes with the famed Dal Baati Churma. Their Dal Baati Churma has this home-made taste too which is why even l0cals frequent the place. The ghee used is quite heavy though, much like with any other restaurant. The restaurant also has other dishes, like tandooris and pakoris, great for mid-meal snacks. Their Version - Rajasthani Thali. Address - Station Road, Sindhi Camp, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Contact Number - +91 93145 02531. 7. Monarch Restaurant - Going now to the higher end restaurants, we have Monarch Restaurant, located in Holiday Inn. Their menu is very extensive, with cuisines of Rajasthan, China and North India. They also have a full buffet section or you can opt for their ala carte meals. Again, like the other restaurants, they have a Rajasthani Thali, where the Dal Baati Churma is included. It is priced at Rs. 730 so it's definitely on the higher side. The good thing about it is that, it is also unlimited and if you're quite picky about hygiene, this restaurant scores well on that point. A cheaper option would be to order just their Dal Baati Churma, which costs Rs. 430. Don't worry though as the Dal Baati Churma here tastes authentic as well. Ambience here is very elegant, with hanging chandeliers, cozy seatings and even a live Rajasthani counter in the buffet. Their Version - Rajasthani Thali or Dal Baati Churma. Address - Holiday Inn Jaipur City Centre, Commercial Plot 1, Sardar Patel Road, Bais Godam, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Contact Number - 0141 4222444. 8. Jal Mahal ITC Rajputana - Modern interiors and delicious food make the Jal Mahal in ITC Rajputana a prime choice when it comes to an authentic Rajasthani dining experience. Feel like royalty with the overhanging chandeliers, exquisitely painted walls and marble floorings. Food is also served quite beautifully but they're not only work of arts, they are also deliciously satisfying. With a variety of Chinese, Rajasthani and Continental cuisines, their buffet is a must try too. But if it's only the Dal Baati Churma that you'd like to sample, you can also do that. Their Dal Baati Churma is quite unique but still retains that Rajasthani taste. The dal is thick, flavourful and goes well with the crunchy baati while the churma has this sweetness to it because of the mixed pineapple. Their Version - Dal Baati Churma (Churma with Pineapple). Address - ITC Rajputana Hotel, Palace Road, Gopalbari, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Contact Number - 0141 5100100. 9. Spice Court - Spice Court has this very simple interiors with just wooden flooring and white washed walls but stands out when it comes to its services and food. They have Rajasthani, Indian, Chinese and Continental cuisines. Their best seller is the Laal Maas, mutton cooked in spicy red gravy. But want to know a little secret? They also serve a different kind of Dal Baati Churma which is known as the Keema Baati. This is their non-vegetarian version of the popular dish. The baati is stuffed with mutton and served with a special gravy. You can also break the baati and pour the gravy over it, much like the way of eating the normal Dal Baati Churma. So after you have sampled every kind of Dal Baati Churma in Jaipur, you have to make your way into Spice Court and try out their version, which tastes every bit as good as the original one. Their Version - Keema Bati. Address - Achrol House, Jacob Road, Civil Lines, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Contact Number - 0141 2220202. Keema Bati of Spice Court (Image Courtesy of Trip Advisor) 10. Tan Sukh - The best feature of this restaurant is that it offers baatis and churmas per piece or per order. So if ever you ordered their Rajasthani Thali (Rs. 300) and you have some leftover of dal or churma, you can order an additional baati so the dish won't go into waste. The restaurant does not just offer Rajasthani cuisine, they also have Continental and North Indian dishes. Ambience here is very cozy too, not crowded at all and the interiors are neither too edgy nor to old. Tan Sukh is a part of the Kanha Sweets Bakery, it's at the upper floor. So if you want to wash off the heaviness of ghee, you can just buy a few sweets from the ground floor of the restaurant. Their Version - Rajasthani Thali or Separate Order of Baati or Churma. Address - A3- A6, Queens Road, Nityanand Nagar, Vaishali Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Contact Number - 0141 4026790. Enjoy.
