Where to find the best gajak and kesar makhan in Jaipur

Walking through the streets of Jaipur, especially in winter, has its own charm. While the city’s architecture is a delight, the pleasant weather whets the appetite. On a recent trip, I decided to dig deeper into Jaipur’s mithai scene, thanks to a food walk facilitated by travel curator Breakaway in collaboration with The Kindness Meal, an initiative to preserve indigenous food cultures. The nearly three-hour-long trail, beginning near Hawa Mahal and weaving through the bylanes of Johri Bazaar and Chaura Rasta, opened up a world of lesser-known local sweets and the stories behind them.

Many of the traditional desserts, I learnt, were either born in the royal kitchens of erstwhile rulers or created as warming treats to combat the cold. Little wonder that jaggery, peanuts, sesame and ghee dominate the city’s mithai repertoire. Shops like Sambharwala Sweets, tucked away in Haldiyo ka Rasta, even incorporate methi (fenugreek seeds) and aloe vera into sweets for a dose of nutrition. A staff member at the 115-year-old establishment said that their methi ladoo—made with wheat flour, jaggery, crushed methi, and gond (edible resin)—was traditionally prepared at home to keep the body warm and support joint health. “A lot of medicinal sweets go back to the 18th century during the time of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II’s reign. It is believed that royal confectioners worked with Ayurvedic experts to create balwan and vardan ladoos for soldiers to give them strength,” said the staff member.

Another speciality, available at Laxmi Misthan Bhandar, is gwarpathe, or aloe vera ladoo. Made with aloe puree, black pepper, almonds and cashews, the sweet is soft, fudgy and distinctly bittersweet. It is typically eaten at breakfast with a cup of hot milk that is sometimes infused with ginger or turmeric.

Til patti is another sweet that locals gravitate towards for its balance of nutrition and indulgence. It’s a thin, rice-paper-like sheet made with roasted sesame and jaggery, believed to have originated in Beawar in Rajasthan, where it was prepared during the harvest festival of Makar Sankranti. “It’s a symbol of goodwill, prosperity, and the beginning of a new season,” explains Dipali Khandelwal, founder of The Kindness Meal, who recommends visiting Ishwarji Gajak Wale in Chaura Rasta for the finest version. The shop, in business since 1956, also offers more than 50 varieties of gajak.

For those who don’t mind a generous helping of indulgence, fini is the real deal. The ingredients are similar to ghevar, but the technique sets it apart. While ghevar is known for its crisp, honeycomb-like texture, the secret behind fini’s signature texture lies in its laborious process of stretching and folding the dough. Small portions of dough are coated with a ghee-and-flour mixture, then pulled into thin rings and folded sometimes a dozen times or more, to form ultra-fine, vermicelli-like strands. “People often ask for a crisper bite now, but traditionally fini was loved for its softness. We still coat it in sugar syrup right after frying, and it stays just as delicate. My grandfather and father stored freshly made fini in earthen pots overnight, and we continue that practice,” says Luv Rawat, a third-generation member of Sambhar Fini Wala, a Johri Bazaar favourite for over 60 years.

While many of these sweets are winter staples, one Jaipur delicacy transcends the season: the kesar pista makhan at the 70-year-old Gulab Chand Dairy in Chaura Rasta. A generous dollop of freshly churned buffalo-milk butter is served on dried leaves, fragrant with saffron and pistachio and finished with the crunch of mishri (rock sugar). As one customer waiting for his order remarked, “It’s not warm, but it melts in your mouth and carries the warmth of Jaipur’s hospitality. Ye nahi khaya toh Jaipur ka swaad adhura reh jayega (a taste of the city is incomplete without this sweet).”

Geetika Sachdev is a Delhi-based lifestyle journalist.