The Chronicles of Makhania Lassi
If you are in Jodhpur, know that you are in for a treat. Treat of every kind is what I am referring to here. Jodhpur’s classic enigma is the kind that will leave you spellbound. The architecture, art, culture, heritage and especially the people have this magical charisma that can lure anyone into a trance. Once you part ways with this beautiful blue city I guarantee, you will feel lost for a few days and nurse a heartbreakingly strong homesickness. That’s what happened to me.
Out of all the marvels that make up Jodhpur the city it is, Makhania Lassi plays a significant role. Anyone who has done a bit of research about Jodhpur before visiting it will flock towards the Shri Mishrilal Hotel only for one specific reason that being the Makhania Lassi. However, it is a very dear friend Shubhangi who suggested this piece of wonder to me and then did I do all that research. Well, this post is dedicated to you Shubhangi and thank you for bringing Makhania Lassi into my life.
So what is so great about this Makhania Lassi?
In my last post, I talked about this iconic eatery Shri Mishrilal Hotel, that serves chilled Makhania Lassi in Jodhpur. Apart from the locals of Jodhpur, tourists comprise of the biggest crowd over here. For Jodhpur, Shri Mishrilal is a household name. What started off as a small business of selling lassi (Punjabi), sweets, ghee and et al escalated into this world famous name that has people going gaga over their delicacies. Over the years the business has evolved and so did the recipe for Lassi. To know more about Shri Mishrilal Hotel click here.
Shri Mishrilal Hotel, Jodhpur.
The Makhania Lassi is one of a kind. It is a creamy concoction of thick strained yoghurt and a few other ingredients that give it the deliciously creamy texture. It is served with a spoon because you really can’t drink it. Yes, you need to eat it.
How is Makhania Lassi made?
I had the privilege to meet Mr Rajendra Arora who is at present heading this business with his two other sons. There are other lines of business owned by the same family like the Shri Mishrilal Tea Shop that deals with the finest quality of tea and is located just opposite to the shop. Mr Rajendra Arora swears by his business principle of feeding everyone exactly what is consumed by his family at home. This showed in his transparent demeanour of sharing every single detail of the recipe of Makhania Lassi. Makhania essentially means buttery and creamy. Let me take you through the entire process of creating this creamy delight-Makhania Lassi.
- Milk is boiled in these massive vessels. The milk used is of superior quality and has no water content in them. So the first ingredient needs to be in its purest form to derive the real goodness of Makhania Lassi.
The vessels used to boil milk. The capacity of these vessels are around 20 litres.
- The milk is then allowed to cool and transferred to these earthen vessels and left to cool down further to room temperature.
The earthen pots used to cool the boiled milk.
- When the milk has cooled considerably the correct strains of bacteria are added to the milk and left to coagulate overnight. The strain of bacteria added is mostly in the form of leftover curd called Jaaman in Hindi.
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The curd obtained after adding the Jaaman.
- In the morning the yoghurt is obtained from the earthen pots. The curd is then strained in clean white cloth and hung over a support on the wall. This process gets rid of the excess water. After leaving it this way overnight the yoghurt becomes ready to make Makhania Lassi.
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The strained yoghurt.
- So, once the yoghurt has attained its creamy texture through straining, it is mixed with a little more cold milk, elaichi (cardamom) powder, kewda essence, sugar and a secret ingredient that makes it what it is. These huge vessels are used to mix the mixture thoroughly. There is no addition of water in it.
All of that, a lot of dedication and love goes into making this piece of heaven and that is probably what gives it the name and fame that the Makhania Lassi has managed to earn over the years.
The shop also specialises in a host of other sweets and savoury snacks that can bowl you over. I was offered to try the peda by Mr Rajendra Arora himself and boy it was delicious and milky. These pedas just melt in your mouth.
The delicious Pedas.
I also tried the Mawa Kachori, Kachori, Mirchi Vada, Rabri and packed myself a nice packet of dry snacks or Namkeen. None of these disappointed me. I went back for every single meal and just gorged on these delicacies throughout my stay in Jodhpur.
The Kachori (savoury), Mawa Kachori(sweet and savoury), Lassi (Sweet and sour) and the heartwarmingly delicious Rabri.
I would recommend this place and all the amazing things they prepare at Shri Mishrilal Hotel.If you are in Jodhpur, for once just forget chocolates and other sweets and head over to this place for the gastronomic treat of your lives.
If you have tried the Makhania Lassi or been to Shri Mishrilal Hotel then leave me a comment. I would love to read about your experiences. Did you like the place as much as I did or were you disappointed? Tell me about it. Until then keep travelling and keep drooling.
