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In the Royal Kitchens of Rajasthan, as well as other states, food was very serious business and raised to the level of an art form. Located in the Palaces, were the Rasowaras, or Kitchen Departments, that took care of the daily needs of the Palace and had some of the best cooks working to prepare exotic dishes for the Maharajas, Maharanis and their guests. There were cooks for different meals and occasions; there were cooks who specialised in making traditional sweets and savouries for festivals; there were specialists for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. What made life more exciting was the fact that there was an ongoing game of one-upmanship between the neighboring Maharajas with each one trying to outdo the other. It was for this reason that good cooks were prized members of the Palace staff and had their own staff running into dozens. Over the years, Rajputs have lovingly preserved these culinary traditions and perfected the art of cooking. The recipes in this book are from the original collection of one of the members of the Jaipur Rasowara who lovingly compiled these recipes in several handwritten registers.