The cuisine of Bhopal is known to be highly influenced by Moughal culture. Bhopal serves us the spiciest and sweetest dishes to blow your senses. If you are visiting Bhopal, you need to try out the top 20 famous dishes of Bhopal listed below.
1.Paya Soup
Paya Soup is one of the most famous dishes in Bhopal. The Chatori Gali is famous for its delicious Paya Soup in Bhopal. The soup is boiled for a whole day, along with authentic spices and cooked lamb. It is mixed with corn or wheat flour to make the texture slightly thick. The dish is a treat in chilling winters and a must-have in Bhopal.
2.Rogan Josh
The Moughal Culture in ancient times has evolved into the food culture of Bhopal throughout the years. Roghan Josh is one such dish that has evolved over the years. Initially, it was a Persian dish, but the people of Bhopal have made a rendition of this dish. It is usually made with either mutton or lamb. It is also quite famous in Kashmir; the taste is different. The dish prepared in Bhopal is very spicy, whereas it isn’t spicy in Kashmir. Rogan Josh is mutton or lamb combined with thick gravy. The gravy is made with a paste of tomato, onion, and other traditional Indian spices, giving the dish a spine-chilling taste. You can have it either with a parantha or roti.
3.Poha Jalebi
Poha Jalebi is another famous combination in Bhopal. It is also known as the staple food of Bhopal. Poha is prepared with spices and veggies, whereas Jalebi is deep-fried first and then soaked in sugar syrup. The sweet, spicy combination is then served together. The hot steamed poha served with sweet jalebis would melt your heart.
4.Keema Pulav
Keema Pulav is a dish that has arrived from the Moughal culture. Keema is minced meat. The keema pulav is made with minced lamb meat and basmati rice. Both the keema and boiled basmati rice are mixed with spices and made into a mouthwatering dish. The aroma of the dish alone would wake your senses.
5.Gosht Korma
The Mughali or Nawabi culture has influenced the food of Bhopal to a massive extent. Korma is another Moughali dish you need to try in Bhopal. It is made with mutton or beef, mixed with a spicy thick gravy that makes the overall dish delicious.
6.Mawa Baati
Are you a fan of sweets? Then this dish is made for you. If you have a sweet tooth, then this dish is heaven. Mawa Baati is prepared by filling a flour dough with dry fruits(mawa) and then deep-fried. It is then soaked in sugar syrup, garnished again with chopped dry fruits and cardamom and served with more syrup. You might confuse it with Gulab Jamun, but it is much bigger than that.
7.Falooda Lassi
The sweets of Bhopal will be heaven for you if you love sweets. Falooda Lassi is one such sweet drink that would leave you craving more. The glass full of lassi includes yoghurt mixed with lots and lots of falooda, sugar syrup, dry fruits and rose syrup. Falooda Lassi is something you can’t afford to miss at all.
8.Shahi Tukda
Shahi Tukda is another lip-smacking dessert that is served best in Bhopal. The bread pieces are cut into rectangular shapes and then deep-fried and soaked in sugar syrup. It is then garnished with custard, dry fruits and nuts.
9.Biryani Pilaf
Biryani Pilaf is the South Indian version of Mughal Biryani. It is made with basmati rice and chicken or mutton. The rice and mutton are mixed with cream, spices and other ingredients, making it one of the most delicious dishes of Bhopal. The aroma of the dish alone would make you hungry.
10.Chaat
The chaat of chatori gali in Bhopal is as famous as the golgappas of Delhi or vada pav of Mumbai. It doesn’t matter where you go; the food of India is incomplete without the tangy and spicy chaat. You can have the mouthwatering chaat at the street vendors in any street of Bhopal. The tasty chaat includes snacks like pani puri, chole tikki, and chaat papdi.
11.Barfi Rasmalai
The deserts of Bhopal are no less than the other main course dishes. Barfi ras malai is just a perfect dessert for you after dinner. Barfi Rasmalai is something that you’ll get only in Bhopal. The chilled crushed ice is covered with falooda, dry fruits, sugar syrup and rose syrup. This mouthwatering dessert will leave your tastebuds stunned.
12.Bhopali Paan
Paan has been quite famous in the Indian food culture for ages. Moreover, the Bhopali Paan is famous all around the country. It is often eaten as a mouth freshener. Bhopali Paan is made with betel leaves filled with supari, kattha, chuna and gulkand.
13.Murgh Angara
Murgh Angara is a dry appetizer made with chicken. It is another famous dish derived from Mughal culture. The dish is made with boneless chicken. It is marinated with a mixture of yoghurt, gram flour, chillies and other garam masalas and is then roasted on burning coal. The smoke of burning coal gives the dish a unique, authentic flavour.
14.Dal Bafla
Dal Bafla is a delicious traditional dish of Bhopal. The bafla is a small ball-like dough of wheat flour or maida fried in ghee. It is den served with tasty hot dal (lentils). Dal Bafla is similar to the famous Rajasthani dish dal-baati churma.
15.Sheermal
Sheermal is a kind of pancake or sweetened flatbread. The dough of Sheermal is prepared with maida, milk, saffron, ghee, and sugar. Once kneaded properly, the dough is left as it is for a few hours to make it more fluffy. When cooked properly into a flatbread, saffron milk is put onto it to make it soft. It is then garnished with honey. Another variety of sheermal is stuffed with mawa and lots of dry fruits.
16.Imarti
Imarti and Jalebi are like sisters, both spiral-shaped and sweet as heaven. However, Imarti tastes a little different. It is one of the most famous deserts in Bhopal. It is a little sweeter than Jalebi. Imarti is made with corn flour, saffron, sugar and cardamom batter, which is deep-fried in ghee to make the delicious crispy Imartis.
17.Bhutte Ki Kees
Bhutta means corn. Bhutte ki kees is a famous dish in Bhopal, a thick curry-like dish made with grated corn. The grated corn is first roasted in ghee, mixed with spices, and then served hot with grated coconut.
18.Malpua
Malpua is another traditional pancake famous in Bhopal. It is made with various ingredients, including flour and jaggery. Ghee and sometimes fruits like grapes or bananas are added, along with coconut.
19.Bedmi Puri
Bedmi Puri is served with the tasty aloo ki sabzi or halwa generally. It is made with a dough made of flour and dal and is then deep-fired to make a crunchy puri.
20.Kebabs
Ending the blog with one more Moughal-inspired dish, Kebabas are just a treat to your tastebuds. They are usually made with chicken. The chicken is first covered with spices and then roasted until it becomes a mouthwatering spicy Kebab.
