MINDFUL OASIS

Jodhpur may be best known for its history and heritage. On her journey through the Blue City, SATARUPA PAUL  comes across new initiatives by passionate individuals that showcase the food of the region in the most conscious ways.

- SATARUPA PAUL

THE DINNER SETUP looks straight out of a southern Italian countryside in the middle of an orchard, with strings of fairy lights twinkling overhead and lanterns hanging from branches. Yet, it's laid out with a flourish as is expected of a fine dining setting, with handpicked candlestands and floral arrangements, customised placemats and clipboard menus, and curated tableware. Sitting here and savouring a seven-course, farm-to-fork, plant-forward meal, it's easy to forget that I am, in fact, in India's prime desert country. More precisely, at the experiential farm of Mharokhet (mharokhet.com), just about an hour outside of Jodhpur in the northwest frontier state of Rajasthan.

Think of Jodhpur, and the first image that comes to mind is an old town painted blue, in the middle of Thar Desert. Home to the majestic Mehrangarh Fort and the resplendent Umaid Bhawan Palace, the Blue City is primarily known for its architecture and royal heritage. But apart from a few regional specialities, its food culture hasn't been exciting enough to write home about. Until now. New initiatives are shining a spotlight on the foods of the region, including native desert produce, in unique and mindful ways that are sure to appeal to the inspired traveller.

I arrive at Mharokhet with a few friends, and we are ushered in with a tractor ride to the reception, a mud house built with locally available materials. A shy woman dressed in a bright red traditional outfit, with the pallu drawn low over her face as is the custom in these parts, welcomes us with coconut water infused with blue pea flower. I try to learn her name, which she reveals after many giggles is Shampoo. She's one of a dozen or so local women from the neighbouring Manai village who are employed and trained by Mharokhet in organic farming and hospitality, thus upskilling them for alternate incomes.