Of Farms and Millet

One of the benefits to traveling with our friend/guide is that we got to experience a lot of things most visitors do not. On our drive from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur, we stopped on the way to visit his family farm. I had low expectations as we drove for seemingly endless kilometers on sandswept rural roads. And, even as we arrived, I still had no idea what was in store for us.

We were treated to a freshly-cooked meal, made of freshly-grown on-the-spot ingredients as we sat under the shade of trees. The meal consisted of a huge cipatti bread, covered in butter, which, unlike any other I had eaten before, was made of millet. It was really, really firm, so the method is placing dal on top of it, to let it soak in and soften the grain. It was served with vegetables that I am convinced were green beans, though none of my friends believe me, as well as a strange dessert which consisted of chunks of millet covered in butter and sugar. Needless to say, after that big meal, we all had food comas, and, fortunately, nap-time was scheduled into our travel plans. We settled into our makeshift cots, and slept for a couple of hours, before hitting the road and heading off to Jodhpur -- our bellies still full.