During the monsoon, Mount Abu turns into one of Rajasthan's busiest tourist destinations, and visitors don't come only for the beauty of Nakki Lake or Gurushikhar, they also come chasing the flavours dished out on its streets. Along with tourists from within Rajasthan, travellers from Gujarat, Maharashtra and other parts of the country make it a point to stop and taste the local street food here during the rainy season. Here's a look at the famous street foods around Mount Abu and Abu Road that locals say no trip to the hill station is complete without tasting.
The crispy comfort of kadhi pakoda
The stretch around Mount Abu and Abu Road railway station is something of a treasure trove for street food lovers. Narayan Nashta Center, located in the main market right next to the railway station, is known for its kadhi pakoda breakfast. Pakodas made of gram flour and spinach are served with a thick gram flour based kadhi, and the crispy texture of the dish has made it a firm favourite among tourists, who often queue up here for breakfast.
Mumbai's vada pav gets a Mount Abu twist
Along the route towards Nakki Lake and Gurushikhar, another dish sells briskly through the monsoon, the grill vada pav. It's essentially a new take on Mumbai's famous vada pav, except that it's grilled before serving, which makes it noticeably crispier than the regular version. Several breakfast joints in Mount Abu, including Bhavani Vada Pav, are known specifically for this dish, and most visitors make sure to try it, all while paying very reasonable prices.
The real taste of Rajasthani dal baati churma
Dal baati and churma isn't just street food, it's one of Rajasthan's most loved traditional dishes. For an authentic taste of it in Mount Abu, Jodhpur Bhojanalaya's dal baati is considered the best in town. Demand for the dish rises sharply during the rainy season, and Jodhpur Bhojanalaya sees a steady crowd of people every single day who show up to enjoy this classic Rajasthani platter.
The sweetness of Mount Abu's famous rabri
Among Mount Abu's signature sweets and street foods, its lachhedar rabri, rabri with delicate milk layers, tops the list. Near Abu Road railway station, Dayal Rabri and Sanwal Rabri are the go to names for it, while in Mount Abu itself, Pandit Ji Ki Rabri is hugely popular. Visitors can taste the authentic, thick and creamy rabri that Abu is known for here. Pandit Ji's rabri has carved out its own identity thanks to its distinct taste, which is exactly why sales here remain consistently strong.
Mount Abu's identity is as much about taste as it is about scenery
Mount Abu isn't known only for its natural beauty, its delicious local street food is just as big a draw. Being a well established tourist town, its food scene keeps adding new variety, but the traditional and authentic flavour of local dishes remains fully intact even so. That's precisely why tourists visiting Mount Abu consider their trip incomplete without tasting these street foods.
