Let me be straightforward with you. I did not go to Rewa expecting to eat this well.
Rewa may not always be on anyone’s food map. No famous dish written up in travel magazines, no street that food bloggers queue outside at midnight. However, it still has an everyday food culture completely untouched by your usual commercial alternatives. Every bite I had here seemed to authentically reflect the true culinary practices and warmth of the city’s locals.
Start the Morning Right: Poha and Jalebi
I started with a breakfast of poha and jalebi. Poha is made of flattened rice cooked with mustard seeds, onion, green chillies, and finished with lemon juice, and typically served with a single crisp jalebi. The combination of sweet jalebi and savoury poha may sound unusual at first, but the flavours go perfectly together. Fresh poha is served every morning at stalls around the main market area, making it one of the best breakfasts to try while exploring the city early in the day.
The Chaat Corners
The chaat in Rewa is one of those things I think about more than I should. The aloo tikki is adequately spiced and topped with a very rich tamarind chutney. I found a dahi puri stall near the bus station and returned multiple times for second helpings. The chaat in this area of Madhya Pradesh tends to be denser and more filling than what you would find in the northern part of the state.
Dal Bafla: The Dish You Came For
If you have time for just one traditional meal in Rewa, make it dal bafla. It is similar to Rajasthan’s famous dal baati but has its own local style and flavour. The bafla is made from wheat dough balls that are boiled, roasted over an open flame, and served with ghee and dal. Some of the best versions are found at simple local dhabas across the city.
Traditional Dishes That Still Define Rewa’s Food Culture
Bagheli food is the traditional cuisine of the Baghelkhand region, known for simple recipes made with local grains and lentils. In Rewa, many of these dishes are now mostly prepared in homes rather than restaurants. For this reason, most of these foods, like bafauri and faraa, have become harder to find outside older neighbourhoods and family kitchens. If you’re lucky, you will find an angakar roti that has been cooked directly on hot coals and has a great smoky flavour. Interestingly, you might hardly find these items in any of the commercial restaurant menus. Therefore, when you find these in Rewa, consider yourself lucky!
Sweets Worth Crossing the City For
The sweet shops here are the best ending for your culinary tour!. Malpua, the soft pan-fried sweet soaked in sugar syrup, is excellent. Look out particularly for the versions made with a touch of fennel in the batter, as they impart a gentle earthiness to this otherwise perfect dessert.
I also developed a taste for imarti, an orange-hued dessert similar to jalebi. However, this local sweet is made from urad dal batter, with a more complex flavour and a slightly firmer crunch to it than your usual soft jalebi. Do remember to pick up a gujiya if you happen to visit around the festival season. You will not regret the extra weight in your bag, as these make excellent snacks to be enjoyed with loved ones.
Where to Base Yourself
Good hotels in Rewa are easy enough to find, and I would strongly suggest staying centrally so that the stalls, dhabas and sweet shops are all within easy reach on foot or by auto. Staying in the main city area also makes it easier to explore Rewa’s local food culture throughout the day.
