RAS question
Laal Maas is a famous Rajasthani non-vegetarian dish. What gives it the distinctive red color?
Correct answer: (A) Mathania red chillies.
Laal Maas gets its distinctive red colour from Mathania red chillies, the lal mirch associated with Mathania near Jodhpur.
Explanation
Laal Maas is the red-meat mutton curry associated with Rajasthan, and its deep red colour comes from Mathania red chillies rather than an added dye or vegetable puree. Sahapedia identifies Mathania, located near Jodhpur, as a producer of a prized red chilli variety and notes that this lal mirch brings distinct flavour, colour and taste to dishes such as Laal Maas. That matches the traditional explanation: the dish is cooked with yoghurt, garlic and minimal spices, so the chilli is not just a heat element; it is the ingredient that gives the curry its visual identity. This is why Mathania red chillies, not generic colouring agents, are central to the answer.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Food colouring is wrong because authentic Laal Maas gets its colour naturally from Mathania chillies, not from an artificial colouring agent.
- (C) Beetroot is wrong because it is not used in the traditional Laal Maas explanation and would shift the source of colour away from the chilli that defines the dish.
- (D) Tomato paste is wrong because traditional Laal Maas does not rely on tomatoes for its red colour; the established source is Mathania lal mirch.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan food culture within the art-and-culture syllabus, especially the link between a regional dish and its local ingredient. Such questions recur in RAS because they connect cuisine, geography and cultural identity through a specific, recognisable example.