Himachal Pradesh is undoubtedly renowned for being a hill paradise luring tourists from far and near visiting its unending charm and glory. But besides the fame of its inherent natural beauty, it is also a food lover’s paradise. Himachal Pradesh serves some tasteful and unique blend of exquisite Pahari or mountain cuisine that can satiate any curious traveller’s taste buds and give him or her more than one reason to fall in love with this unique Northern State of India spread among the folds of mighty Himalayas.
Himachali cuisine is also referred to as Pahari cuisine. The dishes carry a unique flavour and taste of their own on account of the usage of a lot of yogurt and cardamom. The method of slow cooking lends a definite aroma and special zing.
Tourism of Himachal offers many packages that include a wide variety of local cuisines that are said to have the distinct influence of Punjabi and Tibetan style of cooking.
Since mountains and arid slopes that are not suitable for much agriculture results in low yield of fresh vegetables, hence most of the signature dishes of Himachal are non-vegetarian or cooked by using the various different kinds of lentils in them or a combination of both.
Spices are used in almost all the dishes in abundant measure. Spices such as chilies, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, and coriander powder are used liberally and these combinations make the dishes taste rich and spicy.
Himachal Pradesh is a favourite haunt for tourists all through the year. And tourists of various different origin enjoy the unique food combinations. Also, in these parts of the mountains, a lot of dairy products are in use, especially buttermilk, curd and ghee that make the dishes very mouth-watering.
Most of the restaurants in Himachal Pradesh serve their guests with authentic Himachali or Pahadi food in case the guests want to experiment. Thus we serve before you a list of some delectable cuisines of Himachal that need to be tried when you are on vacation to Himachal.
Dham is a signature dish of Himachal Pradesh. No special occasion, celebrated in the state, is complete without the preparation of Dham. This dish is generally cooked by the priest class or the Brahmins of Chamba region.
Dham
It is made from red kidney beans locally called rajma, green lentils or moong daal and rice in curd. It is usually served in combination with mash daal, boor ki Kari and a special sauce made from tamarind and jaggery or gur that tastes sweet and sour. This dish was authentically served on plates made from leaves. Dham is an amazing and immensely popular dish that marks all festivals.
Mittha is a yummy and popular local dessert of Himachal Pradesh. It is prepared by sweetening the rice and then mixing it with a lot of dry fruits and especially raisins.
- Auriya Kaddoo or Kadoo Ka Khatta
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Kadoo Ka Khatta
A tangy mountain cuisine which is made from two basic ingredients, potatoes, and pumpkin. It is a sheer Pahadi delight, where Kaddoo refers to pumpkin and khatta means sour. Auriya Kaddoo or Kadoo Ka Khatta is a spicy veg dish and contains an appetizing gravy that is flavoured by the use of dried mango powder. This lends the delectable tanginess to the dish.
- Sidu
Sidu
Sidu is a form of flatbread and is prepared with care from wheat flour. The wheat in the process is first kneaded thoroughly and then set aside for a number of hours. The resting of the bread allows the yeast to react and make the dough rise. The dough thus prepared is then par-cooked or baked on a direct flame in delectable rounded shapes. They might also be steamed afterward to complete the cooking. The local dish, Sidu goes very well with a hint or spread of pure ghee or butter and a side dish of dal/lentil or spicy mutton curry.
- Chana Madra
Chana Madra
In Chana Madra, chana refers to chickpea. The two main ingredients that are mandatory for preparing this dish are chickpea flour and yogurt. This local dish is in the top of popularity chart among the localities. The special big-size chana/chickpea is locally called Kabuli Chana. Madra refers to the gravy. The spiced gravy is seasoned by using onions, garlic, ginger, and various assorted spices.
- Kullu Trout
Kullu Trout
Kullu Trout is a dish prepared from the freshwater trout. This is a signature non-vegetarian dish of Himachal Pradesh. The fresh chunks of fishes are cooked in a minimum of spices to bring out the actual taste of the fish.
- Babru
Babru
Babru a Pahadi variation of the very common stuffed Kachori. The filling is made from a paste of black gram. It is then stuffed into the dough and rolled with a rolling pin. The flattened dough is then deep fried in oil and served with Tamarind Chutney.
- Chha Gosht
Chha Gosth is an extremely popular local dish among the non-vegetarians. It is a spicy delight and a main course menu item. The cooking process is time-consuming and complicated that involves marinating the tender lamb in a mixture of coriander powder, cardamom, red chilli powder, and ginger garlic paste. The hot oil is initially tempered with Asafoetida and bay leaves to which the marinated lamb mixture is added to be cooked slowly over a low flame.
Mash dal or kali dal is prepared from black lentils. One of the local dishes of Himachal Pradesh. The lentils are soaked overnight and then steamed in a pressure cooker. It is then added to oil-containing shallow fried onions, garlic, spices and ginger.
- Patande
Patande
Patande is a popular sweet dish usually popular in Sirmour as a breakfast delicacy. This is indeed a yummy version of Indian Pancakes. The batter from which the pancakes are made is a mixture of beaten up sweetened wheat flour, sugar, and milk. These pancakes resemble another popular Indian dish called Dosa, a delicacy of the Southern states of India.
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