A taste of the hills

Check out these flavours from the hills of the Himalayas...

Check out these yummy recipes of meals from the hills of the Himalayas that are jam-packed with nutrition and taste lip-smacking:

Bhat ki Chulkaandi

Ingredients:

Bhatt Dal (Black Bean) - 1 cup

Onion - 2 chopped

Wheat flour - ¼ cup

Cumin seed - ½ tbsp

Dried red chilli - 2

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - ¼ tbsp

Garam masala - ½ tbsp

Salt - according to taste

Oil - 3 tbsp

Method:

Firstly, fry soaked and drained black beans in 2 tbsp oil until they start crackling. Perform this process on a low gas flame. Heat oil, add cumin seeds. Then, add onions and cook until they turn light golden in colour. Add wheat flour and saute it until it turns light brown and it gives off a nice roasted fragrance. Now add all the spices along with salt and roast for half a minute. Add 4 cups of water and cook it on a low gas flame, stirring continuously. Once the gravy changes its colour to slightly brown and then greenish-black, turn the gas off. Serve hot.

Tabak Maaz

Ingredients:

Lamb ribs - 1 kg

Salt - as required

Dried ginger powder- 1 tsp

Clove- 6

Powdered aniseed - 2 tsp

Milk - 1 cup

Ghee- 500 gm

Powdered cinnamon- 2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 2 tsp

Asafoetida- 1 pinch

Method: Take a vessel, keep it on medium flame and add 1 litre of water along with milk. Let the mixture of milk and water heat up a little. Then stir in aniseed, ginger, turmeric, asafoetida, cinnamon powder, clove and salt to taste. After stirring the mixture properly, add the ribs and bring the mixture to a boil. Wait till the meat becomes tender and the water is absorbed completely. Transfer the pieces to a bowl and keep aside. Take a deep bottomed pan, keep it on medium heat and add oil to it. Deep fry these pieces in the pan from both sides and fry till they turn crispy. Serve hot.

(Courtesy: The author is executive chef, Bengaluru Marriott Whitefield)