Traditional home-style food from Uttarakhand is the flavour of the season

Try these delicacies from the hamlets of Garhwal and Kumaon

Lentils form an important part of the cuisine of Garhwal and Kumaon. Credit: Nivi Shrivastava

Healthy, hearty food from the hills of Uttarakhand. Credit: Nivi Shrivastava

Kumaon's famous bal mithai. Credit: Nivi Shrivastava

The revival of ancient grains as superfoods has taken us back to traditional home kitchens. For instance, the healthy delicacies cooked in the homes of Uttarakhand's Kumaon and Garhwal regions are the latest obsession for vegan-friendly, organic-loving foodies.

An array of lentils

If you are watching your weight or trying to detox, try to get your hands on the famous gahat dal (aka kulthi dal or horse gram) from Uttarakhand. This lentil is the main ingredient in a popular dish called dubke that is widely eaten with rotis and rice by local families. A bowl of this dal is known to have plenty of health benefits.

Another gem from the region is the bhatt ki dal (organic black soyabean) cultivated in the higher reaches that's rich in iron and protein. Bhatt ki dal and Bhatt ki chudkani/churdkani are the two famous dishes made using this variety.

The pahadi rajma and lobia grown in these hills are relished in local homes and are a significant source of nutrition.

Locals cook different varieties of soaked lentils together to make a hearty, soupy phaanu to be eaten with rice.

Wild greens

The hills of Uttarakhand are full of green leafy shrubs and herbs, and some unique delicacies are made using leaves of hemp and stinging nettle (bichu buti).

Chef Pawan Bisht, who hails from Ramnagar in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, and has worked for over a decade to promote the cuisine from his home, tells us some unique things about the dishes from this region.

"The cuisine of Uttarakhand is quite eco-friendly," said Bisht. "Pahadis (mountain people) do not believe in wasting anything. The usage of wild greens like hemp and nettle in chutneys and curries and the way they cook it using natural wood and steam reflects the humble eating habits of the local farmer. Hemp seeds are also used to make high fibre dishes and are often mixed with different vegetables to enhance flavours."

Lost grains and cereals

The reddish mandua ki roti is a popular local bread made with finger millets. It is consumed in winters with melted ghee and dal to keep the body warm. Another version of this bread is the lesu, prepared in Kumaon and Garhwal, where the finger millet dough is kneaded into wheat flour dough to make delicious flatbread eaten with ghee.

Mountain-style desserts

Just like the food, the desserts of Uttarakhand are also quite distinctive. bal mithai, a sweet dish from Almora, is made with cooked khoya (reduced milk) and covered in tiny white sugar balls.

Singodi is made from khoya, grated coconut, and sugar and is wrapped in a molu (Bauhinia variegata) leaf before serving.

Jhangore ki kheer is made by boiling soaked millets with sugar and milk and garnishing it with dry fruits.

(The writer is an independent journalist, free-thinker, and an avid traveller)

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