Himachali Dana Pani

A great way to cook seasonal pumpkins, this authentic recipe comes from the Northern sate of Himachal Pradesh. Here is a simple but flavourful dish of pumpkins with mustard seeds. Ingredients  8 cups chopped pumpkin 1 cup chopped cilantro 1 teaspoon amchur (dry mango powder) 1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhaniya) 1 teaspoon turmeric (haldi) 2 -3 whole chili 2 bay leaves Pinch of asofetida (hing) 1 tablespoon panch phorun ( combination of 5 whole spices - available at any Indian store) 2 tablespoons mustard oil 30 grams black mustard seeds (rai) Instructions  Grind mustard seeds in little water and keep aside. Heat mustard oil. Add the panch phorun and asofetida.Add 2-3 whole chili and fry.Add the chopped pumpkin and mix well.Cook for about 15 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.Add turmeric and salt to taste.Cook for a few minutes and then add the dry mango powder.Mash the pumpkin and take off the heat. Let the pumpkin dish cool.Add the ground mustard mixture and mix well

A healthy soup made with a very nutritious local grain called Gahat along with flavours of garlic and coriander. Ingredients  400 grams gahat (horsegram) 3 grams jakhiya (local mustard of Uttarakhand) 1 pinch asafoetida 15 grams coriander root 1/2 teaspoon cumin Onion Garlic ginger paste Instructions  Heat oil add cumin, coriander seed, chopped ginger garlic, and onion sauté it. Then add asafoetida, when it starts releasing flavor add roughly chopped tomato and coriander root Saute it and add water and gahat, cook it on a slow flame till it is mushy Strain it and adjust seasoning, serve hot.

Himachali Khatta is one of the most popular dishes prepared in traditional function which is called Dham. This recipe is sweet and sour in taste and is usually eaten with rice in the Himachal region. Ingredients  Rice flour: 1 1/2 Serving spoon Oil : 4-5 table spoons Aamchoor / dry mango Powder or solid extract: 3 table spoon Laal Mirch(Chili): 1/2 tea spoon Haldi (Turmeric): 1/2 tea spoon Salt : According to taste Dhaniya Powder (Coriander): 1/2 tea spoon 'Kale Chane'(Black grams)  soaked over night Water : 500 ml Way to cook: Take a pan or 'Kadahi' and add oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add soaked 'Kale chane' to it. Fry them for a while and add  haldi(turmeric), salt,  lal mirch(red chili) and dhaniya powder. Add some water and cook it for 4 mins on low flame. Add some water to rice flour in a separate bowl and stir it well so that there are no lumps.You can use wheat flour, if you don't have rice flour.Once the water in the 'kadahi'

Mittha bhaat is the sweet dish of Himachal Pradesh prepared on special occasions. It has sweetened rice mixed with dry fruits and raisins. Ingredients  2 cups White Parboiled Rice 1 cup Sugar 5 Cloves 6 Green Cardamom 1 inch Cinamon 1/4 tsp Saffron 4 tbsps Milk 4 tbsps clarified Butter 2 tbsps Cashewnut 4 tbsps Raisin Directions: Soak rice for 15 minute. Boil 5 cup water with clove, cardamom and cinnamon. When water start boiling add soaked rice. Cook it until they are 80% done. Drain and rinse twice with normal water .Soak saffron strands in warm milk in a bowl.Now in a pan heat 1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter), fry cashew nut to light golden color. Take them out. In the same pan fry raisin for 30 sec and take them out.In the same pan sprinkle 2 tbsp sugar and heat till they just change into golden color. Switch off flame and add cooked rice. Mix well.Grease a deep vessel or biriyani-pot with 1 tbsp ghee. Layer half of rice at bottom. Spread half of the fried cashew nut a

The food talk of Himachal Pradesh cannot be completed without including the Tibetan cuisines. Being an important Tibetan colony, the regional food of Himachal Pradesh is highly inspired by the Tibetan culture. The best of which can be found in Mcleodganj and Dharamshala. Momos remains the all the time favorites of Himachali people that. Apart from that, Thukpa, Tingmo , LuchiPoti, Thentuk, Naizha Cake are some of the dishes that can be enjoyed in the kiosks of Himachal Pradesh. Thupka A noodle soup of Tibetan origin, Thukpa can be prepared in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian ways. A number of fresh vegetables such as tomato, onions, spring onions, string beans, carrot, chopped cabbage can be added to the noodles, with or without meat or chicken. This is a spicy dish cooked with ginger garlic paste, chilli and sauces added as per preference. Recipe for thupka Thenthuk A popular comfort dish especially to keep you warm in winters, Thenthuk is a form of Thukpa. The difference is

Himachal Pradesh promises a great number of non-vegetarian delicacies. Kullu trout is a famous dish of Kullu region which is prepared with trout fish. The marinated fish is cooked in the minimal spices to keep the nutrients and the original taste of Trout intact. The dish is best coupled with the number of boiled vegetables, and hence it remains one of the healthiest delicacies of Himachal Pradesh. Trout is a very healthy alternative of protein. Apart from protein, it contains potassium, phosphorous, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin-B complex and selenium. All these nutrients help the body age better without the risk of heart diseases. They help regulate blood pressure in the body. Bones, metabolism, brain cells, you name it and rainbow trout is ready to shower you with its health benefits Trout can be cooked in a number of ways. You can either fry it, bake it, or make fish curry out of it. Let’s just say, there’s no end to the number of recipes one can come up with while cooking trout.

Aktori is one of the traditional Himachali dishes. It is a kind of cake prepared for special occasions. This special dish is very simple to make and it is made by mixing the buckwheat with the wheat flour and then shaped in pancakes. You will find this dish almost in every city of Himachal Pradesh. The dish is very ancient and very popular among Himachali people.Recipe: Ingredients: 1 cup – Buckwheat Flour 1 cup – Wheat Flour 1/2 cup – Milk 1/2 cup – Water 1 tsp – Baking Soda 4 tbsp – Sugar Oil to fry How to prepare  Take a bowl and mix buckwheat flour and wheat flour together.To this add milk and water in equal quantity and mix this into a fine thick batter.Now add a teaspoon of baking soda to it and again mix well.Lastly, add sugar as per the taste. After this keep aside to rest for few minutes.Take a frying pan and heat a tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is heated up pour a ladle full of batter into the pan and spread it but thick. Cook this on low flame.When small bubbl

Himachal have added a unique twist to popular Kachoris of North India. Babru is a flat bread which is prepared with the stuffing of black gram paste which is added to the kneaded dough. The crisp and the scrumptious taste that this dish has to offer will make you forget the conventional Kachoris of North India. Babru is best enjoyed with Tamarind chutney and it also complements the famous Chana Madra of Himachal cuisine.its recipe is shown here: Ingredients: black gram daal (1/2 kg ) flour (1 kg ) baking powder (1/2 tsp ) Salt to taste Refined oil, sufficient to fry Babru process: Soak the daal in normal room temperature water and leave it for overnight. Drain the excess water, wash the daal and grind it to a paste. Now add the baking soda to the flour along with some water, 1 tsp of refined oil and knead it well. Make small rounds from the dough, and make space in between the balls and add the prepared daal to each ball, and close the daal inside the ball. Now roll it l

A local dish that is a must-have in Himachal is Sidu. Being the ideal companion for mutton and other non-vegetarian Indian preparations, this dish is a prepared by with the dough of the bread. Best place to eat: Sometimes sold on the streets by the pattu draped pahadri women or you can simply find this delicacy through asking around. Made from wheat flour, Sidu is a local side- dish of Himachal Pradesh which greatly complements the main course of mutton or some vegetables. The preparation of Sidu is difficult and time-consuming, but for the taste that it renders, every minute of preparation is worth it. The wheat flour is kept for 4-5 hours for the yeast to settle down. Later, the dough is filled with fat and put on the direct flame to get the half-cooked dough. This partly cooked dough is then steamed to keep the taste and nutrients of the ingredients intact. Finally, this dish is prepared and a simple taste of the food leaves you asking for more.Sidu can easily be found in the

Dhaam is a traditional food festival celebrated in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.Himachali food varies from region to region. Amongst festive food, the traditional meal, Dham (lunch served in traditional occasions) finds instant mention. The traditional Dham is celebrated with great enthusiasm. The dham offers one with an opportunity to be acquinted with the various delicacies of the state. Dham is cooked only by botis (a particular caste of Brahmins who are hereditary chefs). Preparation for this elaborate mid-day meal begins the night before. The utensils used for cooking the food are normally brass ones. It is served in courses to people who sit on floor. The food is served on leaf plates called pattlu( in local himachal kangra language). The traditional dham differs in every region of the state. The typical menu for dham would start with rice, moong dal and a madra of rajma(red kidney beans) or Chole ( chik pea) which is cooked in yoghurt which is prepared in unique style

 A typical Himachal delicacy, Chha Gosht is a scrumptious dish prepared with the marinated lamb which is further cooked in the gravy of gram flour and yogurt.The taste of this dish is highly enhanced when it is well cooked in the Indian spices such as cardamom, red chili powder, coriander powder, bay leaf, asafoetida and ginger-garlic paste. The nutritional value of lamb is impressive; it contains a range of beneficial nutrients including protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. The tables below show the full range of nutrients in cooked domestic lamb (leg shank) per 100 grams. Calories                    243 kcal Carbohydrate         0 g Fiber                         0 g Sugar                         0 g Fat 13.5 g Saturated Fat         5.6 g Monounsaturated Fat 5.7 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g Omega-3                 190 mg Omega-6                  730 mg Protein                          28.4 g Recipe for chha gosht

A famous dish of Himachal Pradesh that is fondly eaten in the households of the Himachali people. Bhey is a delicious dish which is prepared with the lotus stems. Thinly sliced lotus stems are then cooked in the ginger-garlic, onions and gram flour which adds the unique and great taste to the dish. Lotus stem is eaten raw when added in salads. Its salad along with pork and prawns is a delicacy in many popular cultures. Lotus stem curry is prepared by boiling or stir-frying the stem. The curry is a good accompaniment for rotis and rice. Lotus stem is very healthy being a great source of dietary fiber. It contains minerals like copper, iron, zinc, magnesium and manganese. It boosts the production of red blood cells. It has a high content of vitamin C which helps to protect our body from scurvy and increases immunity. Almost all parts of the plant like the root, young flower stalks, seeds, etc. are edible. The stem is lime green in color with a whitish flesh. Store it in the r

 Chamba Tudkiya Bhath is the authentic pulao of Himachal Pradesh that pahadi people cook in their own very style. What’s unique? The dish is not only cooked with Indian spices but an extra add up to the lentils, potatoes and yoghurt along with onion, tomatoes, garlic, cinnamon, cardamom provides this dish such a great taste that will make you want it again and again. For the best taste, Tudkiya Bath is complemented with mash dal and few drops of lime juice. Recipe of tudkiya bhath Tudkiya Bhath will give you the flavour of real Himachal. You can also have it with curd for the best taste. 

  Madra is originally a delicacy that belongs to the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. The dish mainly consists of the soaked chickpeas (chana) or vegetables. Madra is one of the dishes that represents the food culture of Himachal Pradesh. Every restaurant, every occasion, and the festival will have Madra offered to you with utmost love. Have you tried out this combination of chickpeas or Chana with yoghurt? It might seem like a rather different combination at first. Give this delicious Himachali yoghurt based chickpea gravy a try and you’ll slowly start to realise what a wonderful combination it is. Recipe of chana madra Chana madra is a very popular dish in Himachal Pradesh and on your next trip to Himachal, you just can’t give this curry a miss.

The snow-clad mountains, the lush green valleys, the freshness in the air, tranquillity in the environment, these are few things that describe Himachal Pradesh at its best.a perfect blend of culture and tradition can also be seen in Himachal. And, there you go missing a big surprise that Himachal has got for its loyal travellers. The scrumptious food. From the road vendors to the authentic cafes and restaurant, the Himachali people will pour their heart out in their dishes.  The availability of vegetables is a challenge in the hilly and cold terrain of Himachal Pradesh hence, most of the traditional dishes are either non-vegetarian, make use of different types of lentils in them or both. The use of varied spices like chillies, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric and coriander powder is common and make the food rich and spicy; very much to the delight of the tourists that flock to this part of the country almost all year long. The pahari  folk also use a lot of dairy products, especiall