UTTARAKHAND CUISINE AND HIMANCHALI CUISINE

UTTARAKHAND CUISINE

Uttarakhand Cuisine

The beautiful state of Uttarakhand has a very simple, yet delicious cuisine. The food is nutritious as well as tasty. The primary food of Uttarakhand includes vegetables, though non-veg food is also served and savored by many. The primary characteristics of the Uttarakhand cuisine is that milk and milk based products is sparingly used here.

Coarse grain with high fibre content is very common in Uttarakhand cuisines. Other food items which are famous are - mundua (Buck wheat) in the interior regions of Kumaun, linguda, which is grown on the borders of Tibet and Nepal. It is also a part of the Pahari cuisine as it helps to keep the stomach in order.

Generally, either pure ghee or mustard oil is used for the purpose of cooking food. Use of tomato is minimal in the cuisines of Uttarakhand. Simple recipes of this state are made interesting with the use of hash seeds as spice.

Some of the famous cuisines of Uttarakhand include the following:

• Garhwal ka Fannah
• Chainsoo
• Kafuli
• Jholi
• Phaanu
• Thechwani
• Baadi
• Ras
• Bhatt ki Churdkani
• Badil
• Arsa (Dessert)
• Gulgula
• Black and White Roti
• Mandua ki Roti
• Kulath ki Dal
• Swala
• Urad Bhuda
• Palau
• Kandalee ka saag
• Jhangora ki kheer

HIMANCHALI CUISINE

The Cuisine of Himachal Pradesh - the north Indian state lying at the foothills of the Himalayas - boasts of a uniqueness of its own. Influence of the neighboring lands of Punjab and Tibet is clearly evident in the Himachal cuisine. Besides, the geographical and climatic conditions of the state have a strong effect on the dishes of Himachal Pradesh and the way they are prepared.

The day-to-day cuisine of Himachal Pradesh is simple and very much similar to that of other north Indian states. Rice, paddy and maize constitute the staple diet of the people here. But the preferred taste varies from region to region. Thus, while in the barren regions of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti, locally-grown coarse grains like buckwheat, millet and barley are mainly used, regions with pastoral tradition use large quantities of milk and its products in their dishes.

Non-vegetarian food, with liberal usage of spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and red chilies, form an integral part of the cuisine of Himachal Pradesh. The local people are not known to be particularly fond of vegetarian fare. In the average Himachal households, all kinds of meat, lentil and cereal preparations are generally cooked.

A typical everyday meal in the cuisine of Himachal Pradesh comprises 'dal-chawal-subzi-roti' (the common north Indian fare of lentil broth, rice, vegetable curry and bread). Special dishes are cooked during festive occasions.

Some of the popular dishes in the cuisine of Himachal Pradesh include 'Sidu' - a kind of bread made from wheat flour. It is generally eaten with ghee (clarified butter), dal or mutton.

Among the festival dishes prepared in Himachal Pradesh, 'Dham' - atraditional festive meal is the most popular one. This dish is cooked by only a particular caste of Brahmins called 'botis'. Preparations for this elaborate mid-day meal start the night before. Dham is served in courses on epattalsi or leaf plates. 'Ankolas' made of rice flour are also famous festive dishes in many parts of the state. In drier areas like Lahaul-Spiti valley, the leaves of buckwheat are mixed with wheat flour and made into cakes called 'aktori'. 'Patande' - a kind of pancake is a famous specialty in the Sirmaur area.

The Cuisine of Himachal Pradesh also includes a wide variety of other Indian and International food preparations like those of South Indian, Thai, Chinese and Italian origin.