Cuisine of Himachal Pradesh

 

Awesome Delectable Cuisine Of Himachal Pradesh:

Every state in India boasts of its culture and traditional cuisine that is served on special occasions such as festivals and marriages etc, as much as does Himachal Pradesh. It will not be out of context to say that the inherent beauty of Himachal 

 does not lie only in its natural beauty but also its traditional cuisine contributed largely to its beauty and glory.

Dham is a traditional feast that is held on all important occasions like marriages, festivals or any other occasion like various domestic celebrations etc. A dham which s essentially a vegetarian spread comprises of multiple dishes that comprise a combination of rice, rajmah, chickpeas, khatta, dal, at times sambar, matter paneer etc. such a Himachali cuisine is also known as the Pahari cuisine.

Not only that even the methodology of cooking is totally different as compared to the procedure elsewhere in India. The process of slow cooking is made use of in the preparation of a Dham, comprising of all the dishes as described above,  prepared by specially trained chefs locally known as ‘Boti’s’. These Boti’s are basically traditional cooks who have been passed on the art of slow cooking from generation to generation.. 

It is highly recommended to all the tourist and travelers to the state, traveling be had at any restaurant in Himachal, especially the Himachali Dham that is served at most of the Hotels and dhabas in Himachal.

   

Famous Cuisines of Himachal Pradesh

MADRA

DHAAM

SIDDU

BABRU

PATANDA

PATRODE

MITTHA

THE TIBETAN DISHES

Listed below are some of the individual items that comprise of a Himachali Dham which are simply mouthwatering dishes in their own way.

MADRA

The foremost serving along with rice, in a dham, Madra, specific to the regions of the Kangra and Chamba districts of the state, that represents the food culture of Himachal, is a dish that consists mainly of soaked chickpeas, or other vegetables cooked along with potatoes in oil, yogurt,, that imparts to it that typical creamy texture, and various spices like turmeric, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, cumin, dhaniya etc. to further enhance the taste of the dish while imparting it with a distinct mouth-watering taste, making it an important part of any delectable Himachali cuisine. 

DHAAM

Dham, a traditional Himachali cuisine, usually prepared in the Chamba & Manali regions of the state, as already discussed above is a complete meal in itself, comprising of rice, dal, rajmah, curd, kadi, very well complemented with a sweet dish, making it a complete and a healthy dose of nutrients.  It happens to be a plate full of delicious delicacies a must serve on any and all formal occasions in the state. The special feature about this is as discussed above, that it is prepared by specially trained cooks known as Boti’s and to savor the lingering taste of this you must visit the state during some festive season 

SIDDU

Made using wheat flour or atta, as it is commonly known, Sidu essentially happens to be a localized side dish of a Himachali cuisine complementing the main course of mutton or any other vegetables. Although the preparation of this is very time-consuming but the taste that it gives is worth every minute of the time spent in cooking it.

After the dough has been made out of the wheat flour having been mixed with yeast, it is left alone for about 4 to 5 hours thus giving time for the yeast to settle down. Thereafter small quantities of dough is taken, flattened out and filled with fat and then rolled back again and put on direct fire so that it gets half cooked where after it is steamed to cook it further. It is steamed in order to maintain the richness in its taste and preservation of its nutrient value. It is widely served in the restaurants in Himachal to give the tourists a flavor of the delectable Himachali cuisine.

BABRU

I am quite certain that all of us have, at some point in time, savored the delicious kachori’s especially when they are served hot with the accompanying sabji. Well my mouth starts watering at the very mention of these, so much for that. Have you tried the Himachali version of these? 

Incidentally, the Himachali version of the North Indian kachori, Babru, often found in Shimla, as it is local known, comes with a small twist to it, in the sense that it is made from flatbread prepared with a stuffing of black gram paste which is kneaded into the dough and later fried in oil. The scrumptious and crispy taste when taken with tamarind chutney or the famed Chana Madra of the Himachal cuisine, is something incomparable and beats the conventional North Indian kachory in taste and flavor.  

 

PATANDE

It is typically the Indian version of a Pancake that is a specialty of the Sirmauri people who relish it as their breakfast dish.. It is made from a mix of wheat flour, sugar and milk, also known as the flapjack, the Patande is a fantastic breakfast delicacy relished the people of the district or rather Himachal Pradesh, In fact it is also categorized as one of the delicacies of the Himachali cuisine. 

 

A Himachali, seasonal specialty made during the fag end of the monsoon season when the ‘arabi’ leaves can be found in abundance. Moreover, it is also prepared as one of the delicacies as a part of the dishes cooked to mark the celebrations of Sankranti, which falls on the 16 of September, annually. 

The Patrode is prepared by applying a paste of gram flour along with select spices on them and then rolling them up and ultimately steam cooking them. Later, before enjoying them you can cut them up into pieces and fry them before relishing them with some chutney accompaniment

MITTHA

An important part of a Himachali Dham, the Mitha or the sweet dish is served as the closing course in Dham. It is essentially sweetened rice cooked mixed with raisins and dry fruits and is very delicious to say the lease and makes for a mouth-watering Himachali delicacy 

THE TIBETAN DISHES

The best of this Tibetan cuisine can be encountered in and around Dharamshala or Mcleodganj, near Dharamshala.as Mcleodganj is the Tibetan settlement also known as little Lahasa, the place that also showcases the Tibetan culture at its best. Talking of their delicacies they include the famous Momo’s, Thupka, Tingmo, Luchi Poti Naizha cake etc to name some, dishes that can be enjoyed at kiosks, any and everywhere in Himachal Pradesh.  

     Discussed above are some of the delectable Himachali delicacies that are a must-have on your trip to Himachal Pradesh on any one of our Himachal holiday tour packages, for an additional perk to your experience.

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