The peaks of Himalaya covered with snow, the lush green valleys covered with mostly deodar trees, tranquility in the air, and the unique culture and history all these describe Himachal Pradesh really well. And all of the above, the best surprise that Himachal Pradesh has got for its frequent visitors, the scrumptious Himachali food which is basically inspired by the unique culture of the Himachal Pradesh. The taste of the food would satiate your taste buds with the help of different unique yet scrumptious dishes served by the road-vendors, authentic cafes and restaurants. So, whenever you are going to Himachal Pradesh for your trip, do not miss out on some of the popular and mouth-watering dishes available there. Here is a list of top 10 local, but scrumptious dishes of Himachal Pradesh.
1. Madra
Madra is a local delicacy that comes form the Chamba district of the Himchal Pradesh. The preparation of this dish mainly consists of the soaked chickpeas Chana and vegetables. Now, it is cooked well in the oil with various other spices and ingredients such as cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cumin, coriander powder and turmeric powder which all collectively boost up the taste and fragrance of the dish both at the same time. Madra is one of those such dishes of Madhya Pradesh that represents the food culture of Himachali people. Almost every restaurant, every occasion, and festival will serve you Madra with utmost love
2. Dhaam
Dhaam is a special kind of dish which is available mostly at the time of festivals in Himachal Pradesh. This special dish of Himachal Pradesh has got the great taste along with a healthy dose of nutrients included in the dish. As the dish is prepared with dal, rajma, rice, curd, boor ki Kadi and complimented with gur Jaggery. Platter of Dhaam has got various delicious delicacies that are must serve along on the special occasions or festivals. Not only this, the distinctive feature of this dish is that, it is prepared by special chefs known as ‘botis’. Manali and Chamba in Himachal Pradesh are the places during festivals that will relish you with this lip-smacking dish.
3. Tudkiya Bhaat
It is an authentic pulao of Himachal Pradesh, which is cooked by pahadis in their own style. The dish comes from the Chamba of Himachal Prsdesh. The special feature of this dish is that it is not cooked alone with Indian spices only, but it is also accompanied with the lentils, potatoes and yoghurt along with onion, tomatoes, garlic, cinnamon, cardamom which all collectively results in great taste after completion, making one’s feel to have it again and over again. For enhancing the taste further Tudkiya Bhaat is served with mash dal and few drops of lime juice as well.
4. Bhey or Spicy Lotus Stem
It is one of the most served dishes in all over Himachal Pradesh. This dish can be find any where in the Himachal Pradesh on almost every food restaurant and local people’s houses as well. Bhey is a very tasty dish which is prepared with the lotus stem. First these lotus stems are chopped into fine slices then these finely sliced pieces cooked in the ginger- garlic, onions and gram flour which after completing serves you with a great taste and experience.
5. Chha Ghost
If you are not a hard-core vegetarian and flexible with veg and non-veg food then this dish must to try by you once you travel to Himachal Pradesh. It is a typical Himachal Pradesh delicacy which is prepared with the marinated lamb which is further cooked in the rich gravy of gram flour and yogurt. The taste of this dish enhances even higher when cooked with Indian spices such as cardamom, red chili powder, coriander powder, bay leaf, asafoetida and ginger-garlic paste. This dish comes from the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.
6. Siddu
It is a local side dish of Himachal Pradesh made up of wheat flour, which goes very well with main course of mutton or some vegetables. When it comes of its preparation, then Sidu is a difficult and time-consuming dish to prepare, but for the taste that it renders, time consumed is logically worth it. The wheat flour is kept for 4-5 hours for the yeast , later the dough is put on the direct lame to get it half-cooked. Lastly it is steamed for keeping the taste and nutrients of the ingredients intact.
7. Babru
Babru is a popular Kachori type dish of Shimla. It is flat bread, prepared with the stuffing of the black gram paste which further added to the kneaded dough. The crispy and scrumptious taste of this dish will make you forget the conventional Kachoris of North India. It is usually enjoyed with Tamarind sauce and it also goes great with famous Chana Madra of Himachal Pradesh.
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8. Aktori
It is a kind of local cake or pancake prepared with the buckwheat leaves which further cooked in the wheat flour. This dish is normally prepared during the festivals in Himachal and enjoyed by the local people. Although, this dish is believed to originate from Spiti Valley, but it is frequently prepared and fondly eaten all over the Himachal Pradesh.
9. Kullu Trout Fish
Himachali Cuisines also promise a great number of non-vegetarian dishes along with vegetarian delicacies and Kullu trout is one of the most famous non-vegetarian dishes of Himachal Pradesh. The dish originated from Kullu district where these fish are available in good quantity. The preparation of this dish starts with the margination of the fish and then cooked in the minimal spices to keep the nutrients and the original taste of Trout intact. It is also coupled with various vegetables to serve as one of the healthiest dishes of Himachal Pradesh.
10. Mittha
Now, here comes the dessert after all the local delicacies of Himachal Pradesh. Mittha is a sweet dish prepared with rice and various dry fruits. First the rice is sweetened and boiled and then various dry fruits and raisins add into it for making a local dessert of Himachal Pradesh which everyone enjoy to eat as the complementary dessert after their food.
Author Bio
Pradeep Dharmapalan
Traveller since he was toddler, Storyteller
Pradeep Dharmapalan is a traveller since he was toddler, initially with his itinerant parents and then on his own. He has lived in and travelled to several places around the globe. With close to six decades of wandering now under his belt, his journey of discovery and rediscovery continues, as he assiduously pursues his manifold interests.
