What's in a name? A combination of two Sanskrit words, Hima (snow) and Anchal (lap)... no coincidence that the state is located in the lap of the Himalayas. Spectacular snowy peaks and plunging river valleys. Growing up in Chandigarh, when asked where I lived, the prompt answer was always "in the foothills of the Himalayas"... we lived a stone's throw away from this gorgeous state, and the summer capital of India during the British rule - Shimla... and traversed the short distance, yet super steep incline to Shimla on the famous Toy Train (which is exactly what it was!) - in a distance of 96 km, the train climbed nearly 6000 ft from Kalka to Shimla, traversing ~800 bridges and ~100 tunnels... taking in the landscape that one just took for granted those days... the joys of childhood! Now a UNESCO Heritage Site too.
Such pretty handicrafts here too! Kullu shawls (usually geometrical patterns, with the color palette ranging from blue, saffron, to purples and greens), Kangra paintings (he recurring theme of Kangra painting whether it portrays one of the six seasons or modes of music, Radha & Krishna or Shiva & Parvati is the love of man for woman and of woman for man), Chamba rumals (handkerchiefs, an embroidery handicraft that was once promoted under the patronage of the former rulers of the Chamba kingdom, dating as far back as the 16th century, it is a common gift item during marriages with detailed patterns in bright and pleasing color schemes), stoles and embroidered works
From Left to right: Kullu shawls, Kangra Paintings, Chamba Rumals
And for the lunatic cricket enthusiasts (ummmm moi)... the pitch at the highest altitude in the world in Chail... built and established by the Maharaja of Patiala in the late 19th century, it was used for cricket and polo at the time... and continues to keep its claim to fame as the highest cricket ground in the world at an altitude of 2,444 meters (~8,000 ft) above sea level.
And apples galore! An apple a day keeps the doctor away... if there's any region that took this saying to heart, its Himachal :D! Home to a gazillion apple orchards, and the varieties... varieties that range in size from small to large and from round to oblate to conical in shape. The skin can be waxy, glossy, or smooth and in hues of red, green, yellow, or orange. The skin may also be solid or bi-colored with striping and blush like the apple pictured below. The flesh, depending on the variety, can be firm, pale yellow to cream-colored, juicy, crunchy, or crisp. The flavors range from sweet to tart and can be aromatic or mild in scent.
And now for the food habits of the locals as well as some of the popular cuisines of the Land of Gods, that we love and appreciate. The Himachalis prefer to use lots of spices especially red chillies, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom etc. which makes the dishes richly flavored and aromatic. You'll find these goodies served with much love and affection in Shimla, Manali, Kullu and Dharamshala. Taking a leaf out of their cookbooks, we constructed the menu giving us as much of a variety as possible... here goes:
While Siddu could well be a meal on to itself, we decided to leverage this as an appetizer, Siddu (a healthy traditional Pahadi dish, made of steamed lentil stuffed wheat dumplings);
Followed by Tudkiya Bhath (a slow cooked rice preparation, with masoor daal and yoghurt, in an array of aromatic spices that leaves you wanting more), with Bhey (a delectable lotus stem recipe, cooked with a handful of aromatic spices), Chha Gosht (khatta gosht as known locally, a goat curry made with a beautiful blend of gram flour, buttermilk and aromatic whole spices) and an authentic taste of Madra (slow cooked chickpeas in a yogurt gravy with an array of spices used in its preparation);
And we topped it off with Boondi ki Mithadi (a traditional sweet from Himachal Pradesh, the syrup-based dessert with deep fried chickpea pearls, dried fruits and nuts)!!
Siddu
What You'll Need:
1/2 cup urad daal; 2 cups whole-wheat flour; 2 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tsp active dry yeast; 11/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp red chilli pd; 1/4 tsp turmeric pd; 1/4 tsp asafeotida pd; 1 tsp coriander pd
1" ginger, grated; 2 green chillies chopped
1 tsp caraway seeds; 1 tblsp ghee; 1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
Clean the daal in running water and then soak in water for about two hours. Take flour in a big bowl and add little ghee to it. To this, add the yeast and 1/2 tsp salt. Pour lukewarm water into the bowl and knead the dough to a soft consistency - let it rest for about two hours.
Coming back to the daal, drain the extra water and grind it coarsely. Transfer the daal paste on a plate. Add the remaining salt to it, followed by red chilli pd, ginger and green chillies. Add turmeric pd, asafoetida, coriander pd and some fresh cilantro leaves. Mix the ingredients with the daal thoroughly. Set aside.
Divide the dough into small pieces. Fold it into a round shape with your hands. Now roll one such piece of dough into a circular shape, making sure you keep it thick. Take a spoonful of the daal stuffing on the dough. Fold the dough from the top to cover the stuffing, forming a half moon. Press the edges or you can also fold them. Repeat with rest of the dough.
In a pan, add 21/2 cups of water, bringing it to a boil. Grease a strainer pan with some ghee or oil. Now place the strainer pan carefully on top of the pan with water. Place the siddus (the stuffed dumplings you just made!!) on the strainer pan. Cover the pan and steam the siddus for 18-20 minutes on medium to high flame. After 20 minutes, remove the strainer pan from the stove and allow the siddus to cool for a while. Serve with green chutney.
Note: I actually loooooove onions, so I used a caraway seeds and onion tempering and lightly sauted the prepared siddus with the tempering, and then began with the eating festivities!
Tudkiya Bhath
What You'll Need:
2 cups rice; 1 cup yogurt; 4 tblsp ghee (clarified butter); 1 cup masoor daal
2 medium tomato, diced; 2" ginger, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, chopped; 4 onions, chopped; 4 green chillies, coarsely chopped; 4 potatoes
4 tsp dagad (stone flower); 1 black cardamom; 1 bay leaf; 4 1"cinnamon sticks; 4 star anise; 4 cloves; 3 tsp mace; 2 tsp salt
1 tsp red chilli pd; 1 tsp poppy seeds
2 bunches cilantro leaves, chopped
In a bowl add chopped tomatoes, ~ 2 onions, ginger, garlic, cloves, poppy seeds, mace, green chillies, cilantro, cardamom, cinnamon stick, star anise, stone flower and red chilli pd. Mix all the spices well and transfer the mix into a blender to form a fine paste. Chop the potatoes in thick, long slices. Add the potatoes in the prepared spice paste, and drop in the salt. Let it rest for about half an hour. Next, soak the daal in water and let it rest for 30 minutes. Also, in a separate bowl, wash and soak rice and keep it aside for half an hour.
Once done, heat the ghee in a thick bottom pot, saute the remaining whole spices, and once the aroma comes through. Next, add finely chopped onions and saute till they become lightly browned, almost translucent. To this add the prepared spiced potatoes. Mix well to combine all the ingredients. Then, add the yogurt to the mix and stir fry for 5 minutes. Now drain the water from the soaked rice and daal, and add the rice and daal with 3 cups of water into the pot. Cover and cook on medium heat until the rice and daal are fully cooked, ~ 20 minutes. Transfer the Tudkiya Bhaat in a serving dish and serve hot. I garnished the bhaat with some air-fried onions and cilantro - brings a nice crunchy texture up at the finish!
Bhey
What You'll Need:
1 packet frozen sliced Lotus Stem
1" ginger, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 red onion, sliced
1 tblsp red chilli pd; 1 tsp turmeric pd; 1 tblsp coriander pd; 1 tsp salt
3 tblsp besan (gram flour)
4 tblsp olive oil
To begin, boil the lotus stem in water for about 15 minutes. Once cooked, drain the water and blanch in cold water. Heat the oil in a pan, and then add ginger, garlic and onions and saute them till the onions turn translucent. Add the powdered spices and toss them well with the onions mix. Add the cooked lotus stem, besan and give a quick mix. Check for salt and spices and turn off the heat. Remove the HImachali bhey into a serving bowl and serve hot!
Chha Gosht
What You'll Need:
3 lbs goat meat (mutton); 1 cup buttermilk
3 red onions, chopped; 2 tblsp ginger garlic paste; 4 tblsp besan (gram flour)
2 bay leaves; 1 cinnamon stick; 2-3 cardamoms; 5-6 cloves; 6-8 peppercorns; 3 dry red chillies
2 tsp salt; 1 tsp turmeric pd; 1 tsp red chilli pd; 1 tsp coriander pd; a pinch of asoefitida pd
3 tblsp oil
In a pressure cooker, add the mutton, whole spices, some salt and pressure cook it for 35 minutes, until the mutton is almost cooked. Remove the mutton pieces in a plate and save some of that mutton stock for the gravy. In another pan add oil, the asoefitida pd, dried red chilli, ginger garlic paste, and let it cook until the raw smell disappears. Now add the onions and other powdered spices. Next, add the besan and mix everything well together. Once the besan and onions paste is mixed well, add the buttermilk and stir gently, while slowly adding some of the saved mutton stock. Finally, add the mutton and let everything cook for another 10 minutes... entirely up to you on whether you keep the gravy thick or otherwise... I saved some and served it on the side!
Madra
What You'll Need:
1 cup yogurt; 1/2 cup rice; 1 cup water; 2 cans of chickpeas
1/2 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp coriander pd; 1/2 tsp asafoetida pd; 2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp turmeric pd
1/2" cinnamon stick; 1 black cardamom; 2 green cardamoms; 2 cloves
1 tblsp ghee (clarified butter); 1 tblsp mustard oil
Some diced tomatoes and cilantro for garnish (optional)
To begin preparing this exotic recipe, first soak rice with the cardamom in water for about an hour. Once done, drain the water and blend to prepare a rice paste. Keep aside for further use. Next, heat mustard oil in a pan on a medium flame. When the oil is adequately heated add the black cardamom, cloves, asafoetida, cumin and cinnamon stick. Saute the spices for about a minute. Once done, add turmeric and coriander powder. Cook for another 30 seconds.
Now add the chickpeas and stir continuously. Slowly add in beaten yogurt while stirring continuously - you don't want the yogurt to burn or form curdled lumps. Let the mix cook for about 10 minutes. Once the mixture is properly cooked, add it to the prepared rice mixture. Toss in the ghee as well. Turn the heat on low flame and cook for another 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning according to taste and serve hot.
Boondi ki Mithadi
What You'll Need:
For the sugar syrup: 11/2 cups sugar; 11/2 cups water; 2 cardamoms; 1/4 tsp saffron strands
For the Boondi (the chickpea pearls): 1 cup besan (gram flour); 1/4 tsp saffron strands; 1/2 cup water +1/4 cup water; 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tblsp ghee (clarified butter); 1 cup mixed dry fruits (cashews, pistachios, almonds); 1 tsp rose petals
Oil for frying
Let's start with the sugar syrup - place all the ingredients in a pan on medium flame, and bring the syrup to a boil while stirring periodically so the sugar melts evenly. Boil the syrup for about 5 minutes, and switch off the heat.
Next, for the boondi, we'll start making the batter with the besan, saffron and 1/2 cup of water. Mix well so that there are no lumps... then add the remaining 1/4 cup water and hand-beat for about 5 minutes to make a batter with a flow consistency. Heat the oil, and using a skimmer spatula, pour the batter over the skimmer slowly so the pearls drop into the oil and form the little round balls of pure joy! Once browned, strain these out and drop them in the sugar syrup. Repeat the process until you've used up the entire batter.
Finally, heat the ghee in a small pan, and lightly roast the nuts in the ghee. Remove and gently fold into the sweetened boondi. Sprinkle the rose petals on top and give a gentle fold in to these as well... the boondi ki mithadi is ready for devouring!
My mouth is watering!