Picturesque state of Uttaranchal has
a simple yet delectable cuisine. The food is extremely nutritious to suit
the high energy requirements of the hilly and cold region. It is cooked with
love and affection over charcoal or wood fire.
People
of Uttaranchal basically take a vegetarian meal though mutton and chicken
are also savored by many. Characteristic feature of the Kumouni cuisine is
the sparing use of milk and milk based products. This is due to the
geographical nature of the state as hill cows do not yield good quantity of
milk. Rice is the staple food for the people of Uttaranchal.
Favorites of the Pahari people are the lentils. Locally grown
bhatt (a variety of soya
bean) and the rust brown
gahat also called
kulath are appreciated more than
others. Large dried balls of urad dal, called
badis and
their smaller version prepared from moong dal called
mangodi
are also relished by the people here. These help the people to combat the
chilly winter months.
Also common is the use of coarse grain with high fibre content
Mundua (Buck wheat) in the
interior regions of Kumaun.
Linguda grown on the borders
of Tibet and Nepal is also a part of the Pahari cuisine as it helps to keep
the stomach in order. Medium of cooking is normally mustard oil or pure
ghee. Use of tomato is minimal in the Kumaoni cuisine. Simple recipes of
this state are made interesting with the use of
bhanga
or hash seeds as spice.
