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.
