I have been to Uttarakhand many a times, but never to the Tehri region. We usually go up the Joshimath-Auli or the Nainital-Munsiyari stretch. However, this time we were looking for a more sedate trip where we did not have to do stretch ourselves too much. The trio of Kanatal, Landour and Mussourie suited us perfectly.
On any trip, food is something that excites me a lot, and I had chalked out that we will eat local as much as possible. Garhwali Cuisine was on my mind, as I had tried some variants of the same in our previous trips as well as couple of food festivals in Hyderabad that I had attended.
We were staying at Kanatal, a quaint hamlet in Tehri Garhwal. On a late morning that was still very cold, we were returning from a trip to Tehri Dam, when our car driver suggested we have Garhwali food at a place close to Chamba, the district headquarters. He took us to a place called Chacha Sip-N-Dine Restaurant and Homestay, a small Garhwali dhaba with both indoor and outdoor seating. We were interested in trying out a thali, but this place was serving only a-la-carte. Consulting with the owner, we ordered a few dishes from their menu.
Mandwa (Ragi) ke Roti is a common carbohydrate that people eat in Uttarakhand. This was served with Pahadi Dal Sangam, a smoky dish made of a number of lentils. Local horse gram or Gahat was one of the lentils used in this – Gahat ki Dal standalone is also very popular in this region. The tempering in the dal was from Jhakiya seeds, a local wild mustard that is used in many Garhwali dishes. This was an extremely earthy preparation and a perfect foil for the Mandwa nachni roti. In Uttarakhand there is widespread cultivation and use of different millets, and they feature prominently in their daily menu.
The other Uttarakhand dish that was served was Kafli, a green leaf curry made from local spinach. There was a lot of tadka in this dish, using garlic and again Jhakiya seeds. This was savoured with a mixed vegetable pulav, that also had the crunchy Jhaliya flavours. A special mention must made of the Green Chilli Walnut Chutney, usung local akhrots and flavourful green chilli.
We were told that most of the vegetables used in the dishes are from their own garden. We wanted to try out more dishes, but were completely full, so could not venture out to have more.
This was an extremely satiating meal that cost us Rs 320 for two people. We were so enamored by the taste of the Jhakiya seeds that we carried some to Hyderabad from a local grocer.
Next morning was the time to visit Surkanda Devi temple 9500 ft on top, with a surreal view of the Himalayas. The journey on ropeway itself was a treat with a magnificient view. Three hours for the trip and we were very hungry, and asked our car driver if there was another Garhwali place close by. He took us to Milan Pahadi restaurant, right at Kanatal itself.
Milan was more of a proper restaurant located bang opposite the Eco Park at Kanatal. Thankfully, they had a Pahadi Thali available at Rs 250 and we were happy that we could try many dishes this time. The thali had Jhangora Rice as the main carb. Jhangora or barnyard millet is a local produce and widely consumed at Uttarakhand. They also make a kheer with this millet. However, our thali had Chawal ke Kheer instead of Jhangora Ke Kheer. Kafli was there in this thali too, though the preparation was more rich.
Then there was Aloo Ke Thechwani. “Thechna” means “crushing” in Garhwali and this dish uses smashed or pounded vegetables, aloo in this case. This was quite a spicy dish, in hilly areas usually they have some spicy food that help to keep the body warm especially in the winters. Apart from that there was a thick Pahadi Toor ke Dal, a local variety of Arhar Dal different from what we get in the plains. Raita, a little different with spices added to it and salad completed the thali. Of course, no meal in Uttarakhand can be complete without Mandwa Ke Roti.
From Kanatal, we proceeded to Landour, a British built village at the highest point of Mussourie. Light of Landour a comparatively new hotel was where we stayed, a place close to the legendary Char Dukan, the centre of Landour. It is here that we met enthusiastic Chef Vipin Aswal. Chef has worked extensively in India and abroad, but remains a Garhwali at heart. He offered to cook for us Pahadi Style Country Chicken.
The chicken that came tasted absolutely out of the world. It was local country chicken (desi murga) cooked in a rich masala prepared in pestle using chopped onions with a tempering of jakhiya seeds. The chicken was cooked with its skin on, the fat from the skin adding further taste to the dish. The flavours were in a different zone altogether with the masala upping the ante. This was served with local Red Rice, a tastier version compared to the Kerala Red Rice that I use at my home.
This was only a small cross-section of Garhwali delicacies that I could try out in a weeklong visit. Like any other cuisine, there is a treasure trove in Garhwali cuisine too, and it will need some serious work to unveil the recipes. One hopes we start having more Garhwali popups in our cities, finally resulting in pure Garhwali restaurants there.