Himachali cuisine is simple and hearty. It's seasonal and robust too, being deeply-rooted in mountain life and shaped by cold climate and slow-cooking traditions.
Lentils, rice, wheat, yoghurt and mustard oil form the backbone, with minimal use of oil, tomatoes and onions in traditional cooking.
Rice-based festive meals, slow-cooked meat dishes, and preparations like Madra, Siddu, and Tudkiya Bhath define it.
A lot of the dishes rely on fermented, sun-dried, locally-foraged ingredients.
The iconic Dham, a ceremonial feast, showcases dishes like Madra or yoghurt-based chickpeas, Chana Dal, Rajma, Khatta, and Sepu Badi.
Meat lovers relish Chha Gosht and Siddu, a steamed bread often stuffed or served with ghee.
Nitika Kuthiala, a culinarian, researcher and Himachal cuisine exponent, gives her recipe for Himachal Chicken Mora to Adrika Anand. Light, with lots of gravy, mild spices, it tastes best with hot plain rice.
From Divya Kanwar Chauhan of The Flavour Trail by Divya, Adrika procures the preparation for a spiced black urad dal called Teliya Ma.
Photograph: Nitika Kuthiala for Rediff
Himachal Chicken Mora
Recipe by Nitika Kuthiala
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 500 gm chicken, bone-in preferred
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- ½ tsp ajwain or carrom seeds
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2–3 green chillies, slit
- ½ cup yoghurt, whisked
- 1 tsp haldi or turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chilly powder
- 1 tsp brown dhania or coriander powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp sonf or fennel seeds
- Salt to taste, about 1½ tsp
- Handful fresh green dhania or coriander leaves or cilantro, with stems, chopped for garnish
Method
- Marinate chicken with the turmeric, salt.
Rest it for 20 minutes.
- Heat the mustard oil in a saucepan or a kadhai till it smokes lightly over medium-high heat.
Take off heat and add the carom seeds and let it settle down for a few minutes.
Return to medium heat and add the onions, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and cook till golden brown.
Add the fennel seeds and sauté few minutes and then add the red chilliy powder, coriander powder and stir quickly.
Now add the marinated chicken, fry till sealed and lightly browned.
Lower heat and add in the whisked yoghurt, stirring continuously to avoid curdling.
Cover and cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes till chicken is tender and the gravy thickens.
Sprinkle garam masala, garnish with the fresh chopped coriander and serve hot with steamed rice and a side of radish salad in winters to make the meal authentically Himachali.
Photograph: Divya Kanwar for Rediff
Teliya Ma
Recipe by Divya Kanwar
Serve: 4-5
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole black urad dal or black gram
- 4 cups water, for soaking
- â…” cup mustard oil
- 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
- 1 kala or bara elaichi or black cardamom
- 2 green elaichi or cardamom
- 8-10 laung or cloves
- 8-10 peppercorns
- 1 tej patta or bay leaf
- 1 medium stick dalcheeni or cinnamon
- Few pieces kharak or dry dates
- Few slices desiccated coconut
- Salt to taste, about 2 tsp
- ½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chilly powder or to taste
- 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 2-3 green chillies, roughly chopped
Method :
- Wash and soak the urad dal in 4 cups of water for 3-4 hours.
Pressure cook the soaked dal for three whistles over medium heat.
Let the pressure release naturally.
Check the dal -- it should be soft but still holding its shape.
If needed, pressure cook for one more whistle.
- Once cooked, drain the excess water and allow the dal to cool completely.
Heat the mustard oil over medium heat, preferably in an iron kadhai, till it reaches smoking point.
Take off heat and allow the oil to cool slightly.
Add the cumin seeds, black cardamom, green cardamoms, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, dry dates, coconut slices and return to medium heat and saute until aromatic.
Add the cooled dal along with the salt, turmeric powder, red chilly powder.
Mix well and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add in the chopped ginger, green chillies.
Mix and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Serve hot with steamed rice, aam ka achaar and Palda or Madra, a chickpea dish.
Editor's Note: For a recipe of Madra, please see here: Chef Varun Inamdar's Himachali Chana Madra.