The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Himachali Foods. If you manage to be in an Himachali restaurant or you are visiting Shimla in India, I recommend the following:
1. Babru
It is like a Himachali variant of the popular kachoris. It is made by filling a soaked black bean paste and ground black bean paste into a dough patty. These patties are then rolled and deep fried and served with spicy tamarind sauce.
2. Bhey
Bhey are the lotus stalks made with spicy flavours that are cooked in almost every restaurant and home in Himachal Pradesh because the locals love this dish and now tourists also enjoy its unique taste. The stalks are finely chopped and made with onion, garlic and ginger with flour. Whenever you visit Himachal, you will get a chance to try this dish.
3. Chha Gosht
Another Himachali delicacy, Chha Gosht is a mutton dish seasoned with chickpea flour, yogurt and spices like cardamom, paprika, coriander powder, bay leaf, ferulaceum, ginger and garlic.
4. Chicken Anardana
This is a complicated chicken recipe and its appearance will light a sour, spicy and hot fire in your head. It may scare you and make you feel heavy with a weak or fat stomach. But actually only ground burdock (dried pomegranate seeds) will help. They add flavour to foods that you will definitely notice after a few bites. Special flavours include smoked. It is served with parathas or triangular bread.
5. Dhaam
It is a whole food that tastes great and provides a lot of nutrients. The dish consists of dal, rajma, rice, curd, boor ki Kadhi, optionally topped with guru (brown sugar). Dhaam is a dish full of delicacies that cannot be missed at parties and festivals. The speciality of this dish is that it is prepared by special chefs called “botis”. To get the best taste of Dham, visit Himachal during the festival.
6. Madra
Also known as Chana Madra is a famous Himachal dish that originates from the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh and is served with love in every restaurant. The soaked chickpeas are prepared in oil with numerous spices like turmeric powder, coriander powder, cloves, cinnamon to enhance the taste of the food. To take the best taste and to know the food culture of this state, everyone should try this dish.
7. Mash Daal
Mash daal or kali daal is made from split black lentils or maa ki daal. It is soaked overnight, pressure cooked and then fried in hot mustard oil in a thick-bottomed pot with onions, ginger, garlic and spices in a comforting mash.
8. Siddu
This is a traditional and very famous authentic dish of Himachal Pradesh made with wheat flour. It takes a lot of time and effort to make this dish but every minute of preparation is worth it as the taste is truly exquisite and a feast for the palate. The wheat flour is kept for at least 4-5 hours and then stuffed with fat and cooked on fire to get a half-baked taste. Siddu is easily available in various restaurants and cafes of Himachal Pradesh, but mainly it is a very famous dish of Kullu.
9. Thukpa
Thukpa is a noodle soup originating from Tibet that can be prepared both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. A variety of fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, spring onions, green onions, beans, carrots and shredded cabbage can be added to the noodles with or without meat or chicken. It is a hot meal prepared with ginger-garlic paste, chilli and your choice of sauce.
10. Tudkiya Bhath
Indian spices are used to make the dish, but onions, lentils, cinnamon and potatoes are also used to make it very tasty. You can add lemon juice to experience its best taste. So, whenever you plan your next trip to this amazing state, you try these different types of cuisines of Himachal Pradesh.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Asian Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.
The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Indian Foods. If you manage to be in an Indian restaurant or you are visiting India, I recommend the following: