Himachal Pradesh Cuisine

                             Himachali Dham - A Down to Earth Feast.
A typical Himachali Menu consists of 5,7 or 9 dishes .The Menus served in lower parts of Himachal are different from the ones served in the higher tracts.Meat is usually avoided in traditional Himachali dhams.However,in the upper parts of Shimla,Kinnaur  and some parts of Sirmaur district meat dishes are served in Dhams.Dhams served on religious functions avoid addition of  meat dishes  in the Menu.A Traditional Himachali Menu of Mandi region  is written underneath

* Moong dal sweet/Meethe chawal/Badane ka meetha

* Sepu Vadi

* Khatta kaddu

* Matar Paneer /Rajmah Madra

* Khatte Chane

* Dal Jhol

Special in Other Dhams
* Dhule Maha ki Daal in Bilaspur (Bilaspurt Dhotu dal,with generous amount of desi ghee and no onion/tomatoe is added to this dal)
* Rajmah ka Madhra in Desi Ghee in Chamba(cooked in curd gravy)

Dishes in a Kangri dham are devoid of artificial colours and are a prefect blend of oil and spices that are essential for human body.Technique and order of serving dishes are based on vedic traditions and Sanatan research and sweet rice help indigestion.Dham is cost effective as limited ingredients are used to prepare dham.Chemical colours, onions and tomato  are not essential as a special technique is adopted in preparing a dhams dishes that do not have any adverse effect on digestive system.

We Indians are very fond of eating onion and tomatoe based gravies .Whereas,onions and garlic are used in abundance  in any other festivities and special occasions  all across India  but surprisingly Mandiali Dham/Kangri Dham/Bilaspuri Dham  is prepared without these two items. Instead a unique mixture of spices, khoya and yoghurt is used to add flavour to dishes which can be compared to any  any other dish prepared by using onion , garlic and Tomatoe.

 One more  interesting fact about Mandiali Dham  is that pulses are used in every dish. Sweet prepared of moong dal is served at the start. Biggest attraction of Mandiali Dham is its Sepu Vadi dish of mash dal. Spinach and curd are used in this recipe. Then comes khatta kaddu followed by matar paneer or rajmah that has unique due to use of khoya, curd and tomatoes. No Mandiali dham is considered complete unless it has two dishes of khatta with grams making up the other dish. After Sepu Vadi, Dal jhol is served at the end ,which is considered as digestion friendly.


Dham served in Solan,Lower Sirmaur and some parts of Shimla district (lower parts) use onion and tomatoe based gravy for preparing dishes.Raita with cuccumber and Ramban(a wild thorny tree branch) is used as digester.The Dhungar technique(adding smoky flavor) is used on Raita.Sooji ka halwa cooked in desi ghee is served as a sweet dish and usually served as the first course of Dham.Seasonal vegetables like Yam(Jimikund),Matar -paneer ,Urad dal and a Potatoe preparation is used in these areas.The Dham in these areas is prepared by local villagers and not by Traditional Bhotis.The food is served by the villagers themselves in eco-friendly  Pattals.



Preparation of Traditional Dham(Kangra /Mandi/Bilaspur/Hamirpur districts)

Traditional Dham is cooked only by botis (Brahmins who are hereditary chefs) and the preparation for this elaborate mid-day meal begins the night before. The utensils used for cooking the food are normally special copper ones by using special masalas. No dham is considered complete if the menu doesn’t include Madhra, Mah and Khatta. Botis use their long culinary skills to prepare delicious dishes without using artificial colours and chemicals. Interestingly, master chefs avoid use of tomato and onion in dham and instead use curd that helps in enhancing taste and nutritious value in addition to its digestibility. Dishes prepared in dham maintain quality for a longer period.

Special Utensils

Experienced botis say that use of special copper utensils pure spices is must for preparing delicious dham dishes. Madhra prepared in copper charoti and kahtta in iron vessel are finger licking dishes. Use of slow burning wood in rasialu (kitchen) rather than cooking gas makes add flavour to dishes. The rasialu is normally a 6′X2′ trench (known as Teen). Kangri dham is famous for its taste and flavour but many things have to be kept in mind while preparing it including selection of utensils and cooking timings. .

 Apricot powder is used for colouring and enhancing nutritive value for preparing khatta. Tej patta (Bay leaves) are must for adding aroma to vegetables.It is the experience and not ingredients that matters in preparing a perfect dham.Some Bhotis use a peculiar method of adding spices into the dishes.They use their hands for measuring the amount of spices to be added into various dishes.Around Hamirpur district raw mustard oil is added into the dishes during the cooking process.As per the Bhotis,this technique helps in providing a special pungent flavor to the dishes .Onions are added in very small traces around Hamirpur .Tomatoes are also added in very low quantities.Curd is added in abundance.Dried apricorts(Chuaanre) are used for preparing khaatas.Dalda ghee,tomatoe and curd  is used for preparing traditional madra in Hamirpur region The bhotis serve the meal in traditiona pattals after completing their cooking .Breads are not served in traditional dhams and Rice accompanies all the gravy dishes of the dham.Sweetdish such as badane ka meetha is added on top of rice and eaten.People carry rice mixed with Dal teliamah,khatta,madra ,palda and sweet in carry bags when they go home.This food in carry bag is consumed overnight by the family.Therefore,the food in a dham is always prepared either twice or thrice the actual amount of food required for a particular meal.

The traditional dham is served in painths /baithaks (lines) on pattals with people sitting on floor. All the dishes vary from one district to another as per local culture but Kangri Dham includes many  delicious and spices dishes. It includes plain rice, Madhra (Panner, Rajmah, Mukund Badi or Sepu Badi, While Grams etc.), palda, and one of the best and popular dish Chane ka Khatta. It ends with the mitha- sweet rice or mithdee (made of boondi or bread crumbs etc) to satisfy one’s appetite and balance the main meal.

Changing Pattern of Serving Dham

Presently, standing lunch has replaced Kangri Dham at few places though dishes remain the same. However, knowledgeable persons feel that technique to prepare dishes for standing lunch is different which uses more ingredients and is less laborious as compared to traditional Kangri dham

Try the Dham recepies on your visit to Himachal

The modernisation in  eating ways is slowly but surely casting a shadow on the simple yet sumptuous cuisine of the Land of Gods.But for tourists ,both domestic and International ,there is surely a way to relish and savour the true Himachali flavor.Thanks to the Himachal Pradesh Tourist Development Corporation and Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation ,these languishing delicaies can be tried sitting in the comfort and coziness of your hotel.Almost all the hotels in Himachal Pradesh that are being run by the Tourism Development Corporation and  Tourism Department (HPTDC Hotels) are using traditional recepies as also special ingredients for preparing these  Dham dishes in the hotel kitchens  .The Chefs involved in preparing these dishes are specially trained by traditional Bhotis .Many private hotels are selling Himachali thalis as the most  selling items in their hotels.So next time when you drop for a visit to  Himachal Pradesh ,make sure you try Himachali delicacies either in a dham or in the hotel you are staying  in.This will surely ,be the most precious souvenir you will take  back home from Himachal Pradesh..