Himachal Cuisine

Traditional recipes according to seasonal availability of raw material

Kalan ke pakode

Kalan is a local name for grass pea (Lathyrus Sativus Linn). To prepare, break the grains of grass pea coarsely and remove the outer covering by winnowing. Soak overnight and ground well. Add finely chopped onion and paste of garlic, basil leaves, coriander leaves and mint leaves to paste of pulse, along with spices and salt and mix properly. Now, heat oil in a open pan and shallow fry in the form of flat, small, round shape. Serve these snacks with curd or tamarind chutney.

Bhuruni

Bhuruni is the dish made from tender leaves of fig (ficus carica Linn). For its preparation, tender leaves are boiled in an earthen pot for 10-15 minutes till soft and then ground well. Add salt and green chillies according to taste. Take a burning coal and pour few drops of mustard oil over it then put burning coal into ground leaves and cover the pot immediately for some time till all the fumes are absorbed in the preparation. This process is called dhuni and it is practiced in many local preparations including pickles.

Karalen

Boil the buds of kachnar/ Karalen (Bauhinia Variegata Linn). For 10-15 minutes till they become soft. Heat mustard oil in a pan. Add corander seeds, cumin seeds, red chilies, asafetida and turmeric powder, heat till brown and put boiled buds to it. Add salt and spices according to taste. Cook it on slow fire for 5 minutes and serve along with chapatti.

Few Himachali Recepies-Courtsey website HPTDC .

KACHALU KA SALAN
Ingredients	1 kg arbi, 1 ltr lassi, 20 gms ginger, 20 gms garlic, 100 gms onion, 5 gms ajwain, 5 gms rai, 100 gms mustard oil or desi ghee, 5 gms haldi, salt to taste, 5 gms zeera, 5 gms garam masala powder, 2 gms kasuri methi, 1 gm hing, 3 gms dhania sabut, 3 gms sabut mirch
Method	Boil Arbi till cook and peel. Heat oil in a Karahi temper sabut dhania and mirch fry add hing, rai and ajwain. Fry onion till brown add ginger garlic paste fry again add boiled arbi fry again and add other spices now add lassi and cook till done temper again with desi ghee. Serve hot garnished with green dhania.

SIDDU GHEE
Ingredients	600 gms atta, 150 gms poppy sud, 5 gms yeast , salt to taste, 20 gms green chilly, 20 gms ginger, 5 gms zeera, green cillly to taste, 20 gms garlic, 50 gms onion, 100 gms desi ghee.
Method	Dissolve yeast in warm water. Knead Atta with the yeast and keep for two hours for feratation.Soak poppy seeds for four hours grinde with green chilli, ginger, garlic, onion (Chopped). Add salt to poppy seed. Make equal balls of the Atta dough. Stuff with Poppy Seeds Paste. Turn on Hot Tawa. Now steam the siddu in a steamer till well done (Raised). Served with Desi Ghee.

CHICKEN ANARDANA
4
Ingredients: 1 no. chicken, 50 gms anardana, 200 gms onion, 100 gms ghee/ oil, 5 gms turmeric powder, 10 gms degi mirch, 20 gms corriander seed, 50 gms ginger, 50 gms garlic, 10 gms clove/ elaichi/ dalchini, salt 20 gms, tomato 250 gms
Method:  Heat the oil in a pan, add coriander seeds, clove/ elachi/ dal chini tender till brown add small pieces of chicken into it add onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, degi mirch, tomato, salt cook for 15-17 minutes, add into it soaked grinded anardana with some water into pan. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, Serve hot.

CHANNA MADRA
4 portions
Ingredients: 300 gms channa white, 250 gms onion, 50 gms garlic, 50 gms ginger, 50 gms ghee/ oil, 20 gms salt, 20 gms red chilli, 20 gms turmeric powder, 10 gms clove/ elaichi/ dalchini, 20 gms kishmish, 20 gms dry coconut, 500 gms curd
Method: Soak the white channa for 8 to 10 hours, and boil till half done. Heat oil/ghee in a pan put chopped onion fry the same till golden brown add all the spices clove, Elachi, Dalchini, garlic and ginger paste and salt tender it for 5-7 minutes, mix the boiled white channa and cook for atleast for 40 minutes. Mix curd into it cook till curd releases the fat add coconut powder. Serve Hot.

KHATTA KADDU
4 portions
Ingredients: 500 gms kaddu, 50 gms oil, 30 gms masala mix ( jeera, chotti ilaichi, dhania, mirch, kali mirch, methi, long), 25 gms haldi, salt vinegar to taste
Method: Peel the Kaddu. Cut into 2-  3 " sq. size. Put oil the pan. add sabut Masala till cooked. Brown. Put kaddu pieces and add water. Add Haldi, salt, Vinegar cook for some time Serve hot.