Bsc 5th Semester-Bakery -Menu -1

                                                                   MENU-1

  BRIOCHE
  BABA AU RHUM

BRIOCHE:
A fresh brioche can be served with jelly or other preserves to accompany tea or coffee, or with pate or hors d'oeuvre. The tops of the small ones can easily be pulled away, giving space for a sweet or savory filling. Brioche dough can also be used for wrapping other ingredients such as beef for boeuf-en-croute, a salmon filling for a koulibiaca, or a spicy garlic sausage."

Ingredients:
500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 7g salt
- 50g caster sugar
- 10g instant yeast
- 140ml warm full-fat milk
- 5 medium eggs
- 250g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

Method of preparation:

 Put the flour into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the salt and sugar to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Add the milk and eggs and mix on a slow speed for 2 minutes, then on a medium speed for a further 6 – 8 minutes, until you have a soft, glossy, elastic dough. Add the softened butter and continue to mix for a further 4 – 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl periodically to ensure that the butter is thoroughly incorporated. The dough will be very soft.
2. Tip the dough into a plastic bowl, cover and chill overnight or for at least 7 hours, until it is firmed up and you are able to shape it.
3. Grease a 25cm round deep cake tin.
4. Take your brioche dough from the fridge. Tip it onto a lightly floured surface and fold it on itself a few times to knock out the air. Divide it into 9 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball by placing it into a cage formed by your hand and the table and moving your hand around in a circular motion, rotating the ball rapidly. Put the 8 balls of dough around the outside of the tin and the final one in the middle.
5. Cover with the clean plastic bag and leave to prove for 2 – 3 hours, or until the dough has risen to just above the rim of the tin.
6. Heat your oven to 190°C.
7. When your brioche is proved, bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Bear in mind that the sugar and butter in the dough will make it take on colour before it is actually fully baked. Remove the brioche from the tin and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Bsc 1st Semester -Unit 1-ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR IN THE KITCHEN

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Bsc 5th Semester-Menu 4 and 5

Menu – 4
Veloute Dame Blanche
Cotes de porc charcutiere
Pommes de terre a la crème
Carottes glacees au gingembre

Veloute Dame Blanche
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Chicken veloute 1.5 litre
2 Almond milk 200 ml
3 White of chicken 100 g
4 Egg yolk 6 nos.
6 Butter 150g
8 Cream 20 ml
9 Chicken and cream forcemeat 200 gms
10 Salt and pepper To taste
11 Whole egg 1 no
Method:
1. Prepare 1.5 lit chicken veloute using 100 g white roux per 1 lit liquid.
2. Pass through a fine sieve.
3. Add almond milk and reheat without boiling.
4. Garnish- White of chicken cut into very small dice and cooked in the soup.
5. Make very small quenelles from chicken & cream forcemeat, into which egg and seasoning is added.
Drop them into the simmering soup. Cook till they start floating on the surface of the soup.
6. Finish at the last moment with liason of 6 egg yolk and cream & butter.
7. Serve hot
Cotes de porc Charcutiere
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Pork chops 450 g
2 Breadcrumbs To coat
2 Butter- melted 300 gms
3 Salt To taste
4 Wt pepper 2 g
For Sauce
5 Onion 45 g
6 Butter 30 g
7 Demi glaze 400 ml
8 English mustard Pinch
9 Sugar Pinch
10 White wine 75 ml
11 Gherkins- thick short julienne 55 g
12 Mashed potatoes 100 gms
Method:
1. Flatten the chops, season, pass through melted butter and breadcrumbs and grill them gently.
2. Arrange in a circle on a dish and place in the centre, a mound of mashed potatoes.
3. Serve accompanied with sauce Charcutiere.
4. For sauce: cook chopped onion in butter without browning. Add white wine & reduce by two-third.
5. Add demi glace & simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Strain and add mustard & sugar
7. Add gherkins. Mix well.
Pommes de terre a la crème
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Potatoes 500 g
2 Salt To taste
3 White pepper To taste
4 Milk 250 ml
5 Cream 300 ml
6 Nutmeg- grated A pinch
Method:
1. Cook potatoes in salted water, peel them whilst hot, and then cut into fairly thick slices.
2. Place in a shallow pan, cover with boiling milk ( or boiling fresh cream )
3. Cook briskly until the liquid has reduced.
4. Season with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg.
5. Add the cream at last and serve hot.
Carottes Glacees au Gingembre
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Carrots 250 g
2 Sugar 10 g
3 Butter 15 g
4 Salt 1 tsp
5 Ginger juice 1 tsp
Method:
1. Wash, scrape and turn the carrots
2. Cook carrots in butter and salt with enough water to cook carrots.
3. When all the liquid has evaporated and carrots are tender, add ginger juice.
4. Cook a little, remove from fire and serve hot.

Menu – 5
Cabbage chowder
Poulet a la Rex
Pommes de terre Marquise
Ratatouille

Cabbage Chowder
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Cabbage 450 g
2 Onions 55 g
3 Tomatoes 225 g
4 Green pepper 55 g
5 Cold water 590 ml
6 Salt To taste
7 Butter 30 g
8 Refined flour 30 g
9 Milk 300 ml
10 Cheese 30 g
11 Paprika 1/8 tsp
12 Pepper A pinch
Method:
1. Wash & chop vegetables, all the seeds must be removed from the green pepper and it should be
rinsed well before chopping.
2. Put vegetables in a pan with water, salt & pepper. Bring to boil and simmer for about 15 mins.
3. Prepare a white sauce with butter, flour and milk.
4. Add to vegetables.
5. Add cheese and paprika as garnish stir and serve hot.
Poulet a la Rex
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Chicken 1.2 kg
2 Veloute sauce 300 ml
3 Cream 55 g
4 Mushrooms 115 g
5 Capsicum 55 g
6 Egg yolks 2
7 Parsley Few sprig
8 Salt & pepper To taste
9 Bread slices 300 ml
10 Fat 30 g
Method:
1. Poach chicken in stock, cool.
2. Skin and dice
3. Slice mushrooms and capsicum. Sauté in a little butter, add veloute sauce.
4. Finish with cream and egg yolks, check for seasoning.
5. Add diced chicken.
6. Fry slices of bread, place portion of chicken mixture on fried bread and serve immediately, garnished
with chopped parsley.
Note: hot buttered toast could be used instead of fried bread. If dried mushrooms are used, boil first.
Pommes de terre Marquise
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Potatoes 500 g
2 Salt To taste
3 Pepper To taste
4 Butter 50 g
5 Egg yolks 2 nos.
6 Tomato puree (reduced) 75 ml
7 Nutmeg Pinch
8 Egg- beaten 1 no.
Method:
1. Peel the potatoes, cut in quarters and cook in salted water. Drain and dry. Press through the potato
masher.
2. Place the mashed potatoes in sauté pan. Season with salt, pepper & nutmeg. Add butter and stir till
becomes a consistent paste; add egg yolk, mix and cool.
3. Add very red reduced tomato puree.
4. Pour this mixture into a bag fitted with a large, grooved pipe and squeeze it out upon a baking tray in
shapes resembling large meringues.
5. Slightly brush with beaten egg, & put them into the oven for a few minutes.
Ratatouille
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Green peppers 1 no.
2 Tomatoes 250 g
3 Courgettes- marrow 250 g
4 Aubergine 250 g
5 Onions 70 g
6 Olive oil 20 ml
7 Garlic 3-4 cloves
8 Salt & pepper To taste
9 Bouquet garni For flavour
Method:
1. Peel and slice the aubergines and the marrow. Sprinkle with little salt and leave covered with a
weighted plate for 1 hour.
2. Slice the onions, cut tomato into concasse.
3. Slice peppers very thinly.
4. Chop the garlic.
5. Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottom pan, fry onions until slightly coloured. Add the garlic. Cook for
5 minutes.
6. Add aubergines, marrow, peppers and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Add the bouquet garni and cook covered, for an hour.
8. This dish may be served hot or cold.

Bsc 5th Semester-Menu3

Menu - 3
Crème Dubarry
Darne de Saumon grille
Sauce Paloise
Pommes Fondantes
Petit Pois a la Flamande

Crème dubarry
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Cauliflowers 500 g
2 Onions 30 g
3 Leeks 30 g
4 Milk 800 ml
5 Refined flour 35 g
6 Butter 35 g
7 Salt & pepper To taste
8 Cream 75 ml
Method:
1. Wash and break cauliflower into flowerets. Keep a few for garnish.
2. Wash and slice leeks, peel and chop onions.
3. Put cauliflower, leeks and onions into a pan with butter and sauté.
4. Make thin béchamel with butter, refined flour and milk. Add to the cauliflower.
5. Cook till tender. Pass through a sieve.
6. Add seasoning. Return to heat and bring to a boil.
7. Remove. Add cream gradually. Serve hot, garnished with flowerets of cauliflower boiled in salt
water.
Darne de Saumon grille
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Salmon 500 g
2 Butter or oil 30 g
3 Salt and pepper. 60 g
Method:
1. Clean and cut salmon into slices about 2.5 to 3.75 cm thick.
2. Apply salt and pepper, sprinkle with melted butter and grill on a rather brisk fire for the first part.
3. Reduce heat and finish grilling.
4. Serve with maitre d’hotel butter or with any other sauce recommended for grilled fish.
Sauce Paloise
( Is like Bearnaise sauce, replacing tarragon by mint leaves)
s. no Ingredients quantity
1 Shallots- chopped 15 gms
2 Fresh mint- chopped 15 gms
3 Chervil- chopped 10 gms
4 Thyme A sprig
5 Bay leaf fresh A small piece
6 Vinegar 50 ml
7 White wine 50 ml
8 Salt A pinch
9 Mignonenette pepper A pinch
10 Raw egg yolks 2 nos
11 Water 1 tbsp
12 Melted butter 125 g
13 Lemon juice Few drops
14 Cayenne pepper A pinch
Method-
1. Take a saucepan and add chopped mint leaves, chervil, shallots, a sprig of thyme and bay
leaf.
2. Moisten with vinegar and white wine. Season with salt and mignonette pepper. Boil down to
two-thirds. Add water.
3. Allow to cool. Add two raw egg yolks. Beat the sauce with a whisk over a double boiler.
4. As soon the yolks begin to thicken, incorporate slowly melted butter, whisking all the time.
Correct the seasoning. Add lemon juice and cayenne pepper.
5. Strain. Finish off with little chopped mint leaves and chervil.
6. Keep warm in a bain-marie.
Pommes de terre Fondantes
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Potatoes 500 g
2 Butter 60 g
3 Salt & pepper To taste
Method:
1. Peel and cut potatoes to uniform size to look like small eggs.
2. Put them in a buttered sauté pan. Cover and cook gently. Stir them time to time, to evenly golden
brown them from outside and cook them from inside.
3. Brush with melted butter. Serve hot.
Petit Pois a la Flamande
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Peas 250 G
2 Carrots 250 g
4 Salt 1 tsp
5 Butter 60 g
6 Sugar 1 tsp
Method:
1. Shell and wash peas.
2. Cook the carrots as per glazed carrots- turn the carrots to olive shape. Place in a pan and enough
water to barely cover them. Add salt, sugar and butter.
3. Cook till half the moisture evaporates.
4. Add shelled peas and continue to cook so that both are finished at the same time. Add little butter to
glaze them. Serve hot.

BSc 5th Semester-Menu 2

                                              Menu -2
Bisque d’ ecrevisse
Escalope de veau a la viennoise
Pommes batailles
Epinard au gratin

Bisque de ecrevisse
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Crayfish small(40 g each) 30 nos.
2 For mire poix
3 Carrots 50 g
4 Onions 50 g
5 Butter 50 g
6 Thyme 1 sprig
7 Parsley 3 stalks
8 Bay leaf ½
9 Brandy 1 tsp
10 white wine 20 ml
11 For thickening
12 Rice 60 g
13 White bouillon 1.5 litre
14 For finishing
15 Cream 10 ml
16 Butter 150 g
17 Salt & pepper To taste
18 Cayenne pepper 2 g
19 Minced fish fillet 50 gms
20 Salt & pepper A pinch
21 Egg- beaten 1/4th
22 Refined flour 5 g.
Method:
1. Cut carrots, onions, parsley stalks into small dices & cook to light brown colour in butter with thyme
& bay leaf.
2. Wash the crayfish, remove tails and shell them carefully. Reserve the shelled tails for garnish.
3. Add the heads and the shells to the mire poix and then cook on fierce heat, until they turn red. Season
with salt & pepper, sprinkle with the brandy and the wine and allow to cook gently and reduce. Add
25 ml white bouillon and cook gently for 10 mins.
4. Cook the rice with 75 ml white bouillon.
5. Take out some shelled tails for garnish.
6. Finally pound the remainder of the shells, add rice & its cooking liquid together with the cooking
liquid from the crayfish.
7. Pass through a fine sieve and dilute this puree with 50 ml white bouillon. Bring to the boil, pass
through fine strainer. Correct the consistency and the seasoning. Hold it hot in a bain-marie
8. Finish the soup before serving with 150 g butter & 10 ml cream & add a little cayenne pepper.
9. Garnish: cut the reserved crayfish tails in dice and add to the soup.
10. Serve separately the crayfish tails stuffed with fish forcemeat and poached.
Escalope de veau a la viennoise
Escalopes of veal are usually cut from the fillet or the best end of the neck. They can also be taken from the
topside or silverside. These pieces weigh around 100 grams each, should be oval, round or heart shape. They should be lightly flattened.

Escalope de veau a la viennoise
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Escalope of veal 500 g
2 Egg 1
3 Bread crumbs 200 g
4 Seasoned flour 90 g
5 Butter 60 g
6 Oil 60 ml
7 Anchovy butter 200 gms
8 Lemon- peeled and sliced 1 no
9 Stoned olive 4 nos
10 Anchovy fillet 4 nos
11 Eggs- hard boiled 4 nos
12 Parsley- chopped For garnish
13 Capers 25 gms
Method:
1. Trim and remove all sinews from meat.
2. Cut 4 even slices & beat out thinly. Season them.
3. Dip in flour & then in eggs & bread crumbs. Press crumbs firmly on with a palette knife.
4. Heat butter, place the escalopes in shallow fat & cook quickly for few minutes on each side.
5. Serve on an oval flat dish, on a bed of anchovy butter.
6. On top of the escalopes put slices of peeled lemon, and on top of each slice of lemon a stoned olive
surrounded by a fillet of anchovy.
7. Set around the escalopes in little heaps of chopped egg whites and yolks, capers and chopped parsley.

Pommes bataille
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Potatoes 500 g
2 Salt To taste
3 Fat For deep frying
Method:
1. Select large even sized potatoes, wash, peel and cut into half inch dices.
2. Dry potatoes in a cloth.
3. Deep fry in a frying basket without colour in moderately hot fat.
4. Drain & place on a kitchen paper.
5. When required place in a frying basket & cook in hot fat till crisp & golden
6. Drain well. Season & serve hot.

Epinard au gratin
Portions- 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Spinach – picked and cleaned 500 g
2 Butter 100 g
3 Cheese – grated 75 g
Salt and pepper To taste
Method:
1. Wash the spinach thoroughly.
2. Parboil in boiling salted water and drain thoroughly. Chop or leave whole.
3. Place over high heat with butter to dry. Add grated cheese, season and mix.
4. Place on a buttered gratin dish.
5. Sprinkle with cheese and brown in the oven or a salamander.

BSc 5th semester-Menu 1

                              Menu 1
Consommé Carmen
Poulet sauté chasseur
Pommes de Terre lorette
Haricots vert au beurre



Consommé Carmen
No of Portions- 4
S. no .      Ingredients        Quantity
1  Lean meat- lamb, mutton or beef- finely
chopped/ minced                 -375g

2  Cold white beef/ mutton stock 1.25 ltr.
3  Leeks- chopped 15 gms
4 Egg white Half
5 Carrot- chopped 25 gms
6 Tomato puree- reduced 100 ml
7 Tomato flesh- diced 30 g
8 Sweet pimentos- fine julienne 30 g
9 Boiled rice 30 g
10 Chervil- chopped 5 g
11 Salt To taste
12 White pepper A pinch
Method:
1. Take chopped leeks carrot, egg whites and minced meat in a stockpot and mix well.
2. Add Cold Stock and mix. Add the tomato puree. Keep stirring.
3. Bring to boil, allow the raft to form, reduce flame and let it simmer for 90 mins.
4. Strain through muslin, without breaking or distributing the raft to get a clear consommé.
5. Add salt and pepper. Garnish with diced tomatoes, julienne of sweet pimentos, boiled rice and
chervil. Serve piping hot.


Poulet sauté Chasseur
Portions: 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Chicken sauté cut 1.2 kg
2 Oil and butter 50 g
3 Shallots- chopped 50 g
5 Tomato puree 50 g
6 Mushrooms- sliced 125 g.
7 White wine 125 ml
8 Demi glaze 300 ml
9 Brandy 15 ml
10 Salt & Pepper To taste
11 Tarragon chopped 5 g
12 Chervil- chopped 3 g.
13 Parsley- chopped Garnish
Method:
1. Prepare and cook the chicken as for sauté. (Cut the chicken as per sauté cut. Season with salt
and pepper. Sauté the chicken in hot oil and butter to seal the internal juices. Cover and place
in the oven to fully cook the chicken.)
2. Remove the chicken pieces. Add sliced mushrooms and finely chopped shallots in the juices
obtained from the chiocken. Deglaze with white wine and brandy and reduce to half.
3. Add demi- glaze and tomato puree, tarragon and chervil. Cook the sauce for 5-7 minutes.
Correct the seasoning.
4. Arrange the chicken pieces in a deep dish. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with
coarsely chopped parsley. Serve hot.

Harricot vert au beurre:
Portions: 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 French beans 500 g
2 Butter 100 g
3 Salt 5 g
4 White pepper 3 g
Method:
1. String and prepare French beans. Cut them into 2 inches lengths.
2. Cook in salted water & drain.
3. Melt butter in a pan, toss the beans and add the seasoning, serve hot.

Pommes de Terre lorette
Portions: 4
S. no. Ingredients Quantity
1 Potatoes 500 g
2 Butter 50 g
3 Nutmeg A pinch
4 Salt & white pepper To taste
5 Egg yolks 2 nos
6 Whole egg Half
Chou paste
7 Water 125 ml
9 Butter 50 g
10 Refined flour 65 g
11 Eggs 2 nos
12 Cheese- grated 50 g
Method:
1. Peel and cut each potato into 8. Boil potatoes, starting with cold salted water. Dry them of
moisture completely, keeping in the oven or a salamander for 5-7 minutes. Mash them using the
potato masher and see that there are no lumps.
2. Melt butter in a pan. Add mashed potatoes, seasoning & grated nutmeg.
3. Cook on a flame till it leaves the sides and cool, add the yolks and whole egg and mix.
4. Prepare Chou paste- heat the butter and water together. Stir in the refined flour and mix well.
There should be no lumps. Cook till it leaves the sides of the pot. Remove from the flame and stir in
the eggs.
5. Mix mashed potatoes and choux paste well. Add cheese and mix.
6. Mould crescent shape, using flour. Deep fry them to a golden brown colour. Serve hot.

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..