Food of Uttarakhand: 20 Traditional Local Cuisine

The cuisine of Uttarakhand is simple, yet tasty. People of Uttarakhand use local produce to cook most of the dishes. They grow millet, beans, cereals, and vegetables locally in the hilly areas of Uttarakhand. The food of Uttarakhand’s 20 traditional local cuisines is a list of all the famous Uttarakhand food. These are also the main ingredients in most of the Uttarakhand cuisine. Garhwal and Kumaon regions are famous for some rare Uttarakhand cuisine. It is not common to find some of the vegetables and millet anywhere else in India. You must taste the traditional food of Uttarakhand on your trip. We have chosen some of the Uttarakhand famous food you.

10 Delicious Foods of Garhwali

• Thechwani
• Garhwal Ka Fannah
• Phanu
• Chainsoo
• Dhapdi
• Til Ki Chutney
• Arsa
• Roat
• Gulgula
• Jhangora Ki Kheer

Thechwani

This dish is unique to the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. Potato and radish are the main ingredients of this dish. Thechwani is a word that means squash in the local Garhwali language. Local Garhwali people squash potato and radish in a mortar and pestle. They, then pan-fry these with various spices and boil it with water. It forms a thick curry-like texture to the dish.

Garhwal Ka Fannah

This is a very Garhwali dish in which horse gram is the main ingredient. Horse gram lends nutrition to the dish and is good for diabetic patients as it keeps insulin under control. Garhwal ka Fannah is also a famous dish in Mussoorie and is an important dish in the traditional Garhwali thali. People of Uttarakhand consume this dish with rice, roti, and other items.

Phanu

Garhwali people use locally produced lentils to make this dish. They grow these lentils in the hills of Uttarakhand and local people like this dish very much. The people of Garhwal also use black grams sometimes to make this Uttarakhand famous food. They soak Gahat ki dal or black gram overnight in water. Phanu is a dish where the people use various herbs and spices. The Garhwali people serve it with roti or rice.

Chainsoo

This is a local dish of the Pahari people. They use Black gram lentils (sabut urad dal) to make this dish. Garhwali people first roast the lentil and then grind it into a fine paste. They then transfer this paste into an iron pot and simmer it with spices, herbs, and other ingredients. This dish has high nutritional value.

Dhapdi

Like other dishes of the Garhwali region, this also is a simple dish to prepare. The local Garhwali people also call Dhapdi as Kafuli. Spinach and fenugreek leaves are the two main ingredients of this traditional food of Uttarakhand. Local Garhwali people use mortar and pestle to grind the spinach and chickpea flour into a paste and then add spices to it. This is then cooked and served at lunch with rice or roti.

Til Ki Chutney

Garhwali people use Til ki Chutney as an accompaniment to other dishes. They use sesame seeds to make Til ki Chutney. Winter is the best time to prepare this dish. This dish goes well with roti or Gahat Ke Parathe. It also serves as a dip. Garhwali people dry roast sesame seeds and then grind them with a mortar and pestle with coriander leaves, lemon, green chillies, and ginger. Salt and sugar are added to it.

Arsa

Garhwali people make this sweet dish during festivals and religious occasions. They use rice, sugar, mustard oil, and jaggery to make this dish. The Garhwalis soak rice for three hours and then grind it into a thick powder. They then mix it with jaggery syrup and make it into a dough and rolled into small balls. They deep fry these dough balls in oil.

Roat

This is a Garhwali dish which is a type of sweet flatbread. Wheat flour is the main ingredient of the dish. Cooks generally add syrup of jaggery and water. They make a dough of whole wheat flour, ghee, and milk. Spices like cardamom and aniseed are added to this dough. The syrup is then added to the dough and made into flatbreads.

Gulgula

When you ask the local people about a sweet dish then they will tell you of Gulgula. Garhwali people use wheat flour to prepare this dish. They use basic ingredients to make this dish. Jaggery lends sweetness to this dish. Several parts of Uttarakhand and the neighbouring regions make Gulgula. This is a deep-fried doughnut that has a golden brown exterior and a soft and sweet filling.

Jhangora Ki Kheer

This is a sweet dish of Uttarakhand which is made from a type of millet that is grown in the Garhwal region called Jhangora. The locals boil milk add Jhangora millet and sugar and cook it well. They add cardamoms, and kewra essence and boil it well until it is fully made. After it cools, they add raisins, cashew nuts, and other dry fruits and serve cold.

10 Delicious Foods of Kumaoni

• Bhang Ki Chutney
• Aloo Ke Gutkey
• Kandalee Ka Saag
• Dubke
• Bal Mithai and Singori
• Palak Ka Kaapa
• Mandua Ki Roti
• Pahari Gaderi Ki Sabzi
• Bhatt Ki Churkani
• Bhatt Ka Jaula

Bhang Ki Chutney

This is one of the foods of Uttarakhand 20 traditional local cuisine of the Kumaoni people. They use bhang to make this chutney from bhang or hemp seeds. It is a tangy taste and lends a fresh aroma to your food. The local people use this chutney as an accompaniment to their dishes.

Aloo Ke Gutkey

The local people of the Kumaon region make Aloo Ke Gutkey at festivals like Holi. They use a special type of potatoes to make this dish. The Pahari people of Kumaon make this dish using basic spices and boiled potatoes. These potatoes are specially grown in hilly areas of Uttarakhand.

Kandalee Ka Saag

This is a green leafy vegetable that is popular among locals and tourists. The Kumaoni people use various leafy vegetables to prepare this dish. They use a special vegetable called Bicchu Ghas to prepare this dish. The locals grow this vegetable in the hilly terrain of Uttarakhand. This dish is a nutrient-rich dish.

Dubke

This is a type of dal (lentil) but is special to the Kumaon region. Dubke is a very tasty and aromatic lentil preparation that goes well with rice. The local folk use locally grown lentils like Gahat or Kuthi to prepare this dish. They also use soybeans to make Dubke. Winter is the time when Dubke is prepared in this region. But you can eat it in other seasons too.

Bal Mithai and Singori

The local Kumaoni people use special ingredients to make this sweet dish. They use khoya to make Singori and wrap it in a special leaf called Maalu leaf. Bal Mithai is a type of chocolate fudge that is sprinkled with white sugar balls.

Palak Ka Kaapa

People of the Kumaon region prepare this Palak ka Kaapa, especially in their region. Spinach is the main ingredient of this dish. Spinach is the main feature of this dish. They do not boil the spinach for too long. This means that its nutrients remain intact. They add rice flour to lend a gravy-like consistency to this dish. Steamed rice goes well with this dish.

Mandua Ki Roti

You must try this special Kumanoni dish when you visit Uttarakhand. This is a type of flatbread which is made from ragi flour. Yogurt, carrots, green chillies, spring onions, and salt are added to the ragi flour and dough is made. Then the cooks roll out chapatis or rotis out of this dough and serve with raita, dal, or curries. This is a dish that is high in nutritional value.

Pahari Gaderi Ki Sabzi

There is a special type of vegetable known as Gaderi which is grown in the mountain areas of Uttarakhand. This is rich in nutrients and vitamins. Gaderi is also called Pinalu and is eaten during the cold winter months. This vegetable is like the potato but is sticky. Various spices like garlic, and pepper powder, and fruits like jamboo are also used to make this delicious vegetable preparation.

Bhatt Ki Churkani

Bhatt is the black soybean that is used in most Kumaoni food dishes. This is a preparation that is made from Bhatt (black soybean) and rice flour. Spices and garlic paste are used to add a spicy flavour to this dish. This dish is very easy to make.

Bhatt Ka Jaula

This is a very simple dish that is traditionally made in the Kumaon region. Soybeans and rice are the two main ingredients of this dish. Very less spices are used to make this dish. Bhatt ka Jaula is served with kadhi or rice.

Conclusion

These were the various food of Uttarakhand 20 traditional local cuisine foods of Uttarakhand. The simplicity of this cuisine and the flavours it lends to the dishes makes them very special. The local people of Kumaon and Garhwal regions use local produce to prepare these foods.

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