Cuisine of Kumaon

Cuisine of Kumaon

Kumaon has a mysterious treasure of recipes which is yet to be explored. The local

recipes having many commonalities with Garhwal cuisine can be divided into two parts,

viz., those prepared from cereals and vegetables which are indigenous to this region

and the ones where special method of preparation is adopted. I will rather concentrate

more on specialty and type than the method as the same is available in the web pages.

One important fact is that the vegetables and cereals grown in the soil of this region

have a rare taste, be it spinach, mustard, root crops, bulb crops, cucumber, bitter gourd,

lentils, rice, rajma, maize and so on.

The typical cereals which are grown in hilly areas are Mandua (black wheat), Madira

(Jhingora rice), Wajon (wheat like barley), Kala Bhatt (black soya bean), Bhura Bhatt

(brown soya bean), Gahat (Kulthy or the rust brown lentil, which is having medicinal

value for kidney and bladder stone), Maans (hill urad), Bhangira (similar to hemp

seeds), etc.

Similarly, the unique vegetables are Pinalu, Kyaul, Taid (all root crop) , Gethi sweet

karela, etc. One of the delicacies is sumptuous Sisunak Saag (Bicchu grass). Good

amount of garlic leaves and pieces are put in this pulpy saag which goes best with

coarse rotis of Mandua. Another local delicacy is Lingud saag (wild vegetable crop)

which is a seasonal recipe. Thechua is a curry made from crushed hill radish and

Pinalu or potatoes. It is said that crushing to pieces is more natural than cutting;

therefore, Thechua is healthy and tasty. Saag of leafy vegetables is prepared after the

leaves are chopped and stirred in smoking mustard oil for frying and little hot water can

be poured in if it needs heavy cooking.

The unique dices are Dubuka (made of rice and black bhatt or Gahat ). Bhatt or Gahat

ki Chudkani is very popular and served with hot rice. The difference between Chudkani

and Daal is because of the of process of preparation. In Chudkani the lentil is fried first

and in Daal tempering is done once Daal is cooked. Chudkani is watery and have

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warming effect in body. Bhatt ka Joula is good for indigestion. Rajma and Gahat mixed

Daal curry is popular and often made during social functions and is served along with

rice, lagud (Puris), Wada, roasted dry red chilies, green vegetable (Tapki), Chutney etc.

are served to people sitting in a row on open field in a sunny day. Gahat or Kulthi Daal

is dominant recipe prepared over slow heat. The Kumaoni Daal is thick for which

Biswar (wheat or rice flour paste) or Maand (which is the liquid starch obtained from

steaming rice), is poured on the Daal just before simmering of Daal. Biswar is not put

on Chudkani thus it remains thin recipe. Another specialty of Daal is that the lentils are

soaked overnight before daal is cooked at time the covering of coarse one is removed

once they are softened. Daals are predominant in Kumaoni food, mainly the Maans and

Bhatt taken in variety of ways and form, i.e. whole, split, skinned, soaked, mixed etc.

The popular soup called Chains from roasted and grounded Maans is similar to Faanda

which is made of Gahat. In Kumaon putting Ghee on the top of cooked Daal is popular.

This helps in digestion of Ghee as well as coarse grains. Ras is made of mixture of

lentils cooked in iron pan (kadai) using Ghee or mustard oil for frying. Cooking in kadai

blackens the color of recipe and changes taste and composition (rich in iron). Maans is

little difficult to digest due to high protein content. In fact, the protein content can be

reduced by roasting it. Thus the more any cereal is roasted easier it becomes to digest.

In the hills, cooking has been very taxing and time taking exercise because of the

impact of cold in heating process, therefore, most of the Kumaoni recipes are simple

and easy to cook at the same time very nutritious. Traditionally, cooking was done on

wood fire and getting the dry wood was a constant struggle. Process of cooking is very

important as it can be questioned by people having active taste bud. This small but

popular Kumaoni story reveals it all. When a marriage party was returning with the

bride they took rest near a tea joint. Tea was distributed to members and a person

teasingly asked the bride that she must be taking tea for the first time being from a

remote village. The bride replied that tea leaves have been put before boiling the water,

therefore, tea served was of poor taste. Thus she could tell this just after tasting the

tea.

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Mandua rotis have been fibre rich healthy source of food which could withstand

hardness of local drinking water and they go best with Pinalu or mix vegetable made of

bottle gourd and lady finger. Lesu is a type of chapatti where wheat dough ball is

stuffed inside Mandua flour dough and made like stuffed Paratha and eaten with

chutney, malai or ghee. Noni (a butter by melting of which we obtain Ghee) is also

taken with rotis and lesu. Rotis of Maize flour are also popular.

Generally, rice and Daal is taken at day time and chapatti and vegetable at night. Puri

and Pinalu (hill version of root arbi of colocasia family) has been relished for

generations. In fact, parties and functions were referred as puri-pinalu time. Sometimes

radish is added to Pinalu and viscous vegetable is prepared on iron vessels. Radish or

bhang changes the cold Taaseer of pinalu. Badis are large dried balls made of Maans

or Gahat dal and large ripe yellow cucumbers or Bhuj (wax gourd) or Pinalu or Radish.

The badi is a tasty vegetable recipe. Badis of Gahat, Bhatt and Mangodis are mainly

preparations for winter when fresh products are not available. For the winter, many

vegetable chips like Pumpkin, potatoes, Pinalu, Mooli and leafy vegetables are

dehydrated known as Khwaira. These Khwairas are soaked before cooking.

Taid and Gethis belonging to potato family are found in jungles. Taid is root vegetable

which, in fact, kept people fed even during scarcity (not a single famine has been

recorded in the history of Kumaon). It is roasted under hot ashes and taken after mixing

Masala. Curry is also prepared from these items. Rotav is a crispy sweet Parotha that

could be stored for several days during journey. It was made after mixing wheat flour

with jaggery and fennel seed etc. Gaderi is local popular arbi root vegetable. Gaab is

soft rolled leaves obtained from arbi plant.

Jhoi (Palyo) is a type of Kadhi made of skimmed milk or curd. We find crushed radish

and Arbi often mixed with Jhoi which is called Baante. Khichadi is made of rice and

Maas Daal (black hill urad) often mixing lot of turmeric. Khichdi of Kumaon is thick

recipe and goes well with Ghee, raita, radish green chilli, curd and chatney. Chhasia is

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similar to Khichadi but instead of Daal we pour chhas (skimmed milk) just before

simmering of rice. Chhasia is not solid and it is also given to patients. Popular Paalak

ka Kappa, taken with Bhaat is prepared from spinach leaves. In Kumaon Mustard oil is

generally used for tempering.

Taste enhancer chutneys are made of Bhang (hump seed coarse cover removed after

roasting), Bhangira (similar to hump seed), Dadim (sour pomegranate), Til (sesame)

and Lehsun. Chutneys are prepared by pounding green garlic shoots with coriander,

raw turmeric and salt in a mortar. Amchur (dried raw mango slices) are used for sour

flavor as chutney of Amchur is very popular. Salts of various flavors and fragrances to

accompany Madua and other rotis are prepared like the one with roasted Bhang or

Bhangira. The simple green mix type salt prepared includes coriander leaves, garlic

leaves, mint, chopped green chilly etc. and dry one with turmeric, red chilly, cumin

seeds, coriander etc. Ghuruet is a spicy paste made of Maas and taken with Rotis.

The paste of cooked half ripe tomatoes is prepared as tomato chutney. Vegetable is

also made mixing half ripe tomatoes with potatoes. Similarly, Raita (Condment) with

special flavours is popular in Kumaon. Radish or yellow big cucumber with fresh

yoghurt are the main ingredients of raita. You add paste of Jakhya (mustard like seeds)

for pungent and Bhang seeds etc. for different flavors. It goes best with ‘Khichari’.

There is also a practice of pouring Mattha (butter milk) in vegetable while they are

simmering. Thus you can have two recipes if same Sabjee with and without Mattha

mixed vegetables. We also have Gawi chhas (the curd of strained Mattha) used in

variety of ways.

Sani Chook and Mooli (radish mixed with green leaves), Buruse flower leaves, spices

and large unique Mediterranean lemon (galgal), jaggery etc. is prepared as light salad

which is relished in the winter noon while taking sunbath. Masala is also sprinkled over

the Sani chook or Mooli.

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Kheel, Khaja and Tilkut (roasted cereals which are chewed) are made of paddy, Bhatt,

maize, Jwar, etc. mixed with jaggery, sesame and walnut and taken as snacks.

Roasted chickpea mixed with dry puffed rice is also chewed with jaggery.

There are many unique recipes, though not part of daily food which are prepared in

special occasions like Ghugut during Makar Sankranti and many exotic items which are

based on specific plants and cereals. The vegetable of raw Bedu fruit and anjeer fruits

(Timil) or the soft buds of anjeer tree are relished seasonally.

Popular snacks include Aloo ka gutka (spicy diced potato pieces) tempered with cumin

seed, clarified butter, red chilies, coriander, heeng, jumbo etc. Kaulia (horse gram

whole soaked overnight and roasted in oil with salt and cumin) Sujee (semolina) Aloo

Daal pakora, Wada of whole urad (Mashut dumplings of Maas Daal), Paratha of Maas

called Bedoo is also relished.

There has always been scarcity of milk due to transhumance; thus the Kumaoni

tradition of hiding milk to avoid bad eye. So the milk based sweets are found in less

number in Kumaon. Sweet dishes include Baal Mithai, Singhal or Pua, Topas, Kheer,

Singodis (sweet khoya and coconut wrapped in Malu leaf), Sooji (semolina), Halwa of

amaranth grain (Cholai), halwa of ogal, wheat flour halwas, Chhoiya (a type of sweet

wheat flour paratha made like South Indian Uttappa) and sweet rice paratha. The

jaggery is often used in sweet dices as it generates body heat to fight cold and it is rich

food. Jhiagore ki kheer, Kauni ki kheer, Lit (Mattha poured sweet liquid halwa), Gulgula,

Khajure (Sakarpare) were other dices. Arsa is dissert made from rice.

The Kumaoni flavor to Daals is due to Tadka (tempering). For tadka, ghee is boiled in

a small frying pan and whole red chillies, pinch of heeng (asafoetida which also

eliminates gastric), fenugreek seeds, cumin seed, local Dhuwn and Chhapi

leaves.Jamboo and Gadaraini are also put in that. After little crackle this hot material is

sprinkled on the top of Daal curry. The tempering adds unique zaika (aroma) to food.

The Jamboo and Gadraini are local Masalas found in higher altitude and they are good

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for cold weather and common cold. Ajwain (carom seeds) is often used as it is warm

and alkaline. Tomato is not used in hill recipes instead curd or Mattha (skimmed milk) is

poured in. Kumaonis relish potato, in fact, it was said during colonial period that potato

is best gift of English to Kumaonis. Thus we have subjee of Aloo-Mooli, Aloo-Pyaj,

Aloo-Pinaloo, Aloo-Green leaves (lai, sarson, methi, ogal etc.) and so on. One unique

practice is intake of raw mustard oil often mixing it in salad, raita and Saan (vegetable or

fruit mixtures), etc.

Non-vegetarian : Vegetarian diet is predominant in Kumaon. Among Brahmins, the

Vaisnavites have been strict vegetarian and Shakts take non-vegetarian food as well.

Sikar or killing of wild animals like ghurer (a type of deer), Teetar, porcupine, wild pig,

Jhaalar(wild goat), etc. was practiced during British period. The unique thing in

Kumaon is smoking of the killed animal before chopping into pieces. In fact, once goat

is killed, the same is smoked over fire and raw pieces are distributed as snacks after

mixing masala and salt (raag). This is also called Saan. The other interesting aspect is

not removing the skin as skin is also cooked along with meat. Similarly, the intestine is

not wasted and a recipe is prepared as breakfast or snacks after washing it carefully

and it is called Bhutua. Sweet betel nut (soft one) is crushed and sprinkled while

cooking the meat for easy cooking. Sometimes, the heart is roasted separately. There

is also a practice of preparing curry of ‘paaya’( garuwa), i.e. the foot.

Fishing in sweet water is practiced in small scale. The curry of small river fish is

supposed to be very tasty. The Golden Mahasheer, a sporting fish is found in large

numbers in the rivers of Kumaon. The main fishes are Charu, Ashalu, Gadhua, Chawani

kita, Jhapula, Bawairha, Sauyat, etc. During colonial days angling was popular ‘game’.

Today, fishing is done by developing fish ponds besides the rivers. Fishing is popular in

Suryu, Gomati ,Sharda, Kali, Panar, Ladhiya, Gori and Koshi, Ramganga, Khirau and

number of small rivers. Indian goonch and trout are also found in these rivers. Curry or

Suruwa of small fishes is taken with plain rice.

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Animal sacrifice to some temples has also been source of non-vegetarian food. In fact,

after sacrifice, the meat is distributed among participants.

Food Taaseer : In the cold regions, the warm or cold nature (Taaseer) of food affects

the cuisine. Warm or cold means they bring similar effects in body once we eat those

recipes. Having plain rice in the night of winter may result in puffing of eyes and

swelling of body. Cold food also means that it may lead to poor digestion particularly

among old people. Generally raw food is cold and cooked is warm. The cool to warm

roughly takes this sequence : fruits → vegetable → roots → tubers → Grains → seeds

→ nuts → dairy → sea food → Meat. But in each category there can be differences,

like fenugreek, onion and Chaulai leaves are warm and Spinach and Ugal leaves are

cold. Bottle gourd is lukewarm and good for stomach. Raw radish is cold and cooked is

warm. Among the lentils Masoor and Gahat are warm Daals. Malka and Moong are

lukewarm and good for stomach. Barley products are very cold and wheat is neutral

whereas Mandua is warm. The spices are in general warm, therefore, putting cloves or

black pepper while steaming the rice would lessen the coldness of rice. The Jumboo (a

Tibetan herb also taken as medicine for joint pain) has a very warming effect. One may

start sweating if this is taken in good quantity. Similarly, papaya and mango are warm

fruits whereas banana and lime are cold.

There is enormous variety of food taken in Kumaon, some of which has been

documented in the Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources, (Vol.I(i), March

2010, PP 89-96). We have 125 cuisines already documented in Kumaon. The number

of plants and grains eaten here has rarely any parallel because the wild edible plant

species were also identified by local inhabitants over the time. Diversification and

dehydration was the strategy for food security for the time of scarcity.

Hira Ballabh JoshiMob 9752416100Bhopal,[email protected]

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Cuisine of Kumaon

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