Flavours of India - India Food Diary Part I

For me travel is not just a way of exploring a new place and learning about a place’s culture and history. Food is also a major part of a place that defines its history and culture in so many ways! Local cuisines tell you about local people’s habits and way of living at different points of time, kind of festivities important to the place, the kingdoms that thrived in a place, and so much more! And talking about festivities, with Durga Puja just gone by and Diwali right around the corner, I can only think of India and all the amazing food we have during festivals in India. So, this time, I am going to take you through India and tell you about local dishes from some of the states I have visited so far - dishes that you must definitely not miss and dishes that also have stories attached to them!

1.  Uttarakhand –

Bal Mithai (Source )

This state of quaint hills stations and sleepy towns in the shadow of Lower Himalayas has picked up cuisines from all its surrounding states but has made it its own in many! One such dish that it probably picked up from Punjab but gave it its own twist is Puri-Chole! Historically, Uttarakhand had two kingdoms, that eventually led to creation of two regions - Garwal and Kumaon. Puri-Chole was adopted by the Garwal region and added a serving of pumpkin curry, Aloo (potato) Gutke, (both authentic Garwal recipes) to make it their own. With time, this has become a loved street food of the entire state, but you should definitely try it out in Dehradun or Haridwar. While, Garwal region provides the main course, in early 20^th century, Almora in the Kumaon region provided the dessert that you would not want to miss. Say hello to Bal Mithai (Kid’s sweet) – a sweet that can give chocolate fudge a run for its money. Bal Mithai looks like a chocolate fudge but is actually made by slow cooking khoya (dried whole milk) and topping it with small sugar pearls. Though, it is found all over the state, I had it in Nainital, and absolutely loved it.

2. Sikkim -

Momos

Blanket of mist on hilly slopes protecting rolling rice fields and tea gardens, silent emerald lakes and tumbling cold streams creating a symphony with roaring winds and chanting with prayer wheels. Oh, how I miss Sikkim! Yes, I miss the raw natural beauty of Sikkim and the beautiful monasteries there, but there are two more things from this state that I miss a lot - Momos and Gundruk Soup – my dinner every day during my trip to Sikkim!  I know, Momos are available all-around India now, but Sikkim can be called its “Gateway to India”. Tibetan culture and cuisine came to Sikkim in the 14th century, with the Chogyal Kingdom setting its roots in the state, making it the oldest Tibetan influenced area of India. And though not a lot of dishes from the Chogyal era stuck till the 21st century, Momos and Gundruk (fermented wild mustard and radish leaves) Soup are here to remind us of the bygone era and are a must try in Sikkim.  Apart from Tibetan heritage, with time Nepalese culture and cuisine also found its special place in Sikkim and has blended perfectly with its Tibetan heritage.  As a result, Sel Roti - which is a ring-shaped sweet bread and Khapse – which is a sweet biscuit, both fusion of Nepalese and Tibetan cuisine and made from rice flour, sugar and milk, are a must try in Namchi area.

3. Rajasthan –

Ghewar (source)

If you have gone to any Rajasthani restaurant, you must have tried or at least seen “Daal Baati Churma” in the menu. So how could you not have Daal Baati when in the state! Hit the local food joints in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer or Bikaner – one thing that would be common in all those places is this traditional meal where hard baked pearl millet (bajra) balls soaked in ghee is eaten with a spicy mix of five lentils. This famed Rajasthani dish was actually invented in Jodhpur to cater to needs to large armies with limited resources, but now this very dish has become a symbol of Rajasthan. Another authentic dish, or rather dessert, that you should not miss when in Rajasthan is Ghevar. This huge disc-shaped honeycombed cake soaked in sugar syrup and topped with pistachios was first made in Jaipur in late 1800s and has become an inseparable part of Teej and Gangaur. Oh! Also, try the Onion Kachori in Jodhpur and Ajmer – with caution – super spicy but super yum. Rajasthan sure has a ton of unique traditional street food that is now recognized and loved throughout India, but no state can compete with the range the next state in this list provides.

4. Gujarat –

Dhokla!

Remember the “Dokhla, Fafda, Handwa, Thepla, Khakhra”, dialogue from 3 Idiots? Sure, she calls them “dangerous sounding” but believe me, they are probably the best traditional snacks in India (after my favorite Idli). I lived in various places in Gujarat for 10 years, before moving to Mumbai so I have a special place for Gujarat and Kathiyawari food in my heart. Hence, I seriously can’t pick one out of these but would rather add more to the list – Khandvi, Muthia, and Patrode! In ancient times, Gujarat was a kingdom where most of the people thrived as traders, and all these snacks were developed to survive for days or weeks and were considered balanced meals with pickles. Today they are enjoyed as breakfast food or evening snacks throughout the country, but the love people have for these dishes in Manek Chowk (Ahmedabad), Karelibaug (Vadodara) Khaudra Gali (Surat) makes these places a must visit. And, since I mentioned Kathiyawari food – be sure to try out a traditional kathiyawari thali with Undhiyo and Sev-Tamatar nu sakh (sev tomato curry), you will not regret it! Ok, getting back on track, I cannot end the list without a dessert, and though most people would recommend shreekhand, my pick would be Mohanthal when in Gujarat! This high calorie fudge like sweet often floods the markets in Gujarat during Navratri and Diwali, and that is definitely the best time to get a bite of the traditional thal and all its interesting variations available these days.

5. West Bengal -

1

Jhalmuri at my place by my mom with her special touch - Pomegranate!

Whenever, I go to my office in New York City, my husband asks me to get Kolkata Kathi Roll from Thelewala or Kolkata Roll Company, that is the lure of the famous Kolkata Kathi Roll, or just Roll, like it is called in Kolkata. Back in British India era, kathi roll started out as the Indian competitor to British sandwiches and pies, early form of grab and go Indian food, believed to be the innovative idea of Nizam’s Restaurant which started making the rolls with its kababs. And no surprise, the roll struck the right chord with the public and is not just here but even thriving internationally after a century! But even after being available in a lot of states and countries these days, nothing beats the rolls in West Bengal. I can’t really spell out what is different; you really need to try it to know the difference! And while Roll was targeted towards the Britishers back in the days, Bengal came up with an equally (if not more) tasty grab and go snack for commoners of the time in form of Jhalmuri, which is another must when in West Bengal! Spicy lemony mix of puffed rice and flattened dry chickpea with tomato and onions – sounds simple, I know, but probably this simple nature of Jhalmuri is actually what makes it so yum. And if the spice gets too much for you, help yourself with a slice of Sandesh or Lady-Keni. Lady-Keni is dessert that is sort of a crossover between Rasgulla and Gulab Jamun (because it is sugar soaked fried reddish-brown cottage cheese ball) and was invented back in the 19th century in honor of Lady Canning’s wife. It is often compared to “Chenna Jilli” of Odisha and they do have similar flavor, but that just adds to the reasons why you must try it – three sweets in one, need I say more!

6. Odisha -

Platter of Pithas from Odisha

Though it is popularly believed that the technique of making cheese curds came to India in late 17th century, there are royal records in Odisha that mention dishes made with cheese curd as early as 15th century! Whether it was a gift from the Portuguese or not, cottage cheese or Chenna is an integral part of Odia cuisine. And since I started talking about Chenna Jilli, let me just say this – try out all the Chenna (cottage cheese) sweets from Odisha – Chenna Poda (slow baked sweet cottage cheese), Chenna Gaja, Chenna Kheera (Variation of rice pudding), Rasabali (chenna version of rasmalai) and Rasagola (assumed ancestor of Bengoli Rasgulla), all authentic Odiya dishes and all totally worth the calories! Also, to make things easy for you, you can gorge on all these desserts at the “Rasagola Village” of the state, Pahala (a small village between Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack). A lot of people do claim Salepur to have superior Chenna sweets, but since I have had the ones only in Pahala, I would recommend that. And since I hail from Odisha, I have a ton of other things to recommend (all part of traditional Odia Thali): Dalma, which is a lentils based curry with a lot of native boiled veggies, Badi Chura (my absolute favorite) – mixture of spices, garlic and fried crumble of sun dried lentil dumplings, Besara (mixed local vegetables cooked in mustard paste) and Pitha! Just like Chenna sweets, Odisha also has a plethora of Pitha (sweet and savory rice cakes and pancakes) – Khakra, Manda, Pauda, Arisa, Tala and so many more, and all absolutely worth trying!

Rasagola from Odisha

Obviously, there are a lot more dishes in each of these states like Crab Curry from Odisha, Sorso Illish from West Bengal, Ghari from Gujarat, Papad Sabzi from Rajasthan, Baadi from Uttarakhand and so many more. All unique, traditional, and totally worth trying but the ones that I mentioned were some you just shouldn’t miss when in these states! Next time, I will continue with some more dishes from some more states of India. Till then, let me know in the comments below if you have tried any of these, or want to try them, or if I have missed some must have dishes from these states.

Liked this post? Pin It!!!