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Among the biggest Gems in the large and mysterious treasure of the Kumaon hills is its food. Here are some of the most popular recipes from the region that taste great yet, are easy-to-cook. You’ll not only enjoy the cooking, we bet, you’ll relish the food even more! Here are the dishes of Kumaon, explained:
Baante:-
A special Kumaoni curry prepared with yoghurt and radish as the main ingredients. A distinct taste, neither too spicy nor too sweet, is the outcome of this recipe that has a seasoning of Red chilly powder and pure Ghee. The curry has a consistency that makes it neither too thick nor too watery. Tastes best with plain white rice, although some prefer another popular Kumaoni dish called “palak kappa’’ as an accompaniment.
Karaal:-
This one’s gonna sound really interesting to all the health-conscious people out there! Easy-to-cook, like most of the Kumaoni Cuisine, the dish has that distinct flavor intact. Prepared with Urad daal as the main ingredient, the dish is a typical example of healthy-yet-tasty food.
Moong Daal Dubka:-
A typically simple-to-cook Kumaoni recipe, but the taste remains great as ever. The dish can be prepared out of any lentil (daal) like Urad, Moong etc. Normally had with rice, the dish has a very ethic flavor. The soup-like dish tastes even better in winter for the very fact that it is soup-like and is served hot. The dish has topping of desi Ghee like many other dishes from Kumaon.
Aloo Ke Gutke:-
Potatoes cooked (mostly fried) with cumin seeds and lots of spices. Although the definition sounds quite cliché, you just have to taste the dish to realize why it is so popular among the people of the region. It is best prepared with “Pahari aloos”, but the dish tastes really good otherwise also.
Bhange ka raita:-
No meal is complete in the region without a raita to accompany the meal, especially lunch. One of the tastiest forms of Raita, Bhange ka raita goes best with khichri. The flavor is worth savoring for a long time even after the meal.
Rote:-
A common offering at religious places and occasions, the dish is prepared from a mixture of wheat flour and Gur (Jaggery) or sugar. If that doesn’t sound tempting enough then add the aroma and flavor of cardamom and sauf. I bet the taste buds are active now! The dish is worth it!
Palyoo:-
A dish made out of sour yoghurt with pakoras to go with it. Sounds like the Panjabi kadhi, doesn’t it? Believe me, there’s a helluva lot of difference between the two! The only way to know the difference is, obviously, to go ahead and taste it. So, go and dig into the curry and, we bet, you’ll eat your fingers off.
Churkani:-
Some call it the Kumaoni version of the black bean soup with just the right amount of garam masala added to give that desi flavor. The taste is such that it refreshes the mood and the dish is really good for health too. A lethal combination indeed!
Kappa:-
A dish made out of palak, kappa is one of the most popular and tastiest dishes of Kumaon. The palak leaves are made to taste so good that it becomes quite difficult to believe that what one is eating is the good old spinach in its Indian Avatar. The dish goes well with almost anything, from rice to simple rotis to another popular dish called Palyoo.
Rus:-
Rus is among the greatest delicacies of Kumaon region. Consisting of a mixture of various pulses (great source of protein); the dish is really nutritious and good for health. The dish has a good amount of iron too as, ideally, it is cooked in an iron dish. The taste is enhanced to magical proportions once a little amount of ghee is poured right before savoring the delight. Rus tastes best when had with plain white rice. Although it can be had at any time of the year, the chill of the winter adds that little bit of extra taste.
Seeyal:-
A must-have at all special occasions and celebrations like weddings, birthdays or festivals, the sweet dish is prepared, primarily, from sooji (semolina) and banana pulp. High on fat content, but who’d mind as long as the dish tastes as good as it actually does!
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