Himachal Pradesh is a state with a heavy Tibetan influence and the cold climate during winter has shaped the food dishes that they love. One of the most common and frequently eaten dishes in Pahadi cuisine, especially in the regions of Mandi, Kullu, Manali, Rohru and Shimla is Siddu. As with the rest of the country, Himachali cuisine puts a lot of weight on bread and this speciality, sometimes also known as Sidku, is one of the classics.
Made with wheat flour, it’s an intricate process of making dough and stuffing it with a spiced dal paste. A winter special, this hearty dish is usually served with desi ghee, or green chutney on the side and is rich and filling as a starter or in combination with the main course.
The dough itself needs a few hours of proofing, and there are multiple components to make, so if you’re planning to make it at home, be warned that it’s not a process that can be rushed. But on a lazy weekend when you’re looking for a special treat, it’s a unique recipe to explore.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 cup Jowar Flour (Sorghum flour)
- ¼ cup Rice flour (you can use brown rice flour too)
- ½ tsp active dry yeast / instant yeast
- salt to taste
- ½ cup luke warm water (approximately)
For Urad filling:
- ¼ cup Urad dal (split white dal)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped onions
- 2 green chillies chopped finely
- 1" piece ginger chopped finely
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp asafoetida
- Salt to taste
- Fresh coriander leaves
For the Nut filling:
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 3 tbsp Khu Khus (poppy seeds)
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp amchur powder (dry mango powder)
- salt to taste
Method:
- Mix the flours, yeast and salt and add lukewarm water to make a dough. Knead it well until it’s firm and then cover and proof for 4-5 hours in an oiled bowl.
- Meanwhile, wash and soak the urad dal for 30 minutes then drain and grind in a mixer into a thick paste.
- Then in a bowl mix in the onions, chillies, ginger, chilli powder, turmeric powder, hing, salt and coriander leaves.
- Soak walnuts and poppy seeds for 30 minutes and then grind it into a paste with chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder and cumin powder.
- After it’s proofed separate the dough into equal pieces and roll them into balls.
- Flatten out each ball and spread a few spoons of stuffing into each and then gather them into closed buns.
- Steam these in a greased steamer for 15-20 minutes, and then serve hot with desi ghee.