The food of Uttarakhand is simple and produced with ingredients that are grown locally. Spices used in the cuisines are not complex. The Kumaoni and Garhwali cuisines are unique to the two areas of Uttarakhand. The cuisine of Uttarakhand offers a seductive fusion of hot spices and their ultra-fine aromatic flavours. Wheat is a basic grain for the inhabitants, while vegetables make up the majority of the diet. A balanced flavour can be found in this cuisine because it is prepared with lentils and cooked slowly. Every dish is distinctive due to the sparing use of tomatoes, milk, and milk-based items. Pahadi cuisine not only tastes delicious but has several health advantages too!
Pahadi kairi ki chutney is a chutney which is made with raw mangoes, coriander leaves, green chillies and lemon. It has a strong tangy and spicy flavour. The chutney also has colling properties in it because of the raw mangoes and coriander. Gahat ki Dal paratha is a delicious and nutritious flatbread. It is nourishing and filled with horse gram. The Indian dish Ghat ki Daal is a rich source of iron. The parantha is a nutritious and wholesome dish that can be eaten any time of the day. These recipes were the specialities of Chef Pankaj Rawat from Hyatt Regency Dehradun. Chef Pankaj Rawat is responsible for the menu planning & design for the F&B outlets & In Room Dining, staff training, operations supervision and guest feedbacks. The hotel has situated in the heart of the hills and surely makes people drool over their pahadi delicacies.
Pahadi Kairi Ki Chutney
Ingredients
1. Raw mango grated- 200 Grams
2. Coriander chopped -150 Grams
3. Green chilies- 2 No
4. Cumin seeds – 5 grams
5. Lemon juice – 2 No
6. Sugar -1 tbsp
7. Salt – to taste
8. Water – 10 ml
Method
1. Roast jeera on slow flame, and mix all ingredients together.
2. Ground it on a stone, by slowly adding water.
3. Add lemon juice and salt and refrigerate for 2 hours
Gahat Dal Ka Paratha
Ingredients
1. Horse Gram ( Gahat dal) -80 grams
2. Whole Wheat flour- 120
3. Turmeric powder- 5 grams
4. Red Chili powder- To taste
5. Cumin seeds- 5 grams
6. Amchur powder- 5 grams
7. Grated ginger -10 grams
8. Green chilies chopped- To taste
9. Salt -to taste
10. Water for kneading the dough
11. Ghee/Oil for shallow frying
Making Of Dough
1. Knead the dough using whole wheat flour, salt and water.
2. Paratha dough should not be too stiff, but a bit soft. Softer dough helps in the stuffing spread out evenly and the parathas rolled out properly.
3. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
Making The Stuffing
1. Clean and soak the dal for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight.
2. Drain the water and pressure cook the dal for 3-4 whistles (or depending on your pressure cooker settings) or 8 minutes in Instant Pot Pressure cooker mode or in an open pan until done.
3. Once the pressure settles or the dal is cooled, drain the water.
4. Do not discard the water, it can be used as a stock.
5. Grind the dal using a mortar or pestle or a grinder to a smooth or semi smooth paste.
6. I like it a bit granular so I have not made a fine paste.
7. Now add the cumin seeds, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Amchur powder, grated ginger, chopped green chilli and salt.
8. Mix everything and keep aside. Let it cool
Making The Stuffed Paratha
1. Divide the dough into lemon sized balls.
2. Using one of dough balls, roll out a 2-3 inch circular disc.
3. Apply around ¼ teaspoon of oil/ghee.
4. Now add around 2 tablespoon of the horse gram dal mixture.
5. Pull over the dough from all the sides and seal it.
6. Dip it into the dry whole wheat flour and lightly pat it between your palms so that the dal mixture gets evened out.
7. Start rolling the paratha to the desired size (4-5 inch diameter). Do not turn in between just keep on rolling the paratha. If required apply dry whole wheat flour in between to roll the paratha’s.
8. Once rolled, put it upside down on a hot greased tawa or a non-stick pan, on slow flame.
9. Flip it after 50-60 seconds.
10. Let it cook again on a slow flame for 1-2 mins or until brown spots start appearing all over.
11. Then apply a little Ghee/oil and cook for a min. Turn, apply Ghee/oil and again cook
12. Continue cooking on both sides until golden spots appear on both the sides and the paratha is evenly cooked.