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JUST OFF the upper end of Mandi’s landmark Victoria Bridge and immediately after entering the bustling Bhootnath Galli, you encounter a cramped shop where a man sits watching a large kadhai as it bubbles with oil. He slides a large, pearly white disc of flour into the oil; it fluffs up and expands, taking up nearly the entire circumference of the wok. He deftly fishes it out of the kadhai with a slotted spoon, waits until the excess oil drains, and deposits it onto a plate stacked high with many more of these fried discs.
The man is preparing “luchis”, the deep-fried bread that is a mainstay of Mandi’s cuisine. While luchis are most commonly spoken of in connection with Bengali food (where they have been elevated to almost revered status), they are no less popular here in Himachal (and also in other places, like Kanpur). In fact, Mandi’s enormous luchis are closer in size and form to those sold by the street food vendors of Amritsar. Before being dropped into the hot oil, they have the stretchy look and size of a rumali roti; but their puffed, pale and glossy appearance quickly sets them apart from their more prosaic cousin.
Back at the shop in Mandi, the contents of the other kadhais present a picture of the accompaniments that are most popularly paired with luchis: chana, kept appetisingly hot on a tawa; a meat curry for non-vegetarians. Fresh batches of jalebis are taken out of their hot oil baths, as they take on the rich orange glint that is their due.
Beyond the kitchens, a steady stream of customers place their orders and then wait to be served. The meal, when it arrives, is quickly wolfed down. Everyone has somewhere to be, in Mandi — even the tourists.
THERE IS SOME doubt over whether or not the luchis of Mandi owe their origins to those of their Bengali counterparts. Evidence of a direct connection is usually proffered in the form of the antecedents of Mandi’s chiefs — their lineage is traced to Bengal’s Sena Dynasty. But even if luchis were unequivocally brought to Mandi from the East, the dish has long since become an indelible part of Mandi’s foodscape.
At no time is this more evident than during Maha Shivratri, when Mandi comes alive with its annual fair. Beginning from Shivratri, the Mandi Mela lasts for seven days, where cultural and religious observances stand cheek by jowl with celebrations of food. Sampling luchis especially, is a must for visitors to Mandi’s Maha Shivratri Mela. Even if it isn’t served with the dhams (traditional, satvik Himachali meal for weddings and other important occasions) at the Fair, there are myriad eateries offering piping hot luchis (and siddus too!) to the foodie on a quest. Caterers also set up vast, festive marquees with long tables that invite the hungry crowds to sink into a chair and tuck into a plate of chana-luchi.
On a more casual trip, one might even sample the unique dish known as luchi-poti — a flour and spice (turmeric, coriander powder, asafetida, cumin, cloves) paste filled into sheep or lamb intestines, steamed and cooked. It is generally had with a meaty soup. Certainly, this dish is indigenous enough that there aren’t other serious claimants to its origins — Bengali or otherwise.
Mandi’s Maha Shivratri Mela is truly an extravaganza of colour, culture and faith. The sight of all the local deities in their ceremonial finery, being carried aloft in a gaudy procession, ‘calling on’ Madho Rai (Vishnu) at his temple, and then setting off for an audience with Shiva at the Bhoothnath Temple, accompanied by a crescendo of drums and horns, is an experience to savour. So too, is Mandi’s luchi.
