Best Cuisines of North and South India
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Best cuisines of North and South India EATING IN NORTH INDIA 5 JAMMU & KASHMIR Himalayan region are borne out by thukpa Meats form the backbone of Kashmiri and momos. A popular delicacy of the lower cuisine. While dishes such as yakhni (meat in hills is the siddu aka sidkoo, depending on a curd-based sauce made mildly minty with the location. fennel) and rogan josh (rich, red mutton curry) are well known, others like gushtaba 5 UTTARAKHAND (pale meatballs in saffron-yogurt curry), rista Those in the foothills have easy access to (meatballs in a red gravy) and tabak maas fresh produce – mandua (buckwheat) ki roti, (fried lamb’s ribs) are gaining popularity. gahat (or kulath) paranthas prepared from a Kashmiris also love their breads – naan, little known legume called horse gram and thick, flaky baquer khani with morning and relishes made of sesame and hemp seeds. high tea; and as a small meal in itself, nutty, In the highlands, the locals enjoy sun-dried raisin-y lavasa. meats and home brewed liquour. Meals are usually accompanied by chapattis made of 5 HIMACHAL PRADESH barley and mandua. Traditionally, the highlanders of Himachal Pradesh are meat eaters. Their staple diet 5 PUNJAB consists of coarse grains like buckwheat, The legendary Punjabi hospitality makes millet and barley accompanied by lentils and low-fat Punjabi meals unimaginable. green vegetables. Influences of the trans Amritsar churns up a galaxy of gourmet specialities: gulabi chai, butter-laden lassi, best restaurants usually attached to top chaat-papri, kulcha-chana, puri-choley, hotels in the big cities. The capital Lucknow bhatti murg, fried and tandoori fish, tandoori offers the famed tunde and galawat kebabs chicken, phirni and gulab jamuns. Winter and dum biryani. Among sweets, the pedas ushers in sarson da saag and makki di roti, of Mathura are much sought after. And served with dollops of home-made butter then there is paan usually eaten after meals, and lassi (butter milk). In Patiala, choley- sold at wayside stalls, but most famously, in bhature, puri choley and revri-gajak outlets Varanasi. dot its many bazaars. Chandigarh remains a melting pot of sorts, its cafes, restaurants 5 RAJASTHAN and fine-dining spaces conjuring up rich A trip to Rajasthan is incomplete without Mughlai gravies, Chinjabi (Chinese and trying the range of kachoris available Punjabi) and decent multi-cuisine fare. everywhere. Another great snack is the Delhi mirchi vada, a speciality in Udaipur. Also try This city of foodies superbly combines the the dahi ke batashe that Rajasthan seems best of north Indian culinary traditions, to have perfected. For vegetarians, dal- whether it is Punjabi or Mughlai. For those batichurma, gatte-ki-subzi (a curry made looking for a more global experience, a with besan), ker sangri (a grass found in the number of gourmet restaurants offer a desert regions), kadi, bajre ki khichdi, moong range of international cuisines. The city’s dal ka halwa and lapsi are the big draws. food experience is incomplete without Traditional Rajasthani thalis are available in trying the paranthas of Gali Paranthewala in many restaurants. A fiery laal maas is the Chandni Chowk. non-vegetarian part of the cuisine. If you like spicy food, opt for junglee maas or 5 UTTAR PRADESH skewered meat called sula. Rich Mughlai and Awadhi cuisine can be had across much of Uttar Pradesh, with the EATING IN SOUTH INDIA 5 KARNATAKA sambhar and the classic appam-stew Pandhi (pork) curry and other non-veg combination. There’s also plenty of fresh delights of Coorg are just as special as catch - shrimp, crabs, cuttle fish, sardines, the crisp dosas of Udipi and vadas from mackerel, tuna, prawns, rays and even shark Maddur. Don’t discount staples such as (although it’s being hunted to extinction). chirroti (fried puffy pastry usually served with milk), bisi bele bhath (a lentil and rice 5 TAMIL NADU combination), akki rotti (rice pancake), khara Vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike bhath (semolina upma), kesari bhath (sweet can savour an assortment of dishes from semolina) and ragi mudde (millet balls). different types of pongal (a rice preparation) to chicken, mutton and fish cooked in spices 5 KERALA common to that region. Here, you can choose from elaborate vegetarian sadyas (a large feast), non-veg 5 ANDHRA PRADESH delights from Syrian Christian homes and The first dish that comes to mind when Mappila food from the coast. Then there one talks of Andhra cuisine is the aromatic are favourites like puttu (steamed rice flour biryani from Hyderabad; the spicy ‘meals’ are and coconut), kadala curry (black gram), a close second. idiyappams (string hoppers), idlis, dosas, .