Siddu is the comfort food of the Himachal hills, particularly the Kullu, Mandi and Shimla regions, where long, cold winters call for warm, filling food. Families make it on snowy days and festivals, and in recent years roadside stalls on the Manali highway have made it popular with tourists as well.
The dough is wheat flour leavened with yeast and left to rise in a warm corner, then filled and steamed. Fillings vary from village to village: crushed walnuts and poppy seeds with green chilli and coriander, soaked urad dal ground with spices, or sweet versions with jaggery. Steamed siddu is soft, fluffy and slightly chewy, with a nutty, savoury centre.
It is torn open and served with a generous pour of ghee, along with green chutney or dal. Leftovers are often pan-fried the next morning for breakfast. Siddu can be made a day ahead and re-steamed, and the walnut filling keeps in the fridge for several days. The steaming takes about twenty minutes, so plan for the dough to rise before you start, ideally in a warm kitchen.
At a glance
| Region | Himachal Pradesh |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Himachali |
| Diet | Vegetarian |
| Course | Bread |
| Prep time | 120 minutes |
| Cook time | 25 minutes |
| Total time | 145 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Spice level | Mild |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Gluten-free | No |
| Key ingredients | whole wheat flour / walnuts / poppy seeds / ghee / yeast |
Ingredients
For the dough
- 2 cups whole wheat atta
- 1 tsp instant dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp oil
- About 3/4 cup lukewarm water
For the filling
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 3 tbsp khus khus (poppy seeds), soaked 1 hour
- 2 green chillies
- 3 tbsp chopped coriander
- 1/2 inch ginger
- 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp amchur or anardana powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
To serve
- 4 tbsp ghee, melted
- Green chutney
Method
- Dissolve sugar and yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water and leave 10 minutes until frothy.
- Mix atta and salt, add the yeast mixture and oil, and knead with the remaining water into a soft, smooth dough, about 8 minutes. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours until doubled.
- For the filling, drain the poppy seeds and grind with walnuts, green chillies, coriander, ginger, cumin, amchur and salt to a coarse, thick paste with no added water.
- Punch the dough down and divide into 6 balls. Roll each into a thick oval about 12 cm long.
- Spread a heaped tablespoon of filling on one half, fold over, and seal the edges by pinching firmly. Shape into a slightly flattened oval bun.
- Cover and rest the filled siddus 15 minutes so they rise again.
- Steam in a greased steamer or idli-stand over boiling water on medium-high for 18 to 20 minutes, until puffed and firm. A skewer inserted into the dough should come out clean.
- Cut each siddu open across the top, pour in ghee and serve hot.
Tips
- Keep the dough soft; stiff dough makes dense siddus.
- A urad dal filling (soaked dal ground with ginger, garlic and spices) is the other traditional option.
- Brush the steamer plate with oil or line it with a banana leaf so they do not stick.
Serve with
Plenty of ghee, green chutney or a bowl of dal.