RAG Demo

Tag: Himachal Pradesh

  • Siddu

    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

    RegionHimachal Pradesh
    CuisineHimachali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseBread
    Prep time120 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time145 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientswhole 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

    1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water and leave 10 minutes until frothy.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Punch the dough down and divide into 6 balls. Roll each into a thick oval about 12 cm long.
    5. 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.
    6. Cover and rest the filled siddus 15 minutes so they rise again.
    7. 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.
    8. 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.

  • Chana Madra

    Madra is a cornerstone of Himachali dham, the traditional festive meal served on leaf plates at weddings and temple fairs in Chamba, Kangra and Mandi. It is cooked by botis, hereditary Brahmin cooks, in large brass vessels over wood fires, and the dham menu would be incomplete without it. Cooking it is a matter of pride.

    The dish is defined by yogurt slowly cooked in plenty of ghee with whole spices: cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and sometimes a pinch of nutmeg. There is no onion, garlic or tomato. The gravy is pale, creamy and mildly tangy, coating soft chickpeas, and the aroma of ghee and cardamom fills the kitchen. Kidney beans or a mix of vegetables can be used instead of chana.

    It is eaten with steamed rice as part of the dham, alongside dishes like rajmah, kadhi and meetha bhat. At home it is made for festivals and special lunches. It is rich, so a small helping is enough. The key is slow, patient cooking of the curd in ghee, stirring constantly so it does not split. Leftovers keep well for a day in the fridge and can be loosened with a splash of warm water when reheated.

    At a glance

    RegionHimachal Pradesh
    CuisineHimachali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time45 minutes
    Total time60 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientschickpeas / yogurt / ghee / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup kabuli chana, soaked overnight
    • 1 1/2 cups thick curd
    • 1 tbsp besan
    • 4 tbsp ghee
    • 1/4 tsp hing
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 4 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 4 cloves, 1 small cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
    • 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
    • A pinch of nutmeg
    • 1 tbsp chopped raisins (optional)
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the chana with 3 cups water and salt for 1 whistle on high and 15 minutes on low until soft but holding shape. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
    2. Whisk the curd with besan, turmeric, coriander powder and chilli powder until completely smooth.
    3. Heat ghee in a heavy kadai on medium. Add hing, cumin, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves and let them sizzle 30 seconds.
    4. Add the drained chana and fry in the ghee for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring gently, until lightly coated and fragrant.
    5. Lower the heat to the minimum. Pour in the curd mixture slowly, stirring constantly in one direction.
    6. Keep stirring on low for 8 to 10 minutes until the curd comes to a boil and thickens without splitting.
    7. Add the reserved chana water a little at a time to reach a medium-thick gravy. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes until ghee shows on the surface.
    8. Finish with black pepper, cardamom powder, nutmeg and raisins. Rest 5 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Besan stabilises the curd; constant stirring until it boils does the rest.
    • Do not skimp on ghee – it is central to the flavour of madra.
    • Try rajma madra or a mixed-vegetable madra with the same method.

    Serve with

    Steamed rice, as part of a Himachali dham.