This is Part 18 of Flavours of India, our series on India's regional cuisines. Start from Part 1: Chettinad or read the previous part, Part 17: Nagaland.
Himachal Pradesh's food is shaped by cold winters, mountain farming and village feasts. It is hearty but gentle, cooked slowly, often in yoghurt, with plenty of ghee, and is rarely seen in restaurants outside the state, which makes it a delightful discovery.
The Himachali dham
The dham is a traditional feast served at weddings, festivals and temple occasions. It is cooked by hereditary cooks called botis in large brass vessels and served on leaf plates (pattals) to guests sitting on the floor. A typical dham includes rice, dal, madra, kadhi and a sweet rice dish called mittha. Each region, such as Chamba, Mandi and Kangra, has its own dham style.
What makes Himachali cuisine special
- Yoghurt-based gravies like madra and kadhi.
- Generous ghee and gentle whole spices.
- Local grains and pulses: red rice, buckwheat, rajma and black gram.
- Steamed breads like sidu, stuffed with walnuts or poppy seeds.
- Trout from the Kullu and Tirthan valleys.
Madra recipe (Chamba style)
Serves: 4 · Prep: 10 minutes (plus soaking) · Cook: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup kabuli chana (chickpeas), soaked overnight and boiled until soft (about 2 1/2 cups cooked)
- 1 1/2 cups thick yoghurt, whisked smooth
- 3-4 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds and a pinch of hing
- 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves, 4 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 tsp coriander powder and 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp fennel powder and 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp raisins and a few cashews (optional)
- Salt to taste
Method
- Heat ghee in a heavy pan. Add cumin, hing and the whole spices and let them crackle.
- Add the cooked chickpeas and stir for 2-3 minutes.
- Add coriander powder, turmeric and chilli powder, and fry for a minute.
- Lower the heat completely. Add the whisked yoghurt slowly, stirring continuously in one direction so it doesn't split.
- Add salt, fennel powder, raisins and cashews. Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until the gravy turns thick and creamy and ghee rises to the top.
- Finish with garam masala.
Tips
- Use full-fat, slightly sour yoghurt at room temperature for the best texture.
- Keep stirring and keep the heat low after adding yoghurt.
- Madra is also made with rajma, kidney beans or vegetables like colocasia.
How to serve
Serve with steamed rice, Himachali kadhi and a spoon of ghee, just as it would be at a dham.
Other Himachali dishes to try
- Sidu: steamed wheat buns stuffed with walnut or poppy seed paste.
- Chha gosht: lamb cooked in a spiced gram flour and buttermilk gravy.
- Babru: deep-fried bread stuffed with black gram.
- Tudkiya bhath: a spiced rice dish from Chamba.
- Mittha: sweet saffron rice with dry fruits.
Next in Flavours of India: Sikkim's momos.
