Lost Dishes of #Uttarakhand by Chef Pawan Bisht

If you have been to the One8 Commune Restaurant in Aerocity Delhi you need no introduction to Chef Pawan Bisht , the mastermind chef behind #ViratKohli ‘s Restaurant One8 Commune. During lockdown while everyone was making various dishes & checking out recipe’s on youtube , Chef Pawan was busy creating magic & sharing the lost recipes from the Hills and his handle was one thing I regularly checked out to know more about food from #Uttarakhand. He not only introduced us to the basic food ingredients that were growing during that time in the hills but also shared the details of each and every ingredient that goes in making a particular dish the way it is made from the recipe, process, utensils used to cook, time of the year it is cooked and why a particular recipes / ingredients holds that importance in the cuisine from #Uttarakhand.

So this blog is a tribute to 12 Lost recipes of Uttarakhand that you must know about , coming from the Insta handle of Chef Pawan Bisht. A little about Chef Pawan – He started cooking at an early age of 14 at a small village named Chhoi in Ramnagar, Nainital of Uttarakhand. He was all by himself staying away from home and he enjoyed cooking for himself & his friends, thats when he realised that he loves cooking and would like to take it up as a profession. When passion turns into profession everything comes straight from the heart. Its been 12 years since he had been into cooking professionally and he loves experimenting with food a lot. European cooking is his strength but his heart still lies in regional cuisines and being from Uttarakhand this comes naturally to him & he leaves no chance to go back to his routes and share the flavours that matters to him.I met him in 2016 while he was with Junglee Billee – A restaurant in GK and he was hosting a food festival around fusion food from Maharastra. The way he explained each and every dish – its origin , its history, ingredients and the fusion he has created , it was all so over whelming for a blogger because not always you get so much details about a dish and thats what is so special about him.

Dish 1 : Chhaua / Chol Roti

The best company to any food in India and especially in north the food starts with a roti and this dish is a sweet version of our Roti , read everything about it in the post from Chef as Lost Dish 1

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Lost recipes:- Dish 1 Chhaua or Chol roti :- One of the forgotten dish or recipe which is getting lost slowly. The name of the dish is derived from the method of mixing ingredients and making a batter. The process and the batter made with different ingredients is know as chol or chhaua in pahadi language and that's how the dish got it's name. This is called roti in hills of Uttarakhand which is actually a pan cake. This can be made sweet or savory with different kind of flavorings and toppings. Perfect tea time snack made with whole wheat flour, caraway and jaggery or sugar. One can use green chilies, spring onions, coriander or toppings of your choice for the savory ones. In other variation rice flour can also be used to make this preparation. In common language we can say that Uttarakhand do have it's own pan cake which is being served for centuries now. This used be food of our tiffin boxes during school days and we used to say "please soft wale paratha banana". Interestingly no ladle or any kind of turning slicer is used to pour or spread the mixture of chol. Bare hands are used to mix the batter, pouring it on the hot skillet, spreading and turning it to make a pan cake. Hell lot of skill and years of practice is needed to make these pan cakes with bare hands on hot skillet. With time this wonderful dish is getting lost from the cuisine of Uttarakhand. Few households still makes this mouthwatering dish for the loved ones. The picture is having chhaua (pancakes) made with whole wheat flour flavored with caraway seeds and fresh jaggery syrup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . #rarerecipes #uttarakhandcuisine #uttarakhandtourism #uttarakhanddiaries #pancake #eatfamous #myfab5 #foodporn #f52grams #huffposttaste #tastingtable #foodandwine #foodblogfeed #buzzfeedfood #dfordelhi #feedyoursoull #spoonfeed #lostrecipes #indianfood #indianrecipes #indiancuisine #pancakes #chol #chhaua

A post shared by Pawan Bisht (@pawanbisht1) on Aug 16, 2020 at 10:07pm PDT

Dish 2 – Punarnava

Who can turn a weed into a vegetable thats not only delicious but also loaded with health, the name literally means “New Again” & this commonly found weed of Uttarakhand is also know as hogweed, red hogweed, horse purslane, pigweed, red spiderling and tarvine. Have a look at this dish that is green but super tempting.

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Lost Recipes:- Dish 2 PUNARNAVA The king of green vegetables. You will be shocked after knowing the health benefits of this wonderful vegetable. The name itself literally means " something that renews or replenishes the body" Let's first talk about the health benefits of this unwanted and uncultivated greens, which is wildly grown creeping weed. This list will give you a fair idea that why this vegetable is used in AYURVEDA. 1. Beneficial for liver 2. Protects urinal infection 3. Fights diabetes 4. Really good for eyes 5. Fights obesity 6. Fights congetive heart failure 7. Good kidney 8. Fights impotency 9. Excellent for arthritis patients 10. Fights stomach disorders 11. Fights anemia 12. Good for the patients who are fighting dropsy disease 13. Fights cancer 14. Fights high uric acid in blood 15. Good for bronchial asthma Ayurvedic health benefits:- 1. Fights insomnia 2. Fights cataract 3. Fights tuberculosis 4. Fights asthma 5. Fights ophthalmic 6. Fights kidney disorders 7. Fights fever 8. Fights ascites 9. Fights 10. Fights intestinal colic and worms 11. Fights rabies infections 12. Fights alcoholic intoxication and alcoholism 13. Fights rheumatic disorders 14. Fights skin disorders 15. Fights itching and irritation 16. Fights jaundice 17 Good for water retention and edema 18. Fights heavy menstruation 19. Fights night blindness Now next time if any doctor is recommending you this vegetable or any medicine related to these diseases, you know what are the health benefits and how the medicine is made. The grandparents of this generation in Uttarakhand were fairly aware of this charismatic vegetable. The main reason of this preparation or vegetable getting lost is that the information was not passed to the next generation because of fast moving life and globalization our generation didn't took interest in learning of these wonderful preparation. The other names of this creeper weed are hogweed, red hogweed, horse purslane, pigweed, red spiderling and tarvine. Next time in Uttarakhand don't miss this wonderful delicacy. I will say it again "Heal with the food" . . #uttarakhandcuisine #uttarakhandtourism #uttarakhanddiaries

A post shared by Pawan Bisht (@pawanbisht1) on Aug 17, 2020 at 11:20pm PDT

Dish 3 – Vadi / Baadi

Vadi is way to consume and store the pulses for a longer time and also create a variation in taste than cooking it normally like Dal. And every region has a specific way of making these Vadi which are cooked round the year. This is the beauty of homemade food that there is no use of preservatives , salt as ingredient and sun drying as the process does the trick and this is super healthy.

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Lost Recipes:- Dish 3 Vadi or Badi There was a time when every single household used to make this preparation. Ladies of entire neighborhood used to gather and make these vadis. Later on these were distributed among everyone and stored so that one can use them entire year. Difficult climate and harsh conditions with limited sources to survive gave birth to this wonderful dish. The name of the preparation is derived from the lentil drop or vegetable drop itself which are known as vadi. The mixture is prepared and later on these small vadi's are sun dried for almost 7 to 8 days under low heat of winter sun which is time consuming and needs patience. This is one of the main reason why this wonderful preparation is getting lost slowly. The most important characteristic of vadi is that you can store them for entire year without adding any preservatives or chemicals. There is a long list of items from which these vadis can be made. Cucumber, petha (ash gourd), radish, pumpkin, bottle gourd, taro root and lentils like moong (yellow lentil) daal, maas (black gram) ki daal etc. Most interesting ones are known as naal vadi in which the lentils mixture is stuffed inside colocasia stem and coated with mixture before chopping into chunks named as Uttarakhand naal vadi. Still few households make these vadis every year so as to keep the rituals alive. Nutrition value depends on the vegetables used to make vadi. Batter made with whole wheat flour and ghee is constant in the preparation. This mouthwatering dish goes well with steamed rice leaving long lasting aroma and pungent flavour which will definitely fascinate you. It is legacy of all the important nutrients which are difficult to find in one dish. Good for all skin problems, promote healthy reproductive system in both male and female, strengthen immunity system, good source of Vitamin A, B1, B3, B5 and B12, high in protein, iron, calcium, riboflavin and folate. . . . . . . . . . . #uttarakhandcuisine #uttarakhandtourism #uttarakhanddiaries #eatfamous #myfab5 #foodporn #f52grams #huffposttaste #tastingtable #foodandwine #foodblogfeed #buzzfeedfood #indiarecipes #healthyrecipes #vegetarian #indianfood

A post shared by Pawan Bisht (@pawanbisht1) on Aug 18, 2020 at 10:32pm PDT

Dish 4 – Lapsi

#Lapsi – As a kid i have tried this dish a lot in my household, easy to make , easy to gulp and its delicious too, so personally I was a lot happier to see the dishes i could relate with in the list of Lost recipes by the Chef.

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Lost Recipes:- Dish 4 Lapsi With no fancy frills lapsi is most humblest dish of Uttarakhand. Milk and ghee are the key ingredients where the flour can vary from rice flour, whole wheat flour or semolina can also be used. Sweetness can be given either by sugar or jaggery. This dish gives a good amount of heat and nourishment to the body that's why it is given to the ladies who gives birth to new born babies with out fail in the hills of Uttarakhand and that's how this dish came into picture. Earlier when Uttarakhand was not prosperous as it is today people use to make lapsi even with water instead of milk. We just can't imagine how harsh life used be in high rises of the Himalayas. It hardly takes 5 to 8 minutes to make this recipe. Easy to digest, no fuss and less ingredients makes it a wonderful dish. It literally melt down in the mouth. With time it is getting lost slowly. Only few households still make this dish on special occasions only. The flour and the milk or water is mixed nicely avoiding the lumps. Once a nice batter consistency mixture is made it is put on slow flame and cooked whisking continuously adding flavouring like cardamom and sweetening ingredients like sugar or jaggery. . . . . . . #uttarakhandcuisine #uttarakhandtourism #uttarakhanddiaries #eatfamous #myfab5 #foodporn #f52grams #huffposttaste #tastingtable #foodandwine #foodblogfeed #buzzfeedfood #dfordelhi #feedyoursoull #spoonfeed #indianrecipes #indianfood #instagram #foodphotography #foodstyling #foodfood

A post shared by Pawan Bisht (@pawanbisht1) on Aug 20, 2020 at 6:14am PDT

Dish 5- Lesu

#Lesu is a flat bread made with stuffing madua (finger millet) dough inside the dough of whole wheat flour. It can be flavoured with carom seeds. I can so imagine the taste and being a chapati lover this is yet another dish that I would love to try and also seeing how generously the Ghee is poured on this Bread , resisting would be quite difficult.

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Lost Recipes:- Dish 5 Lesu One of the dish i used to wait for every winter of the year. We used to travel in the high rises of the Himalayas to meet our relatives every year and lesu was one of the dish I used to wait for. The black colour inside and white outside of the chapati used to fascinate me a lot as a kid. Good amount of ghee and pisyun loon (garlic flavored salt) works as magical ingredients to complete this gourmet experience. As you can see in the picture lesu is a flat bread made with stuffing madua (finger millet) dough inside the dough of whole wheat flour. It can be flavoured with carom seeds. There was a time when it used to be exceptionally popular in the hilly areas of Uttarakhand as this roti is different from other rotis and is heavy which keeps the body warm in the chilled winters. Modern and new era food along with globalization is making this super healthy recipe vanish slowly. The lucky ones who still have grandparents gets to taste this dish on a regular basis. We should not forget that the food habit is the key to a healthy body. If we can heal it with the help of natural, organic food than why to go for medicine or other kind of drugs. Good source of natural calcium and that's why a must grain or dish for women, aging people and children's, works as an antioxidants, controls blood sugar level, good source of iron and fights anemia, good for conditions like anxiety, depression and insomnia as it helps in relaxing body, green madua (finger millet) is recommended for conditions of blood pressure, heart health, liver functioning and asthma. So, one should include this extremely nutritious cereal in daily diet and not let it lost in this fast moving life. Next time do ask for lesu bread when in Uttarakhand. "Heal with the food" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #uttarakhandcuisine #uttarakhandtourism #uttarakhanddiaries #eatfamous #myfab5 #foodporn #f52grams #huffposttaste #tastingtable #foodandwine #foodblogfeed #buzzfeedfood #indianfood #indianrecipes #indiancuisine #rarerecipes

A post shared by Pawan Bisht (@pawanbisht1) on Aug 20, 2020 at 10:10pm PDT

Dish 6– Kachmoli/ kachpak

Rare recipe and unique dish of Uttarakhand India. Kachmoli/ kachpak/ kachwai/ sanna/ panchola are different names of this unique dish.Kachpak actually means raw (kachha) and cooked (paka) at the same time. The smokiness which comes because the entire meat is roasted over fire and then skin is taken out and cut into small pieces. Till this time the skin is almost 60 to 70 percent cooked. So its partially cooked and partially raw.

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Lost Recipes:- Dish 6 Rare recipe and unique dish of Uttarakhand India. Kachmoli/ kachpak/ kachwai/ sanna/ panchola are different names of this unique dish. Kachpak actually means raw (kachha) and cooked (paka) at the same time. One can say this is a community dish as it is prepared when a large number of people gather for different kind of occasions. It is difficult to comsume entire meat out of goat by one family, so seven or eight different families together distribute the meat among themselves and remaining parts like skin, offals are cooked and eaten by everyone in the community at one place. This is a perfect bar snack. The smokiness which comes because the entire meat is roasted over fire and then skin is taken out and cut into small pieces. Till this time the skin is almost 60 to 70 percent cooked. A mixture of raw mustard oil, red chilli powder, salt and some times people add fresh coriander leaves or pahadi lun (pahadi namak made on sil batta). The robust flavours of fresh ingredients, mustard oil along with smokey aroma and chewiness of the skin are the sign of perfectly made kachmoli. With time this rare and unique recipe and dish which is a favourite among the meat lovers of Uttarakhand is getting lost slowly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . #rarerecipes #lostrecipes #uttarakhandcuisine #uttarakhandtourism #uttarakhanddiaries #eatfamous #myfab5 #delhifoodguide #delhigram #mumbaigram #buzzfeedfood #dfordelhi #feedyoursoull #spoonfeed #foodporn #f52grams #huffposttaste #tastingtable #foodandwine #foodblogfeed #indiarecipes #regionalcuisine #indianfood

A post shared by Pawan Bisht (@pawanbisht1) on Aug 23, 2020 at 1:05am PDT

Dish 7 Meetha bhaat/ Meethu baath/ Khuska

Meetha bhaat/ Meethu baath/ Khuska made with Red Rice and Red rice holds a lot of importance in the hills. Traditional sweet dish made with the red rice of Uttarakhand. Meetha bhaat is a rare dish with unparallel taste. Earlier this dish was mandatory while community dining. Infact meetha bhaat was given at the beginning of the community dining.This rice is highly recommended to heart and diabetes patients, can you imagine a rice for diabetic.

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Lost Recipes:- Dish 7 Meetha bhaat/ Meethu baath/ Khuska Traditional sweet dish made with the red rice of Uttarakhand. Meetha bhaat is a rare dish with unparallel taste. Earlier this dish was mandatory while community dining. Infact meetha bhaat used to be a kind of amuse bouche. This was given at the beginning of the community dining. Red rice from high altitude of Himalayan belt is the key ingredient to this dish. This rice is good source of protein, antioxidants, vitamins, iron, calcium and minerals. Red rice have more bran than normal white, brown or any other kind of rice varieties and that's why it is good source of fiber. Anthocyanin is the pigment due to which this rice get it's red colour. Unpolished and semi milled makes this rice higher on nutritional elements than normal rice. This rice is highly recommended to heart and diabetes patients. Heavy rains is one of the factor for its firm texture in high rises of Himalayas. After cooking it gives a kind of nutty flavour and becomes a bit sticky because of the high starch. Jaggery acts as an sweetening agent in meetha bhaat. Garnished with coconut and nuts of your choice. This wonderful preparation is getting lost in the fast moving life now. What kind of change this is?? From amouse bouche to getting lost this dish has travelled a hell long journey from generation to generation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #rarerecipes #uttarakhandcuisine #uttarakhanddiaries #uttarakhandtourism #eatfamous #myfab5 #foodporn #f52grams #huffposttaste #tastingtable #foodandwine #foodblogfeed #buzzfeedfood #dfordelhi #feedyoursoull #spoonfeed #indianrecipes #indianfood #instagram #foodphotography #foodstyling #nomnom #sweet #dessert #dessertporn

A post shared by Pawan Bisht (@pawanbisht1) on Aug 24, 2020 at 2:47am PDT

Dish 8 Bedu Roti /Beru Roti

Bedu Roti /Beru Roti – Bedu roti or beru roti is made with whole wheat flour with a mixture stuffed inside, which is made of urad lentil, green chillies, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fresh garlic, fresh ginger and salt. A coarsely ground paste is made on sil batta out of these ingredients which is stuffed in the bedu roti. I love Dal kachori and this stuffing is so close to that, so i am sure this is going to be something I can love like anything

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Lost Recipes:- Dish 8 Bedu Roti /Beru Roti In my knowledge Uttarakhand itself alone have more than 30 types of bread preparation out of which few are lost and some of them are in the line of getting lost. Here is a list of few breads which I know, besides these there are many more other bread recipes and grains which are lost with time. Madua roti, bedu roti, chauuaa, seeda roti, lesu, raii roti, roat, lagdi, chillad, laggad, ganrea roti, ugal ki roti, baggad rot, chau (chaulai) ki roti, jau roti, dhani gyu roti (the seeds of wheat are like coriander seeds), daulitya roti, swale, gahat paratha, dunglu are few of them. Bedu roti or beru roti is made with whole wheat flour with a mixture stuffed inside, which is made of urad lentil, green chillies, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fresh garlic, fresh ginger and salt. A coarsely ground paste is made on sil batta out of these ingredients which is stuffed in the bedu roti. This wonderful preparation is eaten with good amount of ghee, jaggery and pisyun loon (garlic flavoured salt). One can eat it with all kind of vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes also. This is a time consuming process and that's why it is loosing it's importance in the Uttarakhand cuisine. There was a time when I personally used to see this preparation in my home atleast three times a week. The high energy necessities, nutrition, warmth, soulful with riots of flavour, colour and super food ingredients defines the cuisine of Uttarakhand which always leaves a mouth watering sensation for hours even after completing your meals. This preparation is rich in fiber so good for digestion system, good for heart, boosts energy, strengthen bones, manages diabetes, good for skin and hair, this combination fights common cold and cholesterol. Do try this wonderful recipe next time in Uttarakhand specially in winters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #uttarakhandcuisine #uttarakhandtourism #uttarakhanddiaries #eatfamous #myfab5 #foodporn #f52grams #huffposttaste #tastingtable #foodandwine #foodblogfeed #buzzfeedfood #dfordelhi #feedyoursoull #spoonfeed #instafood #indianfood #indianrecipes #rarerecipes #lostrecipes

A post shared by Pawan Bisht (@pawanbisht1) on Aug 24, 2020 at 11:44pm PDT

Dish 9 Bedu ki Sabji

Bedu ki sabji its Himalayan wild fig, also called as Wild fig, Timla fruit, junglee anjeer, bendu, khemri and bedu. This is another dish that holds a lot of importance in Uttarakhand , so much so that it has a folk song on its importance.

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Lost Recipes:- Dish 9 Bedu ki sabji (Himalayan wild fig) Wild fig, timla fruit, junglee anjeer, bendu, khemri and bedu are the other names of this wonderful Himalayan wild fig. The famous Uttarakhand folk song "bedu pako bara masa" describes this wonderful fruit nicely. Mainly found in the forests and considered as celestial fruit with wonderful health benefits. The pulpy, juicy and ripen ones are eaten as a fruit with pisyun loon (garlic flavoured salt) and raw ones are used to make vegetable preparation, chutneys and pickles. Ripen ones have more than 45-50 percent of juice in itself and a fully grown bedu tree can produce up to 25-30 kgs of fruit. Bedu have wonderful medicinal properties due to which entire plant is used and not only the fruit. Good for lungs disease, digestive system, nervous system disorders, blood pressure, hypertension, bladder and urinary disease. Wonderful source of minerals, phosphorus, Vitamin C, antioxidants and essential fats. This preparation takes a lot of time. Getting the fruit from forests to boiling and peeling the figs which is main reason this dish is getting lost slowly. While talking about the taste one can compare it to the pahadi chicken dish. Yes, it is finger licking good. Only few household makes this preparation in the high rises of Himalayas now. Uttarakhand cuisine is really vast and need to be explored in a right direction so that mankind can be benefited with these wonderful delicacies. This fruit is green when raw, which turns purple and pulpy when ripen is majorly used in Ayurveda. The bedu fruit is eaten along with the seeds and have cancer preventing properties. Next time don't miss this super fruit in Uttarakhand. "Heal with the food" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #rarerecipes #lostrecipes #uttarakhandcuisine #uttarakhandtourism #uttarakhanddiaries #eatfamous #myfab5 #foodporn #f52grams #huffposttaste #tastingtable #foodandwine #foodblogfeed #buzzfeedfood #dfordelhi #feedyoursoull #spoonfeed #eatfamous #foodphotography #foodstyling #instafeed

A post shared by Pawan Bisht (@pawanbisht1) on Aug 25, 2020 at 10:30pm PDT

Dish 10 Bal Mithai

If you have been to hills and you have not tried this sweetdish or not bought a box of it back home its truly criminal. One thing that is more dear to me just like the hills is this Bal Mithai, The khas khas coated sweet dish which is chewy , chocolatey and a blast of flavors makes it straight to the favourite sweetdish list of every kid who tries it once. Khas khas is know for its cooling properties and is very good for health.It is packed with proteins, calcium, magnesium, potassium which makes it a valuable ingredient. So this is definitely a loaded sweetdish. Over a period of time this health loaded khas khas coated sweetdish was changed to Sugar balls and that’s how we now consume it. So read the post below to know more about it.

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Lost Recipes:- Dish 10 Bal Mithai This brown chocolate like fudgy and gooey mithai which is coated with khas khas and not sugar balls is known as bal mithai. One of the famous mithai native to Almora district of Uttarakhand. An entire history is behind this famous bal mithai of Almora. In 7th or 8th century this process of making chocolate and bal mithai came to Almora from Nepal and since then it kept on getting modified. Initially love for food and cooking gave birth to this wonderful mithai which is loved by all age group people but with time people changed the khas khas into sugar balls which is much cheaper as compare to khas khas just to save the money and that's how this wonderful authentic dessert got lost somewhere. Shri Joga Ram Shah of Laal bazaar, Almora is the person behind this procedure of making bal mithai famous across Almora after that Uttarakhand and then slowly in entire India. Falsima village of Almora district is famous for it's milk and dairy products which made it easier for him to produce such a great desserts which made history. There are sources that says that they used to exchange chocolate and bal mithai on Christmas eve with the British officers and few sources says that these mithai were sent to Britain also. Uttarakhand have a vast and deep history when it comes to Uttarakhand cuisine which needs to come in front of entire world so that everyone one can enjoy these stories and wonderful cuisine of Uttarakhand. Next time in Almora do take bal mithai as souvenirs . . . . . . . . . . #lostrecipes #rarerecipes #uttarakhandcuisine #uttarakhanddiaries #uttarakhandtourism #eatfamous #myfab5 #foodporn #f52grams #huffposttaste #tastingtable #foodandwine #foodblogfeed #buzzfeedfood #dfordelhi #feedyoursoull #spoonfeed #indianrecipes #indianfood #instagram #foodphotography #foodstyling

A post shared by Pawan Bisht (@pawanbisht1) on Aug 30, 2020 at 11:47pm PDT

Dish 11 Kauni or koni pulao

Kauni or koni pulao the name comes from the ingredient – #FoxtailMillet is one more super grain Uttarakhand grows which is commonly know as kauni or koni in local language and it is grown as rain-fed crop

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Lost recipes:- Dish 11 Kauni or koni pulao (Foxtail millet pulao) Foxtail millet is one more super grain Uttarakhand grows which is commonly know as kauni or koni in local language and it is grown as rain-fed crop. Usually kauni (foxtail millet) is grown in the high rises of Himalayas and that's why the availability of this super grain used to be more in remote villages of hills in Uttarakhand. This pulao has an distinctive flavour and aroma which increases your appetite and majorly used to found in these hilly areas only. Nutritious, flavorful and wholesome pulao can be eaten with dals and other kind of gravies. The production of foxtail millet has gone for a toss in last few decades. You will hardly see the crop and production of this super grain now which is one major reason of this wonderful dish getting lost. Foxtail millet of a wonderful grain which is good source of Vitamin B 12 essential for maintaining healthy heart, smooth functioning of nervous system, good for diabetes, reduce insulin, controls cholesterol, rich in natural iron, helps in reducing weight, good for skin and hair growth. With time this dish is getting lost even in remote villages in the high rises of Himalayas. Very less people makes this recipe and that too occasionally now. This dish is one of my personal favourite too. Perfect balance of nutrition and taste. Cauliflower, carrot and peas are added along with the vegetables of your choice. I have used lingauda (fiddlehead fern) also in this wonderful dish as rainy season gives you this wonderful vegetable also close to water bodies in the hills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . #rarerecipes #lostrecipes #uttarakhandcuisine #uttarakhandtourism #uttarakhanddiaries #eatfamous #myfab5 #foodporn #f52grams #huffposttaste #tastingtable #foodandwine #foodblogfeed #buzzfeedfood #dfordelhi #feedyoursoull #spoonfeed #indianrecipes #indianfood #instagram #foodphotography #foodstyling

A post shared by Pawan Bisht (@pawanbisht1) on Aug 31, 2020 at 10:14pm PDT

Dish 12 Rajjada

Cooking in Iron utensils does wonders to our food,& Every metal places an important role in the process of cooking. Yet again a dish that has got healing properties and is a common preparation in the houesholds in Hills. Highly beneficial for curing Jaundice and liver diseases.

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Lost Recipes:- Dish 12 Rajjda Have you ever eaten food to cure a disease instead of taking medicine. This dish used to be among few other lost dishes in Uttarakhand which were given to patients to cure a disease instead of medicines. This is not passed to young generations which is one reason among several other resaons of vanishing this dish and this is not fault of elder generation, we only didn't took interest in learning these rare recipes as in fast moving world we were to busy to find out short cuts for fixing our health problems without knowing the side effects. One of the lost dish of Uttarakhand. Rajjda was eaten to cure Jaundice and liver problems. This dish is the proof that nature has given enough to be organically and naturally healthy. Red rice, bhatt paste along with desi ghee are the only three ingredients used to make this dish. Soaked rice and bhatt (black soyabean) paste is sauteed in ghee and then cooked for atleast sixty to seventy minutes whisking continuously. The colour you are seeing is because of cooking in the iron kadai. Pour generous amount of ghee on top after cooking rajjda. It is eaten with a salt (lasoon lun) made with fresh garlic, dry red chilli, cumin seeds, fresh coriander leaves, fresh ginger, green chillies and salt. One of the healthiest, nutritious and tasty dish in Uttarakhand cuisine. Also known as Bhatiya in several parts of Uttarakhand. You will definitely ask for second serving. Heal with the food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #rarerecipes #lostrecipes #uttarakhandcuisine #uttarakhandtourism #uttarakhanddiaries #eatfamous #myfab5 #foodporn #f52grams #huffposttaste #tastingtable #foodfood #feedfeed #foodphotography #foodstyling #instafeed #breakfast #lunch #dinner #healthyrecipes #vegetarian #regionalindian #indiarecipes #indianfood

A post shared by Pawan Bisht (@pawanbisht1) on Sep 1, 2020 at 9:10pm PDT

I hope you must have enjoyed reading this as much as i enjoyed curating it from his Insta Handle and the best part about all these dishes are they were posted and prepared fresh by the Chef. You can feel the vibe of Uttarakhand in each of the post – The greens in the background , the vibrant colours , Outstanding plating by the Chef. Every dish makes you crave for it and no one could have explained the dishes better than the way Chef has done it.

Do share in comment which is your favourite one and in case you visit One8 commune you can always engage in a conversation with the Chef to throw more light on these or other dishes.

You can also check out few recipes by him on his handle

Pahadi Raita

Pahadi Chicken

Aloo mooli ki Thechwani

Stay tuned for more #FOOD2GO4 stories.