The fertile plains and lower and middle hills of Himachal Pradesh particularly Kullu, Solan and Sirmaur have seen record production of off-season cash crops like peach, tomato, cauliflower and cabbage in recent years. This is largely attributed to excellent implementation of the central government pro-farmer schemes, fertilizer subsidies, seed management, impetus to drip irrigation and... Continue Reading →
Dahi bhalla with an overwhelming flavour of bada elaichi and adarak is a delightful innovation of Kashi. Also known as dahi pakodi or dahi vada or dahi gujiya, this vada made from urad dal makes its appearance in almost all festivals and celebrations. A certain measure of urad dal (sometimes moong dal) is rinsed and soaked overnight. It... Continue Reading →
Galgal (Citrus pseudolimon Tanaka), popularly known as pahadi nimbu or Hill lemon is one of the finest varieties of indigenous lemons in the country. Largely confined to rainfed areas in the hilly terrain of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, this hardy fruit crop has immense medicinal, healing and nutritional properties and... Continue Reading →
One of the most iconic chaats of Kashi is the scrumptious palak patta chaat served at Kashi Chat Bhandar. Better known as palak chaat, this delicious innovation has a bit of everything - crunch, spice, sweetness and tartness. Fresh palak is thoroughly washed and wiped down. It is then dipped into a thick batter of besan, turmeric powder,... Continue Reading →
Lakucha is one of the most revered native fruits that finds mention in several Hindu texts and treatises. Lakucha (Artocarpus lacucha), commonly known as monkey jack or monkey jackfruit is often taken to be the cousin of the more famous jackfruit and possesses a rare combination of sweetness and sourness accompanied with a fiery punch. In... Continue Reading →
A visit to the holy city of Kashi is deemed complete only if one samples their signature dish, the delicious, creamy and mildly sweet rabdi. This quintessential dessert makes it appearance in every festival and celebration across the country. Arguably the most preferred sweet of North India, rabri is prepared using traditional methods even today. The... Continue Reading →
The hilly state of Himachal Pradesh is a treasure trove of rare medicinal herbs that have been used in traditional medicine and Ayurveda since the ancient times. The roots, leaves, stalks, flowers, fruits and seeds of these unique plants are used in the preparation of local delicacies as well as fodder for the livestock. ... Continue Reading →
All gastronomical roads in the ancient city of Kashi lead to Kashi Chat Bhandar to sample their delicious gulab jamuns, tamatar ki chaat, palak patta chaat, chooda matar, dahi bhalla, aloo tikki and other innovative creations that are unique to the city. Fresh khoya is mixed with maida, cardamom powder, kesar and other secret ingredients and kneaded to... Continue Reading →
One of the most versatile and widely cultivated crops in the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh is the humble kachalu. Kachalu (Colocasia Esculenta (L.)) is a root vegetable that is revered by locals for its medicinal, healing and nutritional properties. The corms, leaves and stalks are used to prepare traditional medicine as well as local delicacies. The... Continue Reading →
The finest paan of India is the celebrated Banarasi paan prepared in the world-famous Keshav Tambul Bhandar in the ancient city of Kashi. This paan has been loved by visitors from all over for years. Even heads of state including Prime Minister Narendra Modi have sampled their renowned meetha paan. Interestingly, all the ingredients... Continue Reading →
Lasura, a relatively unknown tree to many is actually one of the most revered trees in India. Also known as Indian Cherry or Gum Berry or Glue Berry, lasura as it is called in the hilly state of Himachal has been used in Ayurveda, traditional medicines and Unani for centuries. The fruits, leaves, bark... Continue Reading →
Kanpur, renowned for its brilliant and varied gastronomic delights is the best place in India to sample multitude of chaats at reasonable prices. Eating chaat in Kanpur is a social ritual with a number of narrow lanes and even a whole street dedicated to this important tradition. One can choose from the famous kurkuri tikki,... Continue Reading →
The hilly state of Himachal Pradesh is the land of exotic fruits, vegetables and flowers. A fair number of these native vegetables and fruits grow in the wild on the foothills of the Himalayas. Locals and nomadic tribes have been using edible fruits, vegetables and flowers to prepare medicines and local delicacies since the ancient... Continue Reading →
Kanpur's most iconic breakfast is the freshly churned white butter and warm bread topped off with delicious creamy mattha served at Pahalwan Ji Ka Special Mattha on Mall Road. This hugely popular joint is frequented by locals and visitors from across the world. The shop had very humble beginnings with its founder selling his... Continue Reading →
Beedana (Cydonia oblonga M.), more commonly known as quince is an edible fruit found in abundance in the Kullu region of Himachal Pradesh. This indigenous fruit is revered by locals for its medicinal, healing and nutritional properties and used to treat several ailments like cancer, diabetes, ulcers and respiratory infections to mention a few. ... Continue Reading →
Kanpur has often been called as the food capital of Bharat with countless travellers from across the world praising the wide range of local delicacies over the years in their chronicles. One such fine example is the Kanpur lassi. Like the delicious Prayagraj and Banarasi lassi, the Kanpur lassi is equal to the task and is an amazing combination... Continue Reading →
The hilly state of Himachal Pradesh has a variety of traditional pickles prepared from native fruits, vegetables, tree stems, buds, roots and leaves. These pickles are revered by the locals for their nutritional, medicinal and healing properties. Each part of Himachal has a particular speciality based on the availability of the produce and its use.... Continue Reading →
A droolworthy Kanpur delicacy that features in the prestigious Raj Bhog is imarti. This hugely popular sweet that is very often mistaken for its sister, the delectable jalebi is interestingly more of a breakfast item than a dessert or a snack in Kanpur. Imarti rabri, imarti dahi and plain imarti are available in almost every street corner and relished by... Continue Reading →
Lingri or lungru as it is known in Himachal Pradesh is an indigenous vegetable that grows in the wild in the Himalayan region. This fern also known as fiddlehead (Diplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw) is widely used by locals of Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal and Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in their traditional cuisine. Lingri is... Continue Reading →
Kheer, the most popular sweet of India that makes it appearance in every social function, religious occasion and festival season is loved by one and all from children to the elderly. This delicious preparation of rice and milk with a generous helping of dried fruits is the quintessential favourite any time of the day and... Continue Reading →
Chamba, revered for its stunning natural beauty, history, literature and spiritual potency is the land of the world-famous chukh. This delightful home-made pickle is prepared from the exotic Himalayan chitrali chillies that grow in abundance in the hilly region. The fiery Himalayan green chitrali chillies are carefully picked, sundried and then mixed with the extract of an indigenous... Continue Reading →
Shimla Mirch, also known as Sweet Pepper or Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum L. var. grossum) is one of the most famous agricultural produces of the lush green Kullu valley. This economically viable crop is revered for its taste, versatility and flavour and is widely used in Indian cuisine. Almost 9 percent of India's annual... Continue Reading →
The search for the best kachori sabzi in Kanpur will lead you to Bachu Lal Kachori Wale in Swaroop Nagar. A brisk early morning walk is highly recommended before you indulge in their delicious garam garam kachoris. Kachori sabzi, the quintessential breakfast of Kanpur is a magical dish that has a bit of everything -... Continue Reading →
Locals from Kanpur, Lucknow and Varanasi eagerly wait for Diwali, when the famed makhan malai, the quintessential winter delicacy makes its appearance. Also known as malaiyo in Banaras, daulat ki chaat in Delhi, nimish or malai makhan, this fascinating sweet is truly a head scratcher. The best makhan malai in Kanpur can be sampled at Shukla Makhan Bhandar on Birhana Road... Continue Reading →
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