3 Himalayan recipes to replicate in your home kitchen

The harsh terrain and climate of the Himalayas mean the local communities have to come up with ingenious ways of sustenance. In the kitchen, seasonal fruits and vegetables are pickled and fermented. Meats and fish are smoked and dried. Even spices are turned into cakes and stored for the rest of the year.

‘Journeying Across the Himalayas’ is an annual festival that aims to celebrate the diverse culinary cultures of the region through talks and tasting sessions, to be held in Delhi, from 4 to 10 December. The line-up comprises chefs and storytellers spanning Ladakh, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Assam. Meet Kunzes Angmo, the founder of Artisanal Alchemy in Ladakh; Anmol Chowdhury, who documents the preservation traditions of Kashmir; chef Prateek Sadhu of NAAR restaurant in Kasauli; Himachali cuisine specialist Nitika Kuthiala; Yash Saxena, the author of Stories from a Kargili Kitchen; and Avantika Haflongbar, who documents stories of her Dimasa food heritage from Assam to name a few.

Here are some expert recipes from the Himalayan kitchens for you to try.

Yarkhandi pulao by Kunzes Angmo

A fragrant rice dish loaded with nuts and tells the story of Ladakh’s Silk Road heritage.

Ingredients

600‑650 g mutton leg & rib pieces

2 black cardamom pods

1 tbsp whole fennel seeds

½ onion, chopped

1 tsp salt (for the broth)

8 cups water (for cooking the meat)

6‑8 tsp ghee (for frying the meat)

2 cups long‑grain basmati rice, washed and drained

1 tsp shah zeera (black cumin)

2½ cups carrots, finely julienned

3‑4 tsp ghee (for the pulao)

2½ pcs onion, sliced (for garnish)

2 cups refined vegetable oil (for deep‑frying onions)

⅓ cup almonds, toasted

⅓ cup sweet apricot kernels, toasted

⅓ cup black raisins

1 tbsp ghee (for garnish)

Method

Bring 8 cups water to a boil, add the mutton pieces, salt, black cardamom, fennel seeds and the chopped onion. Cover and simmer for about 1 hr and  45 min, skimming any scum. Add hot water as needed to keep the meat submerged. When the meat is tender and the broth reduced to about 3‑4 cups, strain and set aside.

In a wok, heat 6‑8 tsp ghee and shallow fry the boiled mutton pieces until browned on all sides. Remove and keep aside.

Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a pan over medium‑high heat. Fry half the sliced onions until golden brown, drain on a paper towel, then repeat with the remaining onions. Set the fried onions (birista) aside.

In a deep, thick‑bottomed pot, heat 3‑4 tsp ghee (or leftover from step 2). Add the julienned carrots and sauté until reduced to about one‑third of their original volume.

Pour in the strained mutton broth (adding hot water if needed to reach 3½ cups). When it simmers, add the washed rice, shah zeera, fried mutton pieces, 1 tbsp fried onion birista and salt to taste. Stir, cover, and cook on medium heat until the water is mostly absorbed and the rice looks wet (5‑8 min).

Seal the lid with wet dough or a heavy weight and cook on very low heat for 10‑15 min. Remove from heat and let rest 15‑20 min.

Fluff the rice with a fork, then mix in the remaining fried onions, toasted almonds, apricot kernels, black raisins and 1 tbsp ghee.

Serve the pulao layered with extra fried onion slivers, nuts and raisins.

Monju Aachar by Anmol Chowdhury

A Kashmiri knol kol/kohlrabi pickle that is prepared around the arrival of winter, and is usually served with steamed rice and fish.

Ingredients

1 kg monju haakh/knol kol/kohlrabi

250 gm mustard oil

3-4 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder

½ tsp Kashmiri ginger powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

3 tbsp coriander seeds

3 tbsp mustard seeds (mix back and yellow as per your wish)

½ tbsp carom seeds

3-4 cloves

5-10 gm asafoetida (mixed in a spoon or two of water, or a large pinch dissolved in water)

Salt

Sterilised glass bottle

Method

Separate the leaves and stalk from the bulb of the knol kol, and retain the fresh leaves. Do not chop them. Peel the outer layer of the bulb only at places where it is thick and fibrous. Cut it into medium to large-sized pieces.

Place a large open vessel on the gas stove and add 1.5 litre of water. Now add one teaspoon of turmeric and half tablespoon salt. Let it come to a roaring boil. Lower the flame and add the leaves and bulbs. Cover and let it blanch for 5-7 minutes.

Strain the knol kol and spread it out on a muslin cloth for it to air dry for 24 hours. Do not keep in direct sunlight as that might discolour the leaves.

Next day, dry roast black mustard seeds, yellow mustard seeds, coriander seeds and carom seeds in a pan and keep aside. Simultaneously, dry roast cumin seeds and fennel seeds together. Keep aside.

Hand pound the two batches of dry roasted spices separately in a mortar and pestle.

Put the air-dried knol kol in a large vessel. Add raw cold pressed mustard oil, red chilli powder, ginger powder, asafoetida water, the pounded spices and salt to taste. Mix gently but thoroughly for about 15-20 minutes.

Cover and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Put the pickle mix in the jar. Top the mixture with a tablespoon of mustard oil and place two to three cloves on top.

Place it in a cool, dry and dark spot for 15-20 days. It should last for over a year in the fridge and around 5 months outside.

Dimasa Berengjiba by Avantika Haflongbar

A bamboo-steamed vegetable and fermented fish preparation that belongs to the dimasa community of the Dima Hasao district in Assam.

Ingredients

1 bunch of lemon basil

2 king chillies

100 gm ginger flowers (optional)

250 gm eggplant

100 gm bitter tomatoes

1 bunch of michinga/Sichuan pepper leaves (substitute with any aromatic citrus leaves)

100 gm long beans

1 banana blossom

2 pieces of fermented dried fish

Salt to taste

1 bamboo tube/hollow (available on Amazon)

Method

Clean and chop all the vegetables, then add them into the bamboo tube.

Add two pieces of fermented dried fish, followed by a little water. The bamboo will release its own moisture and the steam will cook the food. Add salt to taste.

Cover the open end of the bamboo tube with a banana leaf. Place it slanting over the gas stove, not directly in the fire, and rotate it every few minutes with the help of tongs or heat-proof gloves to ensure even cooking. Take extreme care during this process.

Let it cook for about 30 minutes. When you hear a simmering sound and the outside of the bamboo looks slightly charred, it is ready. Let it rest for a moment, then slide out the mixed vegetable stew onto a banana leaf or into a bowl. It will come out smoothly with a smoky, earthy flavour.

To register, visit Instagram/royalenfieldsocialmission.