Scrumptious Street Foods of Manali

Chana Madra

The delectable Chana Madra is a creamy yogurt based spicy and tangy chickpea curry originated in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh and relished as a main course of meals. This popular dish is prepared from the overnight water soaked chickpeas initially pressure cooked with little salt and water, fried in mustard oil with Heeng (asafoetida), cumin seeds, crushed cloves, black cardamom, cinnamon etc. seasoned with coriander powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder etc., added with Maida (fine flour) mixed yogurt, rice flour, pure Desi Ghee (clarified butter) and cooked into a curry of thicker consistency. Garnished with diced green coriander leaves, the dish is served hot with Nan or steamed rice.

Sidu

Scrumptious Sidu is a spicy Himachali dish from Kullu Valley. It is a flat bread made from the leavened wheat flour dough rolled into oval shape, seasoned with a pinch of salt, stuffed with the filling of mixture of coarsely grinded boiled green peas, diced green chilies, roasted peanuts, walnuts (Akhrot), ginger, garlic, little sugar etc., added with grated Paneer (Indian cottage cheese), steamed cooked, cut into horizontal pieces and savoured hot with green chutney and lemon wedges.

Bhey

Highly delicious and nutritious Bhey is sure to tickle your taste buds. Prepared from diced lotus stem boiled in water and little salt, stir-fried in oil with diced onions, ginger, garlic etc. seasoned with spices, like- red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and gram flour (Besan) and served hot, this unique dish is highly palatable to relish with Parantha, all types of Indian breads, spicy stew of lentil (Dal) and plain rice.

Babru

Scrumptious Babru is a traditional savoury delicacy from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh and consumed as breakfast or a side dish. This delicious dish is much similar to North Indian Kachori or spicy Puri and is prepared by deep-frying the round-shaped breads of wheat flour stuffed with the filling of coarsely grinded mixture of overnight water soaked whole black gram (Udad Dal) seasoned with little salt. Served hot, delectable Babru is irresistible to try with Himachali Chana Madra, tangy Boondi Raita or spicy curry of vegetables for its savoury flavour.

Tudkiya Bhaat

The lip smacking Tudkiya Bhaat is yet again an authentic Pulao like spicy rice and vegetables dish originated in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. The dish is prepared by frying the rice with diced onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes etc. along with cinnamon sticks, black and green cardamom pods etc. seasoned with regular spices, added with yogurt and served hot with a dash of lemon juice and Maas ki Dal (spicy broth of red lentil (Masoor).

Thupka

Mouth-watering Thupka is a signature Tibetan noodle soup that finds it origin in eastern part of Tibet and northern part of Nepal and quite popular in Himachal Pradesh, Bhutan, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Ladhakh etc. and savoured during lunch or dinner. This traditional dish is prepared from cooked noodles fried in a thick soup with diced onions, string beans, carrot, cabbage, green coriander leaves, green chilies, garlic cloves, Dal water, vegetable broth etc. seasoned with salt, red chili powder, cumin powder, Garam Masala (assortment of several spices) and flavoured with soy sauce. The delicacy is served hot by garnishing with finely cut spring onions.

Dhaam

The sumptuous Dhaam is a mid-day festive meal prepared during festive occasions, like- wedding, thread ceremony etc. and its preparation varies from various regions of Himachal Pradesh. The Kangdi Dhaam is a very typical dish among all. The platter of Dhaam is consisted of a variety of delicious dishes that includes- Maah (black lentils), Madra ( a tangy chickpea curry), Mahni (a sour gravy), plain rice with fried red chilies, Rajma (red kidney beans curry), Mutter Paneer (green peas and cheese curry), Telia Maah (spicy red lentil stew), Khajur ki Kadhi (a dried dates based gravy flavoured with smoked walnut), Sepu Vadi (boiled small white lentil dumplings fried in mustard oil and prepared in a spinach gravy) and sweet rice cooked with sugar, Ghee (clarified butter), saffron strands etc. garnished with dry-fruits.

Mittha

Exotic Mittha is a yet another mouthwatering luscious rice delicacy of Himachal Pradesh made on festivals and marriages and prepared in different ways in various regions of the state. The dish is prepared from the parboiled water soaked rice with green cardamom seeds, cinnamon sticks, cloves etc, cooked on low heat in layers in a pot with a tightly closed lid along with fried cashew nuts, raisins, sugar, sprinkled with saffron milk, Ghee (clarified butter) etc. and served hot.

Kaale Chane Ka Khatta

Delectable Kaale Chane ka Khatta is a traditional silky, spicy and tangy hilly dish originated in Kangra and often served with Madra. It is prepared with overnight water soaked pressure cooked Kala Chana (Bengal Gram) fried with sautéed diced onions, garlic, coriander seeds, fenugreek leaves etc. seasoned with salt, pounded red chilies, cumin powder, turmeric powder, flavoured with little jiggery, dry mango powder etc. added with water and small quantity of rice flour, cooked in a gravy of thick consistency and savoured hot with steamed rice.

Aktori

The drooling Aktori is a traditional sweet dish of Himachal Pradesh made in shape of cakes or pancakes and finds its origin in Spiti of the Lahaul and Spiti Valley and prepared during festivals and marriage ceremonies. This sweet dish is made from the batter of buckwheat flour and wheat flour added with baking Soda and sugar, poured in heated oil and deep-fried in the shape of pancakes. The lip smacking Aktori is served hot by topping with Ghee (clarified butter) and honey and irresistible to try for its heavenly sweet flavour.

These are some of the Scrumptious Street Foods of Manali that can be easily prepared at home and are also available at the nearby street vendors or eateries abundantly. If you wish to know more about such delicacies and locate your nearby joints, download the app right away!