A Traveler’s Food Diary: Kumaoni Cuisine at Munsiyari

I had been planning to visit Munsiyari in Uttarakhand for quite some time. A few years back we had traveled up to Chaukori but could not continue on to Munsiyari due to bad roads and landslides. As the sleepy hamlet in the heartlands of Kumaon is known for its scenic view of the Panchachuli peaks, a repeat trip was planned just to visit this place.

The Sleepy Town of Munsiyari

We had hired a Mahindra Scorpio from Haldwani, and the driver was a young lad named Chandra Prakash.  On the long journey, we had to stop at a number of places for food, and I noticed that Chandu was a food lover, and his choices for roadside pit stops were immaculate. Over some hot aloo paratha and dahi during breakfast Chandu told me about Chachiji’s Mutton Curry, very popular at Munsiyari with both travelers and drivers. He told me that the mutton curry was prepared with khade masala or whole spices in typical Kumaoni style.

Khade Masale KI Mutton Curry

After an overnight stay at Chaukori and a rough journey, we reached Munsiyari around noon on the second day. We were famished and I told Chandu to take us straight to Chachiji’s place to try out her mutton. A small and dark place next to Munsiyari Bus Stand, it had three tables, and could barely seat twelve people.

The Mutton Thali

Soon we were served a hot thali of rice with a bowl of mutton curry and a little bit of local saag. A runny gravy (they call it soup here), the curry here had simple flavours of turmeric, chillies, garlic and the mustard oil in which it was prepared, and the lamb pieces were slightly tougher than we normally like in the plains. We were told that Kumaon boasts of some flavourful local turmeric which gives a special taste to the curry here. The side dish of leafy vegetables also had a rustic aroma from the mustard oil. The entire meal with ample mutton cost us Rs 110 per head, and we made up our mind to come back for some more food here.

Chachiji in front of her shop

Bhang Ki Chutney

A friend back in Hyderabad had told us that Bhang Ki Chutney is a must-have dish in Kumaon. I asked Chachiji about this and she agreed to prepare it the next day. Next afternoon along with lunch, we tried the Bhang ki Chutney with rice and some onion. The chutney is made by roasting the seeds of the hemp plant, crushing it and then preparing a thick paste with onions, coriander leaves, green chillies and a dash of lime. The chutney had an earthy taste, and I was told that this was a food for cold climates as it heated up the body.

Some pics of Kumaoni Dishes at the Tribal Museum

In the evening, we visited the local Tribal Heritage Museum, a collection painstakingly assembled by Dr. S S Pangtey, an erudite person with deep knowledge about history of Kumaon. There was a section in the museum about Kumaoni food with photos of Kumaoni delicacies like Dubka, Madua Ke Roti, and Thathani.

Some Grains and Cereals of Kumaon displayed at the Tribal Museum

We had a discussion with Masterji (as Dr. Pangtey is known locally), and he explained that rice is the staple carb in the Kumaon belt though roti prepared from gehu (wheat) or mandua (ragi) is fairly popular too. Potatoes and soybeans are popular vegetarian dishes cooked with local herbs. Gahat and Bhatt are local beans which are used to prepare a lot of dishes like Churkhani or Dubke. As there is a lot of cattle grazing in the area, mutton is by far the most popular meat, usually cooked in whole spices and local herbs. When I told him that I was curious to try the local cuisine, and he gave me the phone number of Mallika Virdi.

The Homestay of Kheela Tolia at  Upper Sarmoli

Mallika works with the villagers around Munsiyari and helps them to run a cluster of homestays in and around the town. She was very receptive to my idea of trying out Kumaoni cuisine and arranged a meal in one of the homestays. We traveled to Malla Sarmoli, a village near Munsiyari to visit the house of Kheela Tolia. Kheela along with her husband has rooms in her Kumaoni home converted into a homestay. The rooms are available at Rs 1000 per day and the guests can enjoy Pahadi hospitality with local Bhutia meals. However, since we had put up in a hotel in Munsiyari, we just visited them for lunch.

The Kumaoni Thali at the Homestay

The lunch was a simple affair with few items, but each of the preparations was food for the soul. There was Malka dal (masoor) served with a tadka of jeera and a local dried herb called Jimbu. Jimbu is only grown in the hilly tracts of Uttarakhand and Nepal, and this house had a small garden where it was cultivated. It has a distinctive flavour akin to garlic. The vegetables served were Rai Ki Sabji a preparation of mustard leaves with salt and green chillies. There was a potato preparation with beans and of course Bhang Ki Chutney. We were told that this version of the chutney uses mint apart from the other usual ingredients. The staples served were rice and gehu ki roti.

The Herbs from the Homestay Garden: Tyamur and Jimbu

The garden of this homestay also cultivated Tyamur, a local peppercorn. With a lot of medicinal qualities, this is used to prepare Tyamur Ki Soup, which is another mainstay for the winter. After the delightful lunch, we had a quick primer on some local spices and herbs before saying goodbye to the family.

Singodi

Any cuisine in India has its favorite sweets. The most famous preparation in Kumaon is Singodi, a mewa based sweet wrapped in local leaves. It tasted somewhat like Kalakand to me. Bal Mithai, another milk based sweet coated with tiny sugar balls is another popular mithai in this belt.
Munsiyari is located in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, a serene place with a spectacular view of the Himalayas. The earthy food here with uncommon spices played a perfect foil to the scenery, resulting in an unforgettable experience.

Useful information:

Munsiyari is around 300 km away from Haldwani and Nainital.  You can stay in Hotel Vijay Mount View (05961-222123) where you can get a fantastic view of the peaks from your room. The phone number of our driver Chandu is 9761935850. For Kumaoni homestays or food, you can contact Mallika Virdi at 9411194041 or Kheela Tolia at 9568638795. Chachiji’s Mutton Curry is available in her small single-room outlet at Munsiyari bus stand near Hayat Paradise Guest House.

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Quick Bytes: Hotel Subhani, the Biryani Paradise of Guntur

I was on a trip to Tenali to visit my friend, and he insisted on taking me to this biryani joint in Guntur about 30 kilometers off. He also advised that we go early in the day as the biryani here gets over very fast. So, without much ado, we drove down to Hotel Subhani by noon.

The Hotel with its Haleem Counter in front

Hotel Subhani is a shack type of restaurant bang opposite the ITC factory in Guntur. As you approach the place you can see a small crowd gathering and a large number of bikes and cars packed all over. On entering, it seemed to me that I have entered a busy market. A space having seating capacity for around hundred people was choc-a-block, and another hundred customers were standing and eating biryani. More people were outside either trying to get in or crowding the haleem stall under the hot sun.  Five staff members were pouring out biryani continuously from a huge handi, and a waiter passed by me carrying around ten plates of mutton kabab. The whole place basked in the aroma of non-vegetarian food, and the foodie in me was transported to a different world.

Khichri with Chicken Fry

The next task here was getting a seat. We elbowed our way to a table and waited patiently till people finished their biryani. Yes, you cannot wait here for three seats to be vacant, you need to grab each of them as they come.

Mutton Biryani

The Mutton Biryani (Rs 240) was served in no time. It was a dum biryani but much less spicy than its Hyderabadi counterpart. However, their proprietary masalas gave a very different flavour. On the table, there were three containers with salan, raita, and their famous Gongura Chutney.  I just needed the thick chutney to go with the biryani, and it was polished off in no time. The mutton was well cooked and it easily came off from the bones.

Gongura Chutney

Next came their signature dish Khichri (a variant of biryani rice) with Mutton Kabab (Rs 120). The kabab was essentially fried boneless pieces of mutton again marinated in a proprietary masala. My friends told me that khichdi here sells at the rate of five plates a minute. In the background, I heard a waiter screaming that mutton biryani is over, and now the people would have to do just with the chicken variant. By the way, Mutton Biryani is only available on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Mutton Kabab

We met the owner of this place, Mr. Subhani. He told me that he had started this place about ten years back, and today he has people from Tenali, Guntur and Vijaywada driving down all the way to have lunch here.  Apart from biryani, khichdi and mutton fry, the fast moving items here are Chicken Curry, and Chicken Fry. Other delicacies from Andhra Muslim cuisine like Bheja and Gurda are also served.

Chicken Curry

Chicken Fry

Mr. Subhani wanted us to try out their Haleem. He told me that he has started serving haleem regularly and plan to do it throughout the year. Being from Hyderabad, I was not very enthusiastic initially and agreed to taste a bit. However, the haleem turned out to be on par with the best places in Hyderabad, and I ended up finishing the whole plate (Rs 100). The owner recalled that Aditya Bal of NDTV recently visited them for a shoot. The crowd outside had actually increased by now and people were jostling to get in. We thanked the staff and left.

Haleem

Mr. Subhani

This place is not to be missed for any food lover visiting Guntur, Tenali or Vijaywada. A great place for trying out authentic Andhra Muslim cuisine.

Location:
Hotel Subhani
Opp ITC
GT Road
Guntur
Telephone: 9949401404

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Quick Bytes: Alhumdulillah and beyond at Nampally

Tucked in the bylanes behind Niloufer Hospital at Nampally is a heaven for beef eaters. Many people in Hyderabad actually believe that the quest for Hyderabadi food is not complete without a visit to Alhumdulillah.

Tala Hua Gosht at Alhamdulillah

The restaurant is very unpretentious – if you are a stickler for cleanliness, this is not the place to go. But once you tuck into their Tala Hua Gosht, you just forget about all these. Tala Hua Gosht is essentially a Hyderabadi stir fried meat with abundant masala and green chilllies. The masala sticks to the soft meat and makes a delightful combination with the roomali rotis.

The Seekh Kabab here is another dish not to be missed. Served with cut onions and the brown chutney, these kababs are a bit on the drier side, but they find their perfect foil in the warqi paratha. The seekh kababs are prepared right in front of the hotel, and you can see a small crowd eagerly waiting for these.

Seekh Kababs being prepared

Alhumdulillah also serves a pretty decent Beef Biryani at an unbelievable price of Rs 90. One very important thing to remember at this place is that all the items which are mentioned under mutton in the menu are actually beef. For people who avoid beef for religious or other reasons, they have a list of chicken based items – but frankly this place is not known for these. The restaurant is open till 4 am at night, thus providing a good option for late night hunger pangs.

Seekh Kababs

Beef Biryani

Bang opposite the main hotel, there is a small place named “Alhumdulillah Chatpat”. This joint specializes in Lukmis, the square shaped Hyderabadi snack stuffed with meat. They are made right in front of you, and one likes the fresh snack, though a little bit of extra filling would have done it a lot of good.

Lukmis

The Shammi Kababs here are soft and delicious and for me the chutney here tasted even better than Alhumdilullah.

Shammi Kababs

As you proceed about hundred metres from here to the left, you reach Feel In Saudia, one of the oldest shawarma joints. Beef Shawarma here, priced at Rs 75, is really big, a couple of them will be sufficient for dinner. The shawarmas are in soft breads which look like subs, and the stuffed with beef, cabbage and cucumber and mayo. They are served on a newspaper piece instead of a plate, but the taste makes up for all that.

This is a very small place with hardly any seating, but there is always a large crowd outside standing and enjoying the food. One bite into the soft bread, you get the taste of the beef stuffing, and you cannot just stop munching on.

All the food outlets are located very close to Tekki Masjid, Nampally. Ask for Alhumdulillah, and anyone will direct you to the place.

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Street Food Around The Charminar, Hyderabad

Charminar is to Hyderabad is what Taj Mahal is to Agra – the symbol of the city. It is also one of the prime shopping areas of Hyderabad – from morning to night, you have a sea of humanity moving around in the roads meshing seamlessly with buses, autos, bikes and cows. It is but natural that some irresistible street food is available in this area to cater to the huge number of food-loving pedestrians. Places are not far from each other, which makes this an ideal place for a street food walk.

Nimra Cafe - Chai and Osmania Biscuits. Photo courtesy: Harshit Jain

I was told that the guests of Nizam staying at Chowmahalla Palace used to enjoy a cup of tea with Osmania biscuits (another royal legacy named after Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan) looking at the awesome view of Charminar. For lesser mortals like us who may not have that opportunity, Nimra Café provides an alternative. Situated right in front of Charminar, next to Mecca Masjid they serve some delicious Osmania biscuits along with Irani tea.  Enjoy the majestic view of Charminar from a close range while sipping the tea.

Govind Bandi and the dosa

Early in the morning, food lovers from across the city head across to Govind’s Bandi close by. Situated near a Kaman (for non-Hyderabadis: Kaman means the arches built on the road) in a lane next to Gulzar House, Govind serves one of the best butter dosas of Hyderabad.  People also gorge on his butter idlis and tawa idlis.  Bulk orders come flying in and vary a lot from person to person with demands such as double butter, cheese, or more tomatoes. Your stop here may take some time especially on a Sunday morning.

Kesar Pista Lassi at Agra Mithai Ghar

Very close to Govind is Agra Mithai Ghar, which is known for its sweets and lassis. Apart from the sweets they also serve a variety of namkeen items from up North, the Ghee Puri Sabji being the most popular, the puri here is actually fried in ghee. Their Malai and Kesar Pista Lassi are famous in the area. Ravi Bandi opposite Agra Mithai Ghar is not so well known as Govind - but many of the street food enthusiasts swear by his dosas and butter idlis.

Special Lassi at Matwale Doodh Ghar

But for the lassi lovers a better place to visit is Matwale Doodh Ghar ahead of Mecca Masjid close to Pista House. A small shop specializing in milk based items, they are known for their Falooda too. But the special lassi has malai and syrup in it and two large glasses can be a meal in itself. Someone told me that the filmstar Rana Daggubati is a regular at this place.

Kachoris and Jalebis at Rajasthan Jalebi and Namkeen

Lined up opposite High Court are three stalls all named Rajasthani Jalebi and Namkins. They excel in making quality kachories and samosas served with an orange coloured chutney and sautéed green chillies. The jalebis and imarties (known as Jahangiris in Hyderabad) are not to be missed too.

Sheermal dunked in Nihari at Shadab

But how can the street food in this area be only vegetarian! Though an iconic restaurant, Shadab serves one of the best non-vegetarian breakfasts in Hyderabad at street food prices. Their nihari and paya are legendary. For people who want a cheaper fare, they can just have the sherwa. Buy some Hyderabadi sheermal/roti naan from shops nearby and dunk it in the nihari – it will taste heavenly. On Sunday they make chicken nihari. And then there are the signature breakfasts available in an irani café – gurda bhaji and kheema roti.

Akbar's famous Chicken 65

In the evenings, a number of street food stalls open up to sell non-veg snacks. Akbar Food Corner next to Mecca Masjid serves one of the best Chicken 65 in town. The chicken is served with Warqi paratha and a red colored chutney.  You have the option of trying it out in the dark dining room or carry a parcel from the parcel counter.

Beef Seekh Kababs at Kabab-E-Jahangiri

For the best quality beef seekh kababs and boti kababs try Kabab-E-Jahangiri centre near Machli Kaman, which is between Madina and Gulzar House. Here again try the warqi parathas with it. The sad part is that the kababs often get over in early evenings due to the rush. If you are not a beef eater Hotel Shehran next door serves the mutton version of seekh kababs.

The places above are just the tip of the iceberg. Apart from these more popular places, the bylanes of Charminar have many more places to satiate our love for street food. The places may be nondescript, but some of them dish out the best street food in the city. So, walk leisurely, be on a discovery mode and try out street food that look good to you.

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