Garhwali Cuisine: Guide To Food From Uttarakhand, India

Garhwali is a region of Uttarakhand – a state in the northern part of India. Uttarakhand is referred to as “Devbhoomi” (land of the God) due to the existence of a significant number of Hindu temples. This state is divided into two regions – Kumaon and Garhwal. 

Garhwal comprises seven regions – Chamoli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Uttarkashi. Garhwal is a land of picturesque landscape, magnificent snow capped himalayan mountain range, impeccable lakes and glaciers. Devprayag of this region is considered as the town of holy confluence as the rivers Bhaghirathi and Alaknanda meet here. Along with the large number of temples in this region , the highly revered Char Dham is located here. It is the highly sacred four Hindu pilgrimage sites and the circuit consists of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. Entire Garhwal region has trekking trails that lead to a spectacular location and it has been an ideal location for trekking, mountaineering, mountain biking and other adventurous activities.

Garhwali and Kumaoni are the regional cuisines of Uttarakhand. The food from this hill state is often referred to as “pahadi”. Dishes from Garhwali cuisine are prepared with locally sourced ingredients and minimal spices. Unlike Maharastrian and Chettinad, this cuisine is not dominated by complex spices. Check out the detailed article about Kumaoni cuisine.

The list of popular Garhwali vegetarian dishes:

Thechwani: A unique curry made by crushing the ingredients using mortar and pestle rather than cutting them. “Thech” means crushing and “wani” means curry.

Garhwal ka Fannah: A staple dish of Garhwal region made of horse gram. Garhwali thali is incomplete without fannah.

Phanu: A lentil curry made of soaked dals and a few essential spices.It goes well with rice and roti. A variety of lentils are used to make this delicious curry.

Chainsoo: A traditional protein rich dish made of roasted and ground black gram dal. It goes well with rice.

Dhapdi: A classic dish made of green leafy vegetables such as spinach, fenugreek leaves and gluten-free chickpea flour. In some parts of Garhwal region it is called Khafuli.

Til ki Chutney:  A classic dish made of sesame seeds, herbs and spices. It goes well as a dip for snacks and as an accompaniment with the main meal.

Arsa:  A traditional sweet dish specifically prepared on special occasions. It is made of rice, mustard oil and sugar.

Roat: Thick sweetened flatbread made of whole wheat flour. 

Jhangora ki Kheer: A rich dessert made of barnyard millet.

Gulgula: An enticing deep fried sweet made of whole wheat flour and jaggery.

Are you looking to expand culinary horizons? Then check Khatiyawadi, Malwa, Awadhi, Malabar, Malnad, Andhra, Odia cuisines. Do like, share this post and let us know in the comments which Indian cuisine you want us to write about next.