Kangra kitchen secrets

Tikkarani Shailaja Katoch of the Royal Katoch family of Jalandhar shares some age old recipes of special dishes served at weddings

Kangra valley is one of the most picturesque valleys of the lower Himalayas. The valley, sheltered by the sublime Dhauladhar range, is green and luxuriant. Famous for its temples and forts, Kangra town is situated at the confluence of the Baner and the Majhi stream. Dharamshala is full of Buddhist temples whereas ancient Hindu temples like Brajeshwari, Baijnath, Jwalamukhi and Chamunda Devi dot the countryside.

The history of the Kangra valley dates back to the Vedic times, more than 3,500 years ago. Despite political upheavals in the area, the arts and crafts of the region continued to thrive well. Crafts like the exquisitely designed shawls and miniature paintings of this region are internationally appreciated.

The great antiquity of the Kangra Royal family is undoubted, as concluded by Sir A. Conningham (an officer in the British Army) — “The Royal Katoch family of Jalandhar (Kangra) is one of the oldest in India and their genealogy from the time of the founder Susarma Chandra appears to me to have a much stronger claim on our belief, than any of the long strings of names now shown by the more powerful families of the Rajputana.”

The kingdom had three capitals — Multan (presently in Pakistan), Jalandhar (present day Jalandhar, Punjab, India) and Kangra with its ancient fort which is currently the home of the Katoch Dynasty, considered to be one of the oldest surviving royal families of the world. The Katoch dynasty is famous for its patronage of Kangra miniature paintings.

Kangra cuisine The food of Kangra like its culture is homely, rich and intense. The original innovators of food in the Kangra region were a community of Brahmin cooks called bawarchis, commissioned to cook at weddings and special occasions. As per tradition, every village had a bawarchi or boti who at the end of the year would be rewarded a bagful of wheat. Over the years, the community has created a standard repertoire that can be made only at a special function. The preparation for such meals begins a day before because a lot of it involves slow cooking over low heat and elaborate preparations. More importantly, there is a delicacy for every occasion, each boasting of a distinctive style of cooking.

Among festive food, the traditional meal called dham (lunch served in traditional marriages of Himachal Pradesh) finds instant mention. Dham is prepared by botis, who are exclusively Brahmin chefs and have been in the profession for generations.

The utensils used for cooking dishes served during dham are generally made of copper. The preparations for dham begin a night before, and when ready, it is served in courses to people who sit on the floor. Pattals or leaf plates are used to serve the food and the dishes include madra (sepu badi/mukund badi, rajma, etc.), palda (a curd-based dish), mustard-based raita, and meethe chawal (sweet rice) or mithdee (made of boondi, bread crumbs, etc.).

Fried Okra Ingredients Fresh okra, washed and stems removed 300 gm Mustard oil 5 tbsp Panch phoran seeds 1 tsp Asafoetida tsp Coriander powder 2 tsp Turmeric powder 1 tsp Red chilli powder (or to taste) tsp

Method Heat mustard oil to smoking point. Add panch phoran seeds. Cook for 30 seconds till the seeds start crackling. Add asafoetida, coriander, turmeric and chilli powder. Sauté well for a minute or two and add salt. Do not let the masala burn. Add okra and mix well. Cover and cook for 20 minutes till the okra is well cooked and masala is well mixed. Serve hot.

Khatta Ingredients: Coriander powder 4 tbsp Besan 8 tbsp Chilli powder 1 tsp Amchur 1 tbsp Turmeric powder 2 tsp A bunch of cilantro Asafoetida (hing) tsp Cinnamon (dalchini) 1-inch long - 1 Moti elaichi (cardamom) 1 Fenugreek seeds (methi) tsp Water 10 cups Salt to taste

Ingredients for boondi Besan (chick pea flour) 1 cup Turmeric tsp Coriander powder 1 tsp Chilli powder to taste Water cup

Method Boondi: In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients with water. Heat 5-6 cups of mustard oil for frying. Sieve the boondi batter through a sieve with rounded holes and fry till crisp but do not allow it to get brown. Set aside.

Method for gravy Heat 4 tablespoons of mustard oil. Add methi seeds, dalchini, moti eilachi and asafoetida. Combine and add coriander powder, besan, chilli powder, turmeric, amchur powder, salt and mix well. Add 10 cups of water and stir very well, smoothing out any lumps and bubbles. Boil for 15 minutes. Add boondi and boil for five minutes. Take the pot off the fire and set aside as the mixture will thicken. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot with fragrant rice.

Auriya Kaddoo (pumpkin with mustard seeds) Ingredients

Chopped pumpkin 8 cups Mustard oil 2 tbsp Panch phoran 1 tbsp Pinch of asafoetida Bay leaves 2 Whole chilli 2-3 Turmeric 1 tsp Coriander powder 1 tsp Amchur 1 tsp Chopped cilantro 1 cup Black mustard seeds, grounded with 3 tbsp of water 30 gm

Method Heat mustard oil in a pan. Add panch phoran and asafoetida. Add whole chillies and fry. Add chopped pumpkin and mix well. Cook for about 15 minutes until it is soft. Add turmeric and salt to taste. Cook for a few minutes and then add amchur. Mash the pumpkin and take off the heat. Allow it to cool. Add the ground mustard mixture and mix well. Serve warm.

Pahari aloo palda (potatoes in yogurt gravy) Ingredients Potatoes, peeled and chopped into finger fries 3 Onions, sliced 1 cup Black cardamom 1 Cinnamon bark 1 strip Cloves 5-6 Cumin seeds 1 tsp Pinch of hing Raw rice 2 tbsp and green cardamom 3 (grind with 4 tablespoons of water) Yogurt, whisked 6 cups Turmeric tsp Garam masala 1 tsp Coriander powder Ghee 2 tbsp Cilantro for garnish

Method Heat two tablespoons of ghee. Add cardamom, cinnamon bark, cloves, hing and cumin seeds. Add sliced onions. Add coriander powder, turmeric, garam masala and salt. Add potatoes and mix well. Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes till potatoes are almost cooked. Mix the ground rice with the whisked yogurt. Add the yogurt mixture to potatoes and keep stirring on medium heat till the gravy comes to a boil. Let it boil additionally for five minutes. Add salt and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot.

Channa Madra Ingredients Chickpeas, soaked overnight and boiled 3 cups Asafoetida, a pinch Cloves 2-3 Cinnamon (dalchini) 1 stick Black cardamom (moti elaichi) 2 pieces Cumin seeds 1 tsp Coriander powder 2 tsp Turmeric powder 1 tsp Yogurt (beaten till smooth) 2 cups Ghee 2-3 tbsp

Ingredients for rice mixture Raw white rice cup Water 1 cup Green cardamom 1-2 pods

Method Soak cup rice in 1 cup of water and cardamom. Grind this mixture and set aside.

Method Heat mustard oil to smoking point, on medium heat. Add a pinch of asafoetida, cloves, cinnamon stick and black cardamom seeds. Add cumin seeds. Stir for 30 seconds. Add coriander powder and turmeric powder. Stir again for 30 seconds. Add chickpeas and stir well. Add yogurt and keep stirring continuously. Do not stop stirring or the yogurt will curdle. Stir continuously on medium heat for about 10 minutes. When it comes to a boil, add the ground rice/water mixture. Stir the mixture frequently and let it cook for about 20 minutes. Add ghee. Turn the heat on low and cook the madra on slow fire for about 30 minutes stirring until the entire mixture thickens. Add salt to taste and serve hot with white rice.

Kali dal (black lentils) Ingredients Whole or split black lentils (ma ki daal) 1 cup Turmeric 1 tsp Large onions, sliced 2 Medium onions, finely chopped 3 Ginger sliced Mustard oil (can use any oil) 5 tbsp Water 7 cups Cumin seeds 1 tsp Tomatoes pureed with 5-6 cloves of garlic 4 Pinch of asafoetida Coriander powder 2 tsp Dry mango powder (amchur) 1 tsp Chopped cilantro 1 bunch Salt to taste

Method Place the lentils in a pressure cooker with 2 tablespoons of mustard oil, turmeric powder, sliced onions, salt to taste and water. Pressure cook till tender for over 30 minutes. Make sure you have used plenty of water or else the dal will burn in the pressure cooker. When cooked, set aside. Heat 3 tablespoons of mustard oil in a separate pan. Add 3-4 bay leaves, a pinch of asafoetida and cumin seeds and stir for a minute till the cumin seeds start crackling. Add 1 tablespoon of sliced ginger and cook for a minute. Add chopped onions. Fry for about 10 minutes till the onions begin to brown. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, dry mango powder and red chilli powder to taste. Stir for a minute. Add pureed tomato paste. Add salt and cook for about 15 minutes covered. Put the pot of cooked dal again on a medium flame. Add onion and tomato mixture to it and mix well. Let this mixture cook on a very low flame for 30 minutes to an hour. Stir it occasionally. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with white Basmati rice.

Tip: Kali dal always tastes better the day after. The more you let it simmer on a very slow flame, the better it tastes. This dish also freezes very well, so you can make a big pot of it and then freeze the leftovers for future use!