Apart from natural beauty, Himachal Pradesh is also famous for its unique Pahari cuisine which is one of the reasons to love this state. Himachal has a distinctive flavour in dishes as the Himachali people cook the food in traditional ways like on slow flame and use yoghurt in making cuisines. Himachali dishes are more or less influenced by the Tibetan style of food. 

Himachali dishes use spices like red chilli, turmeric, coriander powder, cardamom, and cinnamon to make the food spicy. Pahari people use a lot of dairy products like buttermilk, curd, and ghee to make their food more delicious.

So come let’s know about some of the best, delicious, and finger-licking food of Himachal Pradesh.

Dhaam – Dhaam is the most common and traditional dish prepared at festivals in Himachal Pradesh.  In temples also, Dhaam as a Prasad is given on auspicious occasions. Dhaam is served on leaves’ plate and it consists of rajma, moong dal, rice, curd, mash dal, and boor kikadi. At the end of the Dhaam, a sweet dish in the form of kheer or meetha bhat is also given.

Madra – Madra is the most famous dish of the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. It is made up of special soaked chana known as Kabuli chana. It consists of onions, garlic, ginger, pahadi spices, and a lot of love. It is a curry form dish that includes yogurt in it and adds the taste of madra.

Siddu – Siddu is the famous dish of Kullu Manali, yet known as “Kullvi dish”. Siddu is a kind of bread prepared from wheat flour. It is usually served or eaten with butter, ghee, green chutney, mutton, or dal.

Babru – Babru is a Himachali version of Kachori. It is made of soaked black gram dal paste stuffed in dough patties. Then patties get rolled in a round shape and deep-fry after it. Babru is delicious when eaten with tamarind chutney, ketchup, or sweet and sour imli chutney.

Tudkiya Bhath – Tudkiya Bhath is the specialty of Himachal Pradesh. It is a famous dish of Chamba district and serves at the time of festivals and special occasions. It includes rice, potatoes, onion, garlic, tomatoes, cinnamon, cardamom, yogurt, and lentils. Tudkiya bhath is a pahadi style pulao that best served with mashed dal and few drops of lime juice in it.

Bhey – Bhey is the famous food of Himachal Pradesh prepared with the lotus stems. Thinly sliced lotus stems are cooked with ginger-garlic, onions, and gram flour. Bhey is a flavorful dish that adds unique and great taste to the food.

Khatta – Khatta is a dish prepared with dried out raw mango powder/ amchoor and other spices that are best served with SepuVadi and GucchiMattar. It is a sour traditional Pahari dish served with rice and Madra. 

Aktori – Aktori is a Himachali version type of pancake or cake. It is prepared with buckwheat leaves and then cooked in wheat flour. Aktori is a famous dish of Spiti Valley.

Kullu Trout Fish – Kullu Trout Fish, one of the healthiest dishes of Himachal Pradesh prepared with marinated fish and added Pahari spices to have mouth-watering flavor. It is best served with steam rice and boiled veggies. It is a dish full of nutrients.

GahatKaShorba – GahatkaShorba is a soup that is made from a local grain called Gahat having strong flavors of garlic and coriander. It’s nutritious and healthy soup.

AlooPalda – AlooPalda is famous not only in Himachal Pradesh but in whole North India. It is also known as Pahari style potato curry with curd. In Aloo palda, potatoes are cooked in the curd based gravy to add flavor to it.

AuriyaKaddoo – AuriaKaddoo is the dish that is made of potatoes, pumpkins, and mustard seeds. Its gravy includes dried mango powder that brings pahadi flavor to the dish. In Himachal Pradesh, auriakaddo dish is used as the best way to eat seasonal pumpkins.

Pahadi Chicken – Pahadi Chicken is a lip-smacking dish that is made from chicken cooked with coriander seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, fennel seeds, and onions. It is a dish best served with Jeera Rice, Butter Naan, and pickled onions and gives ravishing taste to the mouth.

ChhaGosht – ChhaGosht is the typical Himachali dish prepared with marinated lamb, and cooked in the gravy of yogurt and gram flour. It consists of Indian spices like red chili powder, cardamom, coriander powder, bay leaf, ginger-garlic paste, and asafoetida.  

Mittha – Mittha is the sweet dish eaten as part of the main course is made up of rice in ghee, mixed with dry fruits like cashew, almonds, raisins, and a drop of saffron color. It is a pahari dish that served at Festivals and household gatherings. 

All these were the famous food of Himachal Pradesh that you can add in your experience whenever you travel to the region. Now, you know what not to miss while traveling to Himachal Pradesh.