“Not all those who wander are lost”: J R R Tolkien
There are many ways one can find peace and do meditation. Some people do physical exercises to stay fit, some do yoga. Reading books gives to some people while others listen to music for the same. For some people, being a wanderer is the ultimate way of meditation and finding peace. And if you are a master of taste, travelling to places in search of great food is a great way of finding ‘moksh’.
Fascinating story of food across India
During my father’s government job tenure, he was transferred to several places across India. I was lucky enough to see such places which are not much disturbed by human intervention and tried some local food of that places. To start with, I would like to talk about ‘Heaven on Earth’. Yes, exactly, Kashmir. The crown of India is famous for its scenic and natural beauty. Apart from this, authentic Kashmiri cuisine is equal heaven for food lovers.
The cold climate of the place welcomes its lover with a light and refreshing local tea ‘Kehwa’. It’s a tea made of kehwa tea leaves, which is boiled in water, with a little bit of sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom and a pinch of saffron. Crushed almonds are added before serving. This is best suited according to the cold climate of the area. There are many places in the whole Kashmir Valley that serve this tea.
After refreshing Kehwa, one must try ‘Wazwan’ the main course authentic Kashmir meal. ‘Gustaba’, the meatballs are a must-try one for all food lovers. It can be eaten with place boiled rice. Shamiana restaurant at Dal gate road in Srinagar is a good place to try this meal. Also, one must try the Lotus stem yakhni, ‘Nadru Ki Yakhni’. It’s a thin yoghurt gravy which is made with whole spices and mustard oil. This also tastes good with rice.
As we move a little down from Kashmir valley, Ramban, a place on Jammu-Srinagar national highway is heaven for ‘rajma’ lovers in India. The local rajma of this place has a different taste. It is served with boiled rice, anaardana (pomegranate) chutney, pickle and onions. With the flowing desi-ghee on top, it tastes even more delicious. And for all the passers-by, this meal is just like ‘moksha’ on their journey.
Himachal Pradesh’s delicious local food
As we move further down to Himachal Pradesh, it is known for its local food ‘dham’. It is a delicacy that is served on all auspicious days like marriages, functions, and even after pooja like ‘langar’ or ‘Bhandara’. It includes dishes like makhani dal, chole, a vegetable dish made of pumpkin, a paneer dish, rajma, and black chana & ends with a sweet dish made of rice mixed with dry fruits and saffron called sweet rice. Al the districts of Himachal Pradesh serve dham with one or two different dishes of their area.
Along with dham, Kullu district also serves ‘Siddu’, a dish made of rice dough. After rolling the dough, it is stuffed with spices and then steamed for cooking. It is also served with different types of chutneys.
All the places in Jammu-Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, that have an influence of Buddhist culture serve mouth-watering ‘Momos’. We can eat anywhere in India, but the taste that we get here is unmatchable. The hot-spicy chutney served here can make you sweat even in chilling winters.
As we move down from Himachal Pradesh, the Land of five rivers welcomes us with ‘Sarso ka Saag and Makke ki roti’. ‘Sarso ka saag’ is made from mustard plant leaves along with other leaves like spinach (palak) etc. These are boiled with lots of ginger, garlic and some spices.
Then the boiled leaves are mashed and sauté with cumin seeds in desi ghee and lots of onions. It is served with bread that is made grinded corn topped with local white butter. It tastes even more delicious when we have ‘lassi’ along with this. The purity with which these dishes are made makes them even more delicious. And when you have eaten so much, you require something to digest them, and a piece of jaggery (‘gud’) is just too good.
Delhi & Lucknow’s sizzling food
On reaching further down, we reach the National Capital Region, Delhi. Here we have numerous options to eat whatever we want. For non-veg lovers, Aslam’s chicken point in Old-delhi’s Jama Masjid market is a one-stop place for them. It serves several chicken and mutton dishes.
On reaching ‘the city-of-Nawabs’ Lucknow, we can just think of ‘Galauti Kabab’ of Tundey Kababi’. And how can we not think of mouth-watering biryani? Galauti kabab is made of minced mutton with some spices and pan-fried on low flames in big pans. It is served with ‘roomali roti’, onion rings, and green mint chutney.
Further down, the street food of Prayagraj and Benaras have no match at all. You can eat all day and still, you would miss out on some dishes here. And the best part is, that it would not be heavy on our pockets. The ‘chaats’ of these streets have no counterparts. And you must end our meal with ‘paan’ of Benaras.
India, a land of diverse cultures, gives us immense options of food from North to South, and East to West. We should be proud of our culture.
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