1. The high-altitude pantry
The botanicals, millets and pulses, and the physics of keeping their flavour
This book takes the ingredients of the Kumaon hills, the lake belt around Bhimtal and Naukuchiatal and the ridges towards Almora, and cooks them in the grammar of other kitchens: the olive oil and herbs of the Mediterranean, the fermented batters of the south, the cumin-and-sesame cooking of Morocco, the quiet whole-spice rice of Awadh, and sweets with the sugar turned down so the grain, milk and fruit can be tasted.
Ingredients of the hills
| Ingredient | What it is | How this book uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Jambu | Dried Himalayan wild chive (Allium species), savoury and garlicky | Tempering herb. It scorches in seconds, so add it to warm, not hot, fat and take the pan off the heat. |
| Faran | A wild hill allium; the name is used for the fresh leaf and bulb of closely related species | Used like spring garlic. If unavailable: garlic chives plus one clove of garlic. |
| Timur | Hill pepper (Zanthoxylum armatum); citrus peel aroma and a numbing tingle | Grind fresh and use sparingly: ¼–½ tsp for four people. |
| Tejpat | Leaf of Cinnamomum tamala; tastes of cassia and clove, not of European bay | The leaf in every khada masala. There is no substitute; cassia bark plus a clove is the nearest. |
| Bhang seeds | Hulled or whole hemp seeds, nutty and oily | Roasted into chutneys and used as a coating. The seeds are an ordinary edible ingredient. |
| Jakhiya | Seed of Cleome viscosa; crackles in hot oil like a small, mustardy cumin | Tempering seed, alone or with mustard. |
| Galgal | Large hill citrus with a thick, aromatic rind and sour juice | Juice for acidity, rind for oils; preserved in salt in the Moroccan chapter. |
| Gandrayan / gandherni | An aromatic hill root or bark flavouring; the name is applied to more than one plant, usually an Angelica | A pinch in braises and stocks. Buy from a source that can tell you what it is, and taste before adding more. |
| Kala jeera | Black cumin of the high Himalaya (Bunium persicum); finer and sweeter than ordinary cumin | Whole, bloomed briefly in fat, in tagines and Awadhi rice. The name is also given to nigella (kalonji) and caraway, which taste different: confirm what you are buying. |
| Mandua, jhangora | Finger millet; barnyard millet | Doughs, fermented batters, porridges and puddings. |
| Bhatt, gahat | Black soybean; horse gram | Braises, hummus, rasam. Both need long soaking and thorough cooking. |
| Buransh | Petals of Rhododendron arboreum | A tart red syrup. Petals only; see the safety note in the sweets chapter. |
| Chulu, akhrot, til | Dried apricots; walnuts; sesame | The sweet, rich and nutty notes across the chapters. |
Flavour physics
Grind late, grind small
The aroma of a spice sits in volatile oils that leave once the seed is broken. Toast whole spices gently, grind them in small batches just before use, and keep the rest whole. Grinding while hot smears the oils into the pan; let the spice cool for a minute first.
Staged spicing
Add flavour in three stages so that depth and brightness both survive: whole spices into warm fat first, for body; ground spices into liquid, never dry fat, to prevent scorching; and a small pinch of fresh-ground aromatics at the very end, off the heat, for the top note. (Some writers give a Sanskrit name to the last stage; this book simply calls it finishing.)
Cook for the boiling point you have
At 95.5 °C, open-pan boiling is gentle and slow. Pulses and tough grains go in the pressure cooker; delicate vegetables are braised covered, low and long; fresh pasta and rice get an extra minute or two. Yeast dough rises faster here than the sea-level recipe says, so use less yeast and watch the dough, not the clock.
Low-heat milling
Whatever the grinder, short bursts keep the temperature down. For batters, grind with cold water so the mixture stays below about 35 °C and the wild yeasts survive to ferment it.
The recipes
Five chapters, each on its own page
2. Mediterranean and alpine
Olive oil, herbs and wild alliums.
3. South Indian ferments
Dosa, uttapam, idli and appam with mandua and jhangora, with sambar, rasam and chutney.
4. Moroccan and Levantine
Cumin, sesame, preserved citrus and slow braises, with three tagines.
5. Awadhi pulaos and biryanis
Minimal spice, whole spices, a freshly ground finish.
Monsoon supper
Gahat rasam · Mandua dosa with bhang and galgal chutney · Cucumber raita · Jhangora kheer
Winter feast
Ras-spiced tagine of roasted roots · Mandua harcha · Awadhi mutton dum biryani · Raita · Truffles
Spring lunch
Focaccia · Jhangora tabbouleh · Gahat hummus with tahini · Faran tagliatelle · Barigoule of hill vegetables