Introduction

Hi! I am Ajay Chopra. The first time I made Uttarakhand Thali, I really enjoyed it. Some viewers had asked me to show the food from Uttarakhand, so I thought why not make it at home. I wanted to bring the real taste of the mountains into my kitchen.

This Uttarakhand Thali has many special dishes. It has bhat ki bhatouni, alu-mooli thichoni, red rice, mandua roti, methi palak ka kaph, and jangira kheer. All of these together make a very tasty and healthy meal. Making this thali felt like I was cooking in the mountains myself.

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Bhatt ki Batauani

 

Ingredients:

For roasting:

• Ghee – 1 tsp
• Black soybean – 1½ cup

For making dal:

• Ghee – 1 tbsp
• Jeera – 1 tsp
• Hing – ½ tsp
• Dry red chilli – 1 pc
• Onion, chopped – 2 pcs
• Tomato, chopped – 2 pcs
• Green chilli, slit – 2 pcs
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Garam masala – ½ tsp
• Crushed black soybeans – as prepared
• Water – as required
• Salt – 1 tsp

 

Method:

Step 1: Roast Black Soybeans

Heat ghee in a pan and add the black soybeans. Roast them on medium heat until they turn aromatic and slightly darker. Remove from the pan and crush them coarsely using a mortar or grinder. Keep the crushed bhatt aside.

Step 2: Cook Dal

In another pan, heat ghee and add cumin. Let it splutter, then add hing and a whole dry red chilli. Add the chopped onions and sauté until they turn golden. Add chopped tomatoes and slit green chillies, cooking until the tomatoes soften. Mix in turmeric and garam masala and cook briefly. Add the crushed roasted black soybeans and stir well so they absorb the masala. Pour enough water to achieve a thick dal-like consistency. Add salt and let the mixture simmer on low heat until the soybeans soften and the flavours come together.

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Aloo & Mooli Thechwani

 

Ingredients:

For pounding:

• Mooli – 1 pc
• Baby potatoes – 7-8 pcs

For making Thechwani:

• Mustard oil – 2-3 tbsp
• Hing – 1 tsp
• Dry red chilli – 1 pc
• Jakhya – ½ tsp
• Jeera – 1 tsp
• Onion, chopped – 2 pcs
• Tomato, chopped – 2 pcs
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Garam masala – ½ tsp
• Pounded mooli & baby potatoes – as prepared
• Water – as required
• Green chilli, slit – 2 pcs
• Coriander, chopped – 1 tbsp

 

Method:

Step 1: Pound Vegetables

Peel the mooli and pound it coarsely using a mortar and pestle. Lightly crush the baby potatoes as well, keeping them in rough chunks. Set both aside.

Step 2: Cook Thechwani

Heat mustard oil in a pan until it reaches smoking point, then reduce the flame. Add hing, dry red chilli, jakhya, and cumin. Let them crackle. Add the chopped onions and sauté until lightly golden. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they soften. Mix in salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, and garam masala. Cook until the masala releases oil. Add the pounded mooli and crushed baby potatoes. Mix well so they absorb the masala. Pour in enough water to create a thick curry. Add slit green chillies and let the thechwani simmer on medium heat until the potatoes soften and the flavours deepen.

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Methi Palak ka Kapa

 

Ingredients:

 

For blanching:

• Water – as required
• Salt – 1 tsp

For puree:

• Palak – 1 bunch
• Methi – 1 bunch

For chopping:

• Palak – ½ bunch
• Methi – ½ bunch

For making Kapa:

• Mustard oil – 2 tbsp
• Jakiya seeds – ½ tbsp
• Garlic, chopped – 1 tbsp
• Green chilli, chopped – ½ tbsp
• Dry red chilli – 2 pcs
• Chopped Methi & Palak – as prepared
• Salt – ½ tsp
• Methi palak puree – as prepared
• Spring onion, chopped – ½ cup
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

 

Method:

Step 1: Blanch and Puree Greens

Bring water to a boil with a little salt and blanch the palak and methi briefly until they soften. Drain and immediately cool them in cold water to retain the green colour. Blend the blanched greens into a smooth puree and keep aside. Separately, finely chop the remaining palak and methi.

Step 2: Cook Kapa

Heat mustard oil in a pan until it reaches smoking point, then lower the flame. Add jakiya seeds and let them crackle. Add chopped garlic, chopped green chilli, and dry red chillies, sautéing until aromatic. Add the chopped methi and palak and cook until they shrink and release their moisture. Pour in the methi–palak puree and mix well. Add salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and turmeric. Cook the mixture on medium heat until it thickens and the rawness of the puree disappears. Add chopped spring onions and simmer for a few more minutes.

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Jakhya Pulav

 

Ingredients:

• Ghee – 1 tbsp
• Jakhya seeds – 1 tsp
• Washed red rice – 2 cups
• Water – 2 cups or as required

 

Method:

Step 1: Cook Pulav

Heat ghee in a pan and let it melt gently. Add jakhya seeds and allow them to crackle and release their aroma. Add the washed red rice and sauté it lightly in the ghee so each grain gets coated and toasts slightly. Pour in water as required for cooking and add salt if desired. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the flame, cover, and let the pulav cook on low heat until the rice becomes soft and fluffy. Rest it for a few minutes before serving.

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Mandua ki Roti

 

Ingredients:

• Ragi flour – 3 cups
• Wheat flour – 1 cup
• Salt – ½ tsp
• Hot water – as required
• Ghee – as required

 

Method:

Step 1: Prepare Dough

In a bowl, combine ragi flour, wheat flour, and salt. Heat water until very hot but not boiling. Gradually pour the hot water into the flour mixture and mix with a spoon at first. Once it cools slightly, knead with your hands until a soft, smooth dough forms. Rest the dough for a few minutes.

Step 2: Cook Roti

Divide the dough into small balls. Dust with a little flour and roll each ball gently into a thick roti. Heat a tawa and place the roti on it. Cook on medium heat, flipping until both sides develop brown spots. Apply ghee on top while hot.

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Jhangore ki Kheer

 

Ingredients:

For blanching:

• Water – as required
• Jhangora – 1 cup

For cooking milk:

• Milk – 750 ml

For cooking kheer:

• Ghee – 2 tbsp
• Blanched Jhangora – as prepared
• Cashew nuts, chopped – 2 tbsp
• Almonds, chopped – 2 tbsp
• Reduced milk – as prepared
• Sugar – ¾ cup
• Green cardamom powder – 1 tsp

 

Method:

Step 1: Blanch Jhangora

Boil water in a pot and add the jhangora. Blanch it for a few minutes until it softens slightly, then strain and keep aside.

Step 2: Reduce Milk

In another pan, bring the milk to a gentle boil and let it reduce on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking.

Step 3: Cook Kheer

Heat ghee in a heavy pan and add the blanched jhangora. Sauté it lightly so it becomes fragrant and absorbs the ghee. Add chopped cashews and almonds and cook briefly. Pour the reduced milk into the pan and mix well. Let the mixture simmer on low heat so the jhangora cooks fully and the kheer thickens naturally. Add sugar and stir until it dissolves completely. Sprinkle green cardamom powder and cook for a few more minutes until the kheer becomes creamy and smooth. Serve warm or chilled.

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About the Recipe

Uttarakhand Thali is a traditional and healthy meal. Bhat ki bhatouni is a special dal. The dal is roasted first and then crushed. This gives it a nice nutty smell and flavor.

Alu-mooli thichoni is a simple potato and radish dish. The vegetables are crushed lightly and cooked with mustard oil and spices like jakhia. It makes a tasty and slightly crunchy gravy.

Methi palak ka kaph is a green vegetable dish. Spinach and fenugreek are boiled and chopped, then cooked in mustard oil with garlic, green chilies, and jakhia seeds. This keeps the color bright and taste fresh.

Red rice is cooked with a tadka of jakhia seeds and ghee, which makes it fragrant. Mandua roti is soft and healthy. Jangira kheer is a sweet dish made from roasted millet cooked in milk with nuts and sugar. Each dish in Uttarakhand Thali is simple but full of flavor.

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Cooking Tips

• Roast the dal before crushing it to get a nice aroma and flavor.
• Crush the potatoes and radish lightly and sprinkle a little water to make a good gravy for alu-mooli thichoni.
• Blanch spinach and fenugreek in cold water to keep the green color fresh for kaph.
• Knead mandua roti with hot water to make it soft.
• Reduce milk slightly before making jangira kheer to make it creamy.

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Pairing Guide

Uttarakhand Thali is best eaten with hands. Serve it with red rice, bhat ki bhatouni, and alu-mooli thichoni.

Mandua roti and methi palak kaph go well with the thali. Jangira kheer is a sweet finish that completes the meal.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Uttarakhand Thali? Uttarakhand Thali is a traditional meal from the mountains. It has bhat ki bhatouni, alu-mooli thichoni, red rice, mandua roti, methi palak ka kaph, and jangira kheer.
2. What is bhat ki bhatouni? Bhat ki bhatouni is a roasted dal dish. The dal is roasted, then crushed and cooked with spices for a nutty flavor.
3. What is alu-mooli thichoni? Alu-mooli thichoni is a potato and radish dish. The vegetables are lightly crushed and cooked with mustard oil and spices.
4. What is methi palak ka kaph? Methi palak ka kaph is a green vegetable dish made from spinach and fenugreek. It is cooked in mustard oil with garlic and spices.
5. What type of rice is used in Uttarakhand Thali? Red rice is used. It is soaked and cooked with a tadka of jakhia seeds and ghee for flavor.
6. What is mandua roti? Mandua roti is a soft flatbread made from ragi (mandua) flour mixed with normal flour. Hot water is used to make it soft.
7. What is jangira kheer? Jangira kheer is a sweet dish made from roasted millet cooked in milk with nuts, sugar, and cardamom. It is creamy and lightly sweet.
8. Can I make Uttarakhand Thali at home? Yes, you can make Uttarakhand Thali at home using simple ingredients. Some special ingredients like jakhia can be bought online if not available locally.
9. How long does it take to make Uttarakhand Thali? It takes some time because each dish like bhat ki bhatouni or kaph needs roasting, boiling, or simmering to get the authentic flavor.
10. Is Uttarakhand Thali healthy? Yes, it is very healthy. It uses whole grains, fresh vegetables, pulses, and mustard oil, giving a balanced and nutritious meal.

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