What to eat in Kumaon: nine dishes worth ordering

Kumaoni food is built around what grows at altitude on difficult soil: millets, black soybean, hardy greens and a lot of resourcefulness. Not refined, not rich, and considerably more interesting than the default North Indian menu.

Bhatt ki churkani

Black soybean, roasted and slow-cooked into something between a dal and a stew, thickened with rice flour. Nutty, dark, deeply savoury. If you order one Kumaoni dish, order this.

Aloo ke gutke

Boiled potatoes tossed with dry red chilli, cumin, turmeric and coriander seed, finished with local herbs. Simple and hot, and the first thing out at a Kumaoni meal.

Bhang ki chutney

Roasted hemp seeds ground with lemon and green chilli. No, it does not do anything to you. Tangy and slightly bitter, and it transforms whatever it sits next to.

Madua roti

Finger millet flatbread, dark and denser than wheat, traditionally eaten in winter for the warmth. Eat it with ghee. Also the most nutritious thing on the table by some distance.

Kafuli

Spinach and fenugreek cooked down and thickened with rice paste rather than cream, which keeps it light.

Chainsoo

Roasted and ground black gram, slow-cooked until almost smoky. Heavy and filling. Order it in December, not in May.

Gahat ki dal

Horse gram dal — an acquired taste, and worth acquiring. Earthy and strongly flavoured, considered warming in local practice.

Jhangore ki kheer

Barnyard millet cooked in milk with jaggery. Coarser than a rice kheer and less sweet, which most people prefer once they try it.

Bal mithai

The sweet Kumaon is known for: dark khoya fudge coated in tiny white sugar balls. Looks alarming, tastes like a proper regional sweet. Almora is the traditional source and it travels well.