Binayuk, P. (2017). Netwar Village is just 12 kilometers away from Mori Sankari Village. [Photograph]. Culture Trip. https://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/the-most-beautiful-villages-to-visit-in-uttarkhand-india/.
Uttarakhand, formerly Uttaranchal, is referred to as Dev Bhumi, the Abode of God. It is located in the north west of India bordering Tibet, Nepal, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Uttarakhand is a mountainous part of Himalayas, set between the Kaali river and the Yamuna river. Due to its location in the mountains, few green vegetables can grow there. Instead, the cuisine features root vegetables like potato, radish, garlic, etc. These ingredients are the base of much of the region’s meals. Aloo Mooli Ki Thechwani translates literally to “crushed potato and radish curry”.
Religious tourism for Hindus is a major source of income in Uttarakhand, and vegetarian dishes are common. Haridwar and Rishikesh, two large cities in the region, are important pilgrimage sites for Hindus and contain hundreds of temples and other holy places. Rishikesh is also popular travel destination for those who practice Yoga, or who wish to become yoga teachers. It is known as the place the Beatles visited in 1968 to engage in Transcendental Meditation. If you have ever heard a non-Indian person talk about a life-changing spiritual experience they have had in India, chances are it occurred in Uttarakhand.
Puri, S. Bakhda, B. (2022). [Photograph].
Ingredients:
2 radishes
5 potatoes
1 onion
1 tomato
2 green chili (chopped)
3 dry red chilies
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 cardamom pod
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chili powder
salt to taste
8 garlic
1 inch ginger
1-2 tsp cooking oil or ghee
1/4 cup of water
Instructions:
Boil the potatoes until fork-tender. Once cooled down, peel the potatoes and mash with a potato masher.
Boil radish until soft. Once cooled, mash with potato masher.
Using a food processor, grind together ginger, garlic, green chilies until it becomes a coarse paste.
Heat a pan and add the cooking oil. Add the dry red chilies, cardamom, cumin seeds, and fenugreek seeds. Sauté for a few seconds.
Add in chopped onions and sauté until translucent. Add in the ground mixture. Once onions are soft, add in chopped tomatoes and add salt to taste. Sauté till tomatoes become soft.
Add in the radishes and potatoes to the pan. Mix well with the onion-tomato mixture. Add in red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder.
Add in water and let the Thechwani simmer for 10 minutes. Thechwani should become a bit thicker.
Transfer the Thechwani to a bowl and serve with rice.
Serving Size: 4.