A simple breakfast dish, mostly served during festivals, in this, diced potatoes are cooked with dry roasted spices. Usually served with puri (fried bread) and cucumber raita (a side dish of beaten curd). For more details follow: Chef Pawan Bisht    

One of the popular desserts in Uttarakhand this dish is prepared with khoya (milk solid) and coated with small white sugar balls. It's also known as 'chocolate', due to its brownish colour. While it can be tasted all over the state, it's a must have in Almora. A popular saying in Almora goes that this sweet was so popular with children (balak) of the area, that it got the name Bal Mithai.

A tangy and spicy chutney, this dish is prepared by grinding roasted hemp (cannabis) and cumin seeds, and then mixed with salt, lemon or tamarind juice. Garlic leaves are also added sometimes. Had with Rotis, this healthy yet simple side dish is good for stomach ailments, especially in summer. For more details follow: Chef Pawan Bisht

In this unique dish barnyard millet is cooked a little in sour buttermilk, and served with a spicy chutney.

A rich and aromatic lentil dish from Garhwal, this is made with Urad or kali dal. The lentil is  roasted, turned into a paste and then slow-cooked in an iron pot for an earthy flavour.   

Gahat Badi are small deep-fried balls of the local lentil paste, which is used as an ingredient in other gravy-based recipes.

A sweet dish prepared with milk, sugar, and jhangora (local barnyard millet), this is a favourite dessert in Uttarakhand. The rice is soaked for about 30 minutes and added to boiling milk. Sugar is added as per taste. Garnished with cashews and raisins, this rich sweet is delicious.

Kandali saag or stinging nettle leaves also locally known as bicchu ka saag in Uttarakhand, is a wild bushy grass that is high on nutritional value but also itches if touched to bare skin.

A refreshing accompaniment to almost every Uttarakhandi meal, the Kumaoni raita is prepared by adding grated cucumber, mustard seeds, a pinch of turmeric powder, green chillies and coriander, salt and asafoetida to beaten curd.  

This is a type of roti (Indian bread) prepared by stuffing Madua (finger millet) dough into small wheat flour dough balls and then rolling the balls in circles and baking the rotis. Served in Kumaon as well as Garhwal region, this slightly coarse bread is a nutritious meal, generally had with a dollop of ghee (clarified butter) and chutney. The roti is slightly dark brown in colour as the Madua dough is darker.

A healthy and nutritious fern that grows on river banks, lindga is used to make delicious vegetable recipes as well as delectable pickles. It is rich in vitamin A and B complex, iron, copper and a host of minerals that help in help in controlling diabetes and curing skin-related ailments

Mandve or Mandua ki roti in Uttarakhand is the local term used for chapattis made from the flour of the cereal mandua (finger millet). It is mostly consumed during winter.

A delicious dessert made with wheat flour and jaggery, rotna is a dish prepared and served during weddings and festivals.

Small, roti-shaped snacks filled with spicy mashed potato and deep fried. Traditionally, this dish is made and served during special occasions and festivals.

The second most popular sweet of Uttarakhand after Bal Mithai is Singodi, which is prepared from khoya (milk solids), sugar and grated coconut. The sweet, lightly flavoured with cardamom powder, is wrapped in the locally-found molu leaf for shape, aroma, and to keep it fresh for a longer time. Almora's Singodi is iconic. For more details follow: Chef Pawan Bisht

A unique recipe from Kumaon that needs a lot of practice to be cooked, this dish is made with Sisun or Bichhu Ghas (stinging nettle), a thorny plant that causes itching if not handled properly. The leaves of this plant are boiled in hot water, turned into a paste and then cooked with ghee and tomato. The earthy aroma of the dish is unforgettable.

Thichwani is prepared with radish root (pahari mooli having round roots) or potatoes. It's a combination of potatoes and radish that are cooked along with sautéed onions and tomatoes. Traditionally, the radish and potato roots are not cut, but crushed into pieces.

Made from roasted sesame seeds turned into a smooth paste with salt, a touch of sugar and green chilies, this easy chutney recipe is had with almost all meals in Uttarakhand. Sweet and spicy, this refreshing dish has become popular outside the state as well.

Soft and spicy, these golden balls of deep-fried urad dal (a type of lentil) paste is a common snack in Uttarakhand. Have them for breakfast or in evening.

An extremely nutritious variety of lentil, Gahat dal is commonly grown in Uttarakhand. Also known as Kulthi, this superfood helps to prevent and treat kidney stones and also during recovery from diseases like cold and flu. While Gahat ki roti (Indian bread) is a staple at most households, Gahat soup is very popular during winter.

Jhangora, or the indigenous variant of barnyard millet, grows abundantly in the high altitudes of Uttarakhand. A nutritional powerhouse, it has high levels of calcium, iron, protein, minerals and vitamins. It is low in carbohydrates and is gluten-free, and thus, is ideal for those suffering from gluten allergies, diabetes and even heart diseases. It is also known as Sama ka Chawal.

Also known as Ghadwali red rice, Laal Chawal, is a variety of immunity-boosting rice that is organically cultivated in the Purola region of Uttarakhand. The slightly brownish coloured rice is an important source of fibres, minerals and antioxidants, which boost our body's immune capabilities. It can be a perfect substitute for white rice or brown rice.

One of the staples of Uttarakhand's local cuisine, Madua (Mandua) or finger millet is high in nutritionist and can be called a one-meal-grain. Cultivated across the state and even at high altitudes it is high in calcium, fibre, protein, carbohydrate, minerals and iron. Several dishes are made with Mandua pisun or Mandua flour, the commonest being roti (Indian bread).