Words from the North Indian mountains
Garhwal, Kumaon and Himachal each have their own mountain tongues, close to one another and sharing their kitchen words. They are rarely written down – so the names appear here in the form in which they are spoken.
How to read it
- th, kh, ph, chh
- Single aspirated sounds, not f or sh: „thukpa“ is a t with breath behind it, „phaksha“ a p with breath.
- ch
- Like ch in „church“: „chainsoo“ is „chain-soo“.
- ke, ki
- The linking word „of“ in the middle of a name: Aloo Ke Gutke are „gutke of potatoes“.
- Mountain tongues
- Garhwali, Kumaoni and Himachali – all three are mostly spoken and only rarely written.
At the restaurant
| Bergsprachen | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pailag | pie-lag | The greeting to elders in Kumaon, literally „at your feet“. The answer is a blessing. |
| namaskar | na-mas-kar | The general greeting, in the mountains too – understood by everyone. |
| kitna hua? | kit-na hoo-a | How much is it? Hindi, and understood in every mountain town. |
| bahut swadisht | ba-hoot swa-disht | Very tasty. |
| dhanyavad | dhan-ya-vahd | Thank you. |
What grows in the field
| Bergsprachen | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bhatt | bhutt | The mountains' black soybean, small and hard. Bhatt Ki Churkani is the thick soup made from it. |
| jhangora | jan-goh-ra | A millet of the middle altitudes. Jhangora Ki Kheer is the milk pudding made from it – it has nothing to do with rice except how it is cooked. |
| fapar | fah-par | Buckwheat, which still grows where grain gives up. It becomes porridge, flatbread and noodles. |
| jakhiya | ja-khee-ya | Tiny seeds of a wild herb that crackle in hot oil like mustard seed but taste nutty. The signature of Garhwali cooking. |
Dishes
| Bergsprachen | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| gutke | goot-keh | Diced mountain potatoes fried in mustard oil with dried coriander. Kumaon's everyday dish. |
| chainsoo | chain-soo | Roasted and ground urad dal, cooked dark and smoky. The flavour comes from the roasting, not from spices. |
| kafuli | ka-foo-lee | A purée of spinach and fenugreek bound with rice flour. Garhwal's green main dish, not a side. |
| madra | mahd-ra | Chickpeas slowly braised in yoghurt. Part of the Dhaam, Himachal's festive meal served in courses on leaves. |
| siddu | sid-doo | A steamed yeast-dough parcel filled with walnut or poppy seed, eaten with ghee. Winter food of the upper valleys. |
| babru | bahb-roo | A stuffed mountain bread with black urad dal inside, baked in the pan. |
| chilra | chil-ra | A fermented buckwheat flatbread, thin and tangy. The batter stands overnight, and that is what makes it. |