ON THE TABLE

From saatvik to sinful, these thalis are as varied as Indian culture

I have always been fascinated by the Garhwal hills. But while my visits to Landour and Lansdowne can lead to a thick volume, I had never had a close encounter with the food from the region. In fact, for most of my life, I was under the impression that Maggie noodles and waffles (served in Char Dukan in Landour) were a part of Garhwali cuisine. Thankfully, I am now older and wiser.

Garhwali food, I find, has many links with the cuisine of other hilly regions. The gehat ki dal that I had, for instance, is eaten in the Kumaon hills, as well as in the far-away Darjeeling district. Gehat or kulath is said to be good for the health. If you drink the water the dal is soaked in, it helps your liver as well as deals with any stones that may be lurking suspiciously in your system.