Mandi travel guide

Dham (festive meal)

Himachal Pradesh's ceremonial feast cooked only by trained Botis—the complete dham includes madra, rajma, sweet rice, black lentil and curd; served on specific auspicious festivals and weddings; each region's dham has a unique spice mastery that non-Botis cannot replicate

Sidu

Kullu Valley's unique steamed wheat bread—leavened with Cannabis sativa wild yeast, stuffed with poppy seeds, walnuts and ghee; baked in a covered pan; soft, heavy and nutty; a Kullu Valley staple that hosts take great pride in making for guests

Pahadi cuisine

Hill community cooking across the Himalayas—each HP and UK district has its version; heavy on lentils, seasonal greens, wheat and dairy; the shared identity is forest-sourced ingredients, slow cooking in brass vessels and the absence of modern processed ingredients

Kullu trout

The specific rainbow trout of Kullu Valley's Beas River tributaries—clear, fast mountain water produces fish with exceptional sweetness and clean taste; restaurants in Kullu's Akhara Bazaar and The Orchard Retreat serve it fried or grilled the day it's caught

Local dal

India's infinite dal culture—over 60 lentil and legume varieties prepared differently across the country; toor dal in the South, urad dal in Punjab, masoor dal in Bengal, gahat dal in Uttarakhand, horse gram in Karnataka; the humble dal is India's most complex and various dish