Mussoorie travel guide

Maggi at Mall Road

Manali's iconic tourist institution—instant noodles cooked with local vegetables, sometimes cheese or egg, served in a bowl at the Rohtang Pass viewpoints and Old Manali cafés; the act of eating Maggi in cold mountain air is an Indian traveler's ritual

Tibetan momos

Himachal Pradesh and Dharamshala's most beloved food—steamed half-moon dumplings filled with pork, chicken or vegetable, served with a fiery red chili sauce; the Tibetan refugee community brought this dish to North India and perfected it here

Garhwali dal

Uttarakhand Garhwal region's distinctive lentil preparation—horse gram (gahat/kulthi) or black urad cooked in iron vessels with asafoetida, ghee and dried red chili only; the mineral-rich mountain water and iron pot cooking creates a flavor impossible to replicate elsewhere

Phaanu

Garhwal's traditional sun-dried lentil stew—various lentils sun-dried in summer and rehydrated in winter into a thick stew; unique preservation technique from before refrigeration; available at Garhwali homestays and specialized mountain restaurants in Rishikesh

Chainsoo

Uttarakhand's black urad dal preparation—whole urad dal dry-roasted until charred and fragrant, then boiled with ghee, asafoetida and red chili; the roasting step creates a deep nutty flavor not found in any other dal preparation in India