Local Food Stories, Darjeeling & Mirik – India:
Restaurants in Darjeeling typically cater to tourists who mostly come from West Bengal and some from other parts of India and overseas countries. So lot’s of multi-cuisine and specialized restaurants have come up in the hills who cater to the popular demands of touristy food. But you can add a great dimension to your trip to Darjeeling by exploring the local food & cuisine here and trying out some of them. They are quite unique and different from what we are used to having. You will love them all.
Due to a varied mix of culture in Darjeeling, the local or ethnic food here also has a lot of diversity. The original residents of Darjeeling were Lepchas who are still existent. The majority are Gorkhas who are Nepali immigrants. There are significant Tibetan immigrants, Sherpas, and also Bengalis who have migrated from the Siliguri subdivision of lower plains. So as expectedly, the local food and beverages in Darjeeling too have had reflections of such diversity.
Rice, noodles, and potatoes seem to make the dominant part of the staple food here, that’s because that suits well with the cool climate. But one thing that I noticed, unlike in other parts of India, residents of Darjeeling do not use an overdose of spices and oil. In fact coconut, tamarind etc are hardly available in the hills to be used in food. But having said that, the chutney served with some popular snacks like momos are usually unbearably hot and you will bound to get hiccups if you are liberal with it.
Momos: These are probably the most popular local snack food in Darjeeling of Tibetan origin. They are dumplings made with flour dough and stuffed with either meat or vegetables. The non-veg momos have either chicken or pork as stuffing, the veggie ones will have cabbage, cheese and other vegetables. Momos can be steamed or fried. The more popular are the steamed ones. Momos (usually 6 – 8 pieces) are served with a clear soup and sometimes achar (pickles). Thukpa: Another very popular Tibetan food is Thukpa. It is essentially a hot noodle soup mixed with meat, eggs, vegetables etc and served in a large bowl. Although thukpa is more like a starter, for an average eater, this can easily fill up the stomach.
Note that Wai Wai is also another similar dish prepared with noodles and served dry (Hakka) or with a soup base. Alu Dum: You ask any local of Darjeeling about Alu Dum and you will notice a smile on the face. They just can’t live without it. So how can you not try such food which has become somewhat close to staple food for all here? Alu Dum is a typical Nepali and Bengali snack item or a side dish. It is prepared by boiling cut potatoes in a thick gravy and mixing dried red chili powder in it along with onion slices, few cloves of garlic, some mustard oil and sometimes even red color. Watch out! It can be quite hot but very tasty. Usually served with potato wafers or ‘bhujia’ to make it a tempting snack.
Traditional Nepali Thali : Thali means plate or platter. Nepali Thali comprises of a full meal served on a plate which comprises of several items like daal (lentils cooked in a soup), bhaat (boiled rice), tarkari (assortment of vegetable curries served on small bowls), chutney or achaar (pickles), curd, papad and a sweet item. You can complement this with chicken or other meat curries. This platter is quite similar to traditional Bengali platter although the preparation, the use of spices and herbs differ slightly.
Dalle : (Darjeeling Hills Pickles) If you savor the taste of hot chili, then this popular local pickle is for you. It is prepared with ground red chili, mustard oil, salt and spices. Some acidic acid is added for preservation. The pickle is sold is glass bottles. They look like small red balls suspended in a reddish liquid… very hot but delicious. Earlier I mentioned about super hot chutney served with momos. They are prepared using this dalle. Kakra ko Achar and
Kinema : They are essentially pickles and favorites of the locals, especially the Nepalis. Achar means Pickle. The first one, i.e. Kakra Ko Achar is prepared of julienne cucumbers and can be taken as a salad or pickle. Ingredients used include long stripes of cucumber pieces, sesame seeds, garlic, green chili, salt etc. Kinema, on the other hand, is prepared using fermented Soybeans.
Naga Cuisine : You can find even authentic Naga dishes & meals in Darjeeling. While there is a small population with Naga ancestry here, there are few restaurants (not many though) that have introduced Naga food. The Naga Platter (thali) typically consists of rice, fermented or dried bamboo shoots served with choice of chicken, pork or fish, ghee (prepared from milk like butter), pickles etc. The fermented bamboo shoots have typical flavor & odors. So unless you really want to go for it, try out the dried bamboo shoots instead. You can complement the dish with chicken.
Bengali Food : There are many Bengalis who have settled in Darjeeling and many keep visiting from Kolkata and Siliguri areas. As a result, restaurants serving Bengali food are thriving here. Visit Bengali food in Darjeeling to know about the popular Bengali dishes and restaurants in Darjeeling serving them. Churpee : This is a milk base snack item that is prepared from cow’s or yak’s milk. They are like cheese and come in both hard and soft forms. Churpees are delicious healthy snacks. When served with Niguru (tendrils or stems of a fern plant), they make a fantastic combination. You can get Churpees at Keventer’s located at Nehru road. Shaphalay : This is a Tibetan bread that is stuffed with meat. You can get them almost in all Tibetan restaurants. You can have it with any curry or even with chutney with vegetables. But a popular accompaniment to Shaphalay is tsampa (roasted barley) and served with cheese or butter.
Sael Roti : You won’t usually get this item of Nepali origin in restaurants. But if you happen to get friendly with a local, ask him or her to invite you for Sael Rotis. These are usually prepared at local homes during private functions or parties. These are Rotis (flat round bread) made from rice paste and then fried deeply. Tastes quite nice but you should typically have it with butter, cheese or chutney. Gundruk : This is a typical Nepali item that is prepared at local homes. You won’t usually get it at any restaurant. So again you need a local friend to try this out. It is actually not a dish by itself.
It’s prepared for flavor and a typical strong smell. Green leaves of plants like mustard, radish, cauliflower etc are left for fermenting over one or two days. Then they are dried up naturally under the sun and it becomes Gundruk (with a strong acidic smell). The shredded dry leaves can be then mixed with vegetables or prepared with onions & radish to give it a unique flavor & taste. Darjeeling Tea : Well, this is something that has put Darjeeling firmly into the world map of tea and this is the place where you get the original ‘Champaign of teas’. Unless you have a cup of authentic Darjeeling tea, chat with the tea room owner, listen to some music and enjoy the wonderful view of the valley, you would miss out on something that you will regret long.
