Garhwal

SITTING ON the mud porch of his house in Uttarakhand, 80-yearold Maulya Singh looks stoically at the burnt stumps of pine a few metres away and talks philosophically of the land drying up. His daughter-in-law is, however, more concerned about the practicalities. As most springs in the village are dry, she is forced to trudge farther and farther afield to get drinking water.

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Cactus-like sillu has helped Garhwalis survive lean seasons It is an unlikely plant to tickle taste buds. It is covered with spines. People in Garhwal use its poisonous sap to kill and catch fish. When mixed with other herbs it is as good as a pesticide. But in drier, rocky parts of the Himalaya, where it grows abundantly, people have known that when the weather is rough and crops fail,

The many faces of Himalayan herb bhangjeera Traditional medicine practitioners of eastern Asia know about this spice. People of Garhwal in Uttarakhand have many uses for the leaves and seeds of this plant grown in the upper reaches of Himalaya. But gourmets are yet to discover it. The aroma of bhangjeera chutney and bhangjeera tea fills the air as one travels through the hilly

Bhangjeera chutney Ingredients Bhangjeera seeds – 50 gm Roasted cumin seeds – 10 gm Sugar – a pinch Lemon juice, salt, chilli powder, black salt – as desired Roast bhangjeera seeds and cumin seeds on a heated girdle. Remove the girdle from the fire. Add lemon juice and grind the roasted seeds to a paste. Add a little water to give it the consistency of chutney. Add sugar, salt,

A Garhwali radish, small and round and pink, is just what the doctor ordered Many people are familiar with white radish. But it also comes in black, red, purple, rose and lavender. The round, pink variety is a traditional winter vegetable in the Garhwal region, where it is known as mula, meaning root. Before the popular white radish was the small round mula. There are references that radish