What to Eat in Jim Corbett Today?

The hill kitchen on the plains

Ramnagar sits where the Kumaon hills meet the terai, and its home cooking is Kumaoni. The Kumaoni thali brings together bhatt ki churkani, aloo ke gutke, rice, rotis and seasonal greens. It is plain, filling food, cooked in mustard oil and built on pulses and local grains. Ask whether the rotis are made with madua, the finger millet grown in the hills; some kitchens have it, some do not.

Dishes to look for

Bhatt ki churkani is a dark, thick curry of black soybeans, roasted and ground, then cooked slowly. It is earthy and mild, and goes with plain rice. Aloo ke gutke are boiled potatoes fried with red chilli, cumin and jakhya, a tiny crunchy seed used across Kumaon. They turn up at breakfast with puris, as a side at lunch, and as a snack with tea. Bal mithai is the regional sweet: a brown fudge of roasted khoya rolled in small white sugar balls. It comes from Almora in the hills, and shops in Ramnagar sell it by weight. It keeps well enough to take home.

Resort dinners

After an afternoon safari most people eat at their resort, and the menu leans to North Indian. Tandoori chicken and butter chicken are the standard dinner at the Kosi river resorts on the Dhikuli stretch. Many places light a bonfire on winter evenings and serve starters around it.

Eating inside the reserve

The forest rest houses at Dhikala and elsewhere inside the reserve have simple canteens that serve vegetarian food only. Alcohol and non-vegetarian food are not allowed inside. On a morning safari there is usually a short stop where you can buy tea and snacks, but carry water and something to eat, as the gap between breakfast and lunch is long.

Practical notes

Safari timings shift your meals. Breakfast often comes after the morning safari, around 10 am, and lunch runs late. Ask your hotel for a packed breakfast if you leave before dawn.