What to Eat in Kargil Today?

Balti and Purig cooking

Kargil's own food comes from its Balti and Purig families, whose recipes are closer to Baltistan than to Buddhist Leh. Look for kisir, a thin buckwheat pancake, and balay, a hearty noodle soup. Mild mutton curries with rice or bread are the everyday dinner. Apricots turn up in savoury dishes as well as sweets. Much of this food is cooked at home rather than in restaurants, so ask your hotel or homestay if they can make it.

Thukpa and momos

The highway runs on thukpa, the Ladakhi noodle soup with vegetables or meat, and steamed momos with chilli sauce. You will find both in the town's cafés and at dhabas along the road at Dras and Mulbekh. They are the safe, warming choice on a long travel day.

Butter tea and khambir

Breakfast in the villages is salted butter tea with khambir, a thick round local bread. The tea tastes more like soup than tea to most visitors, so try a small cup first. Plain milky chai is everywhere if you do not take to it.

Suru apricots

The Suru Valley and the villages around Kargil grow apricots. Fresh fruit is usually in season in late summer, around July and August. Outside that window, look for sun-dried apricots, apricot jam and apricot kernels in the bazaar. They make a light, easy gift to carry.

Practical notes

Kargil is a Muslim town and meat is halal. Vegetarians will manage with dal, rice, vegetable thukpa and momos, but choices are narrower than in Leh. During the fasting month of Ramadan, some eateries may keep shorter daytime hours, so carry snacks. Tap water is not safe to drink untreated; use filtered or boiled water. For where to eat, see the where to eat page.