What to Eat in Kausani Today?

Kumaoni food in short

Kumaon's cooking is simple and filling. It uses what grows on hill terraces: black soybeans, local millets, potatoes and greens. Mustard oil, hemp seed and a tiny local seed called jakhya give it its flavour. Most small restaurants in Kausani cook North Indian dishes too, but ask for the Kumaoni ones.

Dishes to order

Bhatt ki churkani is the one to try first. It is a dark, thick curry of black soybeans, cooked in an iron pan with roasted flour and eaten with rice. It is earthy rather than spicy. Aloo ke gutke are boiled potatoes fried in mustard oil with red chilli, cumin and jakhya. They are the snack of choice with a glass of tea, and a side dish at lunch.

Sweets

Bal mithai is Kumaon's best-known sweet: a brown, fudge-like block of roasted khoya coated in small white sugar balls. Singori is sweet khoya wrapped in a cone of maalu leaf, which gives it a light, green scent. Both come from the Almora area, and Kausani shops sell them, though many people buy them in Almora on the way. Jhangora ki kheer is a milk pudding made with barnyard millet, often eaten on fast days.

Tea

Kausani grows its own tea. The estate below the ridge makes orthodox leaf tea, which you can buy in packs to take home. A plain cup, without much milk or sugar, lets you taste it.

Practical notes

Kausani is small, and most kitchens close early, often by 9 or 10 pm. Many hotels cook meals for guests, and some only for guests, so ask when you arrive. Vegetarian food is easy to find. Meat is available in some places but is not the focus. See where to eat in Kausani for listed places.