From children to elders, people of all ages like Chudkani, know the easy recipe.

Winters are severe in the hilly areas of Uttarakhand, hence the consumption of Bhat Chudkani increases here. The reason for this is that Bhat (black soybean) is considered to be of hot nature. Its consumption in winter gives warmth and energy to the body from within. Its combination with hot rice is a traditional way to fight the cold.

The best combination of Bhaat’s Chudkani is hot Bhaat. People of hilly areas often like to serve it with potato gutka and hemp chutney. The taste of all this Pahari food is so amazing that people literally lick their fingers and eat it.

There is an easy method to prepare Bhat’s Chudkani. To make this, first fry the black beans in oil in a pan on low flame. Fry it until it bursts, which enhances its taste even more. To prepare it, mustard oil, Jakhya (a mountain spice), garlic, ginger and asafoetida are used, along with turmeric, garam masala, coriander and salt are also added.

Elderly people say that Bhat’s Chudkani originated from the Kumaon region situated in the foothills of the Himalayas. This delicious dish with a centuries-old history has been liked by people for generations. Its name is derived from “Bhatt”, the local word for black soybean which is a key ingredient in this delicious dish. The use of black soybean is not limited to Uttarakhand, rather it has made its place in many regional dishes as well. Known for its earthy flavor and numerous health benefits, black soybeans have always been appreciated for their nutrients, including protein, fiber and antioxidants.

This dish is a perfect choice for vegetarians and vegans, making it a versatile dish for those with special dietary requirements. Apart from this, high protein and fiber is also found in it. To prepare Chudkani, the Bhat dal should be filtered first. After this, wipe thoroughly with a clean cloth; Small kiln is considered good for this. Now pour a little oil in a large mouthed vessel and keep frying the cleaned bhat until it starts making crackling sounds. Keep stirring it continuously as it may get spoiled due to burning.

Now add chopped garlic to hot oil and add finely chopped onion to it and fry till it turns brown. After this, add finely chopped tomatoes and add ground chilli, coriander, garam masala, turmeric and fry on low flame. When the masala changes color and releases oil, it is roasted. In the same process, a solution of flour, gram flour or rice flour can also be mixed in it. To give good taste, you can fry the dry flour on the pan first or it can be added after frying the onion. Chudkani becomes thick and tasty with this mixture.

After the flour or gram flour mixture and spices are cooked properly, add water to it, add roasted bhaat grains and cook. Cook it on low flame. If you want to eat it with whipped bread, you can add desi ghee in it. Jambu tadka can also be applied with desi ghee for the mountain flavor. Serve it with hot rice and eat it.