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The state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) appears like a baby lion relaxing in all its majesty on the Indian map. Blessed with abundant beauty and rich natural resources, the region cradles myriad cultures. The rich diversity of its people, traditions and geographical features contribute in making UP's cuisine extremely popular all over the world.

On one hand is the traditional vegetarian cuisine - subtle, spicy (but not hot) and nutritionally balanced and on the other you find the much richer culinary fare, once favoured by Zamindars and the elite families of the princely states. This food owes its origin to the courts of Moghul emperors a rich and elegant style famed for its presentation the universally popular 'Moghulai cuisine'!

A typical meal in Uttar Pradesh consists of rotis (unleavened bread baked on a griddle) or Parathas (bread fried on a griddle), rice, dal (lentils), about three kinds fried vegetables, a vegetable curry, curd, chutney, pickles and poppadum. Dessert includes an assortment of sweet meats like laddoos, barfis and kheer (milk and rice pudding). The meal is rounded off with a paan (beetle leaf), which holds an assortment of digestive spices such as aniseed, cloves and cardamoms.

An outstanding feature of the cuisine is its emphasis on meals in specific combinations. The most favoured of its kind are:
- Dal, Bati (a kind of bun-shaped bread) and Choorma for the dessert.
- Kachori (deep-fried bread with a filling) and kaddu ki subzi (fried pumpkin vegetable) with Jalebees thrown in for sweetness.
- Bajre ki Roti (a kind of bread) and Baigan ka Bhurta (a dry dish, prepared using roasted and mashed brinjals) together form the daily menu in many of the rural districts.

Let's embark upon a gastronomical tour of this vast North Indian State. As we move from one end to the other, we also observe the flavours altering. Every little city dishes up something special, be it sweet or spicy. It's not surprising that there is such an amazing variety in its cuisine.

 

Regional Delicacies
- Agra in western UP is famous for its Petha and Dalmuth;
- Mathura is well known for its Pedas;
- Jaunpur, the satellite town of the state specialises in a sweet called Imarti;
- Meerut is famed for its Gajak and Revadi;
- Varanasi stands out for its inimitable Thandai (sweet milk drink with condiments added) and Banarasi Paan (Betel Leaf);
- Lucknow, originally a part of Awadh, has made a mark worldwide for its Awadhi cuisine - a gourmet's delight that now compliments the palate of both Europeans and Asians alike.

The climate of Uttar Pradesh has wide seasonal variations which in turn affects the food habits. The severe winter in the state favours a diet rich in fats. So it is characteristic for households to serve desserts, especially piping hot halwa (a sweet pudding) made from gajjar (carrots), wheat flour, semolina or lauki (bottle gourd) garnished with almonds.

But, beside the usual sweets that are popular across the country, the culinary spread of Uttar Pradesh includes several dessert specialities quite unique in their concoction, presentation and their unforgettable flavour.

It is interesting how so many distinctive mithai is made from plain refined flour and each one is markedly different from the other in taste and appearance.

This sweet is a special treat during the festive season of Holi. It is made from maida dough. The dough is rolled out into thin pancakes about 3-4 inches in diameter. A filling of roasted mava (thickened milk), almonds, pistachio nuts, raisins, chironji (a kind of dry fruit) castor sugar, is placed in the centre of the rolled out dough, which is then folded at the centre. The two sides of this semi-circle are pressed lightly and sealed. The rounded edge of the Gujhia is twisted in a characteristic manner giving it a braid like appearance. This crescent is then deep-fried to a golden brown and later dipped in sugar syrup adding to its sweetness.

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Gajak and Revadi
A speciality of Western UP, Gajak and Revadi are dry sweets, made of gingelli seeds or til as they are known indigenously. However, while Gajak is til mixed with sugar syrup and set in thin layers, Revadi looks like small, almond shaped candies. Both these sweets are prepared using either sugar or gur (jaggery) as the sweetening agent and can be stored in airtight containers for almost a month.

Imarti
This is another sweet virtually unheard of elsewhere in the country. Although it may appear to belong to the Jalebee family, it is quite different and distinct in its flavour. The Imarti is a spiral-shaped sweet, made of piped-out fermented Urad dal (skinned black gram) batter. It is later fried and soaked in sweet saffron coloured syrup.

Khaja
This delight is savoured in the western regions of the state, especially in cities such as Agra, Meerut, Saharanpur and Ghaziabad. It is a fluffy sweet made of maida (refined flour) with fresh cream filling.

Balushahi
This again is a name almost unheard of in other parts of the country. It is immensely popular and most delectable sweet meat. ‘Shahi’, the suffix of the word Balushahi stands for ‘royal’, probably due to its popularity in the royal dining halls of the past.

It is prepared from refined flour, kneaded to dough using fat and whipped curd. The dough is shaped into small balls, flattened at the centre like a doughnut and deep-fried. These are then dipped in sugar syrup.

Maalpua
The word ‘Maalpua’ is derived from the two words ‘maal’ meaning riches and ‘pua’ meaning puri (unleavened fried bread). True to its name, it’s an extremely luscious delicacy made from flour, rolled out like a puri. The Maalpua is made out of maida (refined flour) dough, rolled out and deep-fried which is then soaked in sugar syrup flavoured with saffron and cardamoms.

Malaiya
Winter months are also the time to indulge in the frothy, creamy dessert called Malaiya. A vessel of thick, creamed milk is placed overnight in an open area such as the terrace letting the dew drops collect. The next morning this milk is churned to bring the thick, heavy, creamy froth on top. This delectable stuff when sweetened and flavoured is called malaiya, literally meaning cream! It is nothing but cream that melts in your mouth as soon as you pop it in – tasting like manna, straight from Heaven!

Heavenly is what aptly describes the sweets and desserts of Uttar Pradesh…so the next time you happen to visit the place, do not forget to experience this set of wonders added to your list.

Eating out in Mumbai is not all about plush restaurants and swanky 5-star coffee shops. To relish the true flavours of Mumbai you have to venture out on the streets. Yups! You read it right, on to the streets and by-lanes of Mumbai. You will find a smattering of roadside vendors hawking lip-smacking refreshments while wandering through city lanes.

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Vada PavLet’s start with Mumbai’s ubiquitous staple food, the vada pav (deep fried potato dumpling served along with bread). Actually you will find vada pav at every nook and corner of the city, but then there are some vada pav stalls whom you just cannot afford to miss.

Like the ‘Krishna Vada Pav’ centre near Dadar station, which is a landmark of sorts. At any given time of the day, you will find hordes of people waiting to grab a bite of the piping hot vada pav served with red and green chutneys. The centre also serves an assortment of snacks but vada pav here enjoys unanimous popularity.

Another popular vada pav vendor in the vicinity, is the Kirti College vada pavwallah. Not only college students, but even passers by and office goers patron his stall. On weekends you will find people specially coming from all parts of the city to savour his speciality.

Two more stalls, the one outside Grant Road Station and the one opposite Mithibai College at Vile Parle also deserve a mention here.

Chewing Westwards
Around Mithibai, you can also sink your teeth into the very inviting grilled sandwich at a nearby stall. Though priced at Rs.40 this three-layered sandwich with generous helpings of cheese is worth every penny.

‘Jay Sandwich stall’ near National College, Linking Road, Bandra also serves some delicious variety of sandwiches. Of course, not to forget the sandwiches at Haji Ali, as this stall also sells fresh fruit juices. It’s pure bliss when you follow up your sandwich with a tall glass of fresh juice.

It’s not a Stew!
Pav BhajiPav Bhaji, which is an assortment of vegetables cooked with spices, served with bread and topped with generous dollops of butter, is another snack that is synonymous with Mumbai. ‘Sardar Pav Bhaji Stall’ at Tardeo is like Mecca for every pav bhaji connoisseur. You may have to wait a while for your order to be served, thanks to the ever-multiplying foodies that throng this place. But when the enticing pav bhaji with bountiful scoops of butter stares at you, the agonising wait is simply overlooked.

When you come to Vile Parle (East), near Dinanath Natya Gruha, you just cannot miss Marshal’s Pav Bhaji Stall. Standing as a stiff competitor for the Shiv Sagar close by, Marshal makes one of the most amazing pav bhaji’s of Mumbai. Off late he has diversified into Chinese stuff too. So much for entrepreneurship!

It’s a Chaat Party
You cannot attain gastronomic nirvana without pampering your soul to lip-smacking Mumbai Chaat (A tangy concoction), and here we are not talking about Amchi Mumbai Chat!

Chaat aficionados will swear by the stalls at Juhu Beach which dish out all kinds of chaats like Bhel Puri, Pani puri, Shev Batata Puri, Dahi Batata Puri, Ragda Pattice. But to relish the true taste of Pani Puri you must head straight to the stall near Elco Market, Bandra. Chaat stalls near Bombay Stock Exchange will also please you.

For those with carnasial teeth!
For those who relish carnivorous delicacies, Mumbai streets don’t fail to please their taste buds. ‘Bade Miyan’ behind the Taj Mahal Hotel, near Getaway of India is popular for its rumali rotis (Indian Bread) and non-vegetarian kebabs (Grilled meat rolls). This stall is almost like a tourist attraction, for people from all over the world, including India flocking here. Try not to miss out on this one! This is also one of the few stalls, which remains open till wee hours of the morning. Another exciting area for the likes of Hyderabadi Keema and Chicken Biryani, is Phaltan Road, near Manish Market, it’s a haven for meat-lovers, and that too at very affordable prices.

Mumbai streets are also lined with striking red Chinese stalls hawking their version of Chinese cuisine. And South Indian food is no longer the domain of Udipi Restaurants, every street worth its name has its own dosawallah (vendor hawking crisp pancakes, a south Indian snack).

Feeling hungry already? What are you waiting for, drop that mouse and grab a bite at the nearest street!