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Sikkim

Sikkim, in northeastern India, is a Himalayan jewel with Gangtok as its capital, cradling monasteries, orchids, and Kanchenjunga’s snowy gaze. Known for tea, cardamom, and Buddhist calm, its economy thrives on tourism, hydropower, and organic farming in a tiny, pristine nook. Its Lepcha and Bhutia threads weave peace. Sikkim’s lofty serenity soars.

Sikkim

Featured Dishes from Sikkim

Phapar ko roti

Phapar ko roti

Phapar ko roti is a traditional Nepali pancake, which Nepalis typically consume with achar (pickles) of various kinds. A dough of buckwheat flour with a little rice flour and ingredients including chopped vegetables, egg white, milk, and water is poured on hot ghee on a flat pan and browned in both sides.

Sel roti

Sel roti

Sel roti is a traditional Nepalese ring-shaped sweet fried dough made from rice flour. It is mostly prepared during Dashain and Tihar, widely celebrated Hindu festivals in Nepal as well as Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Sikkim regions in India. The dish is popular throughout Nepal. Sel roti is made from a batter of rice flour, water, sugar, ghee, and spices which is then deep-fried in cooking oil. Dinesh Raj Panta, a professor at Nepal Sanskrit University estimates this dish to be over 800 years old. According to Madhulika Dash, an Indian food columnist, the dish was made bland many years ago, without sugar and spices. Over the years with intermingling of various ethnicities of Nepal, the dish has reached in its modern form. Dash also estimates that sel roti may have been a modified form of Babari, a Nepalese rice pancake. Babari is made of the same batter but is cooked like a pancake on a shallow griddle while sel roti is ring shaped and deep fried on a karahi.

Sel roti

Sel roti

Sel roti is a traditional Nepalese ring-shaped sweet fried dough made from rice flour. It is mostly prepared during Dashain and Tihar, widely celebrated Hindu festivals in Nepal as well as Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Sikkim regions in India. The dish is popular throughout Nepal. Sel roti is made from a batter of rice flour, water, sugar, ghee, and spices which is then deep-fried in cooking oil. Dinesh Raj Panta, a professor at Nepal Sanskrit University estimates this dish to be over 800 years old. According to Madhulika Dash, an Indian food columnist, the dish was made bland many years ago, without sugar and spices. Over the years with intermingling of various ethnicities of Nepal, the dish has reached in its modern form. Dash also estimates that sel roti may have been a modified form of Babari, a Nepalese rice pancake. Babari is made of the same batter but is cooked like a pancake on a shallow griddle while sel roti is ring shaped and deep fried on a karahi.

Zebre

Zebre

Sweetened rings of rice

Bhaate jaanr

Bhaate jaanr

Buttermilk

Buttermilk

Chaas is a curd-based drink popular across the Indian subcontinent. In Magahi (Magahi Language) and Bundeli, it is called Mattha. In Rajasthani it is called ghol, in Odia it is called Ghol/Chaash, moru in Tamil and Malayalam, taak in Marathi, majjiga in Telugu, majjige in Kannada, ale (pronounced a-lay) in Tulu and ghol in Bengali. In Indian English, it is often referred to as buttermilk. The name Chaas or Chaach is derived from Sanskrit word Chacchika (छच्छिका), meaning churned yogurt from which butter has been removed. Chaas is made by churning yogurt (curds/dahi) and cold water together in a pot, using a hand-held instrument called madhani (whipper). This can be consumed plain or seasoned with a variety of spices or made sweet (and then known as Lassi). Chaas can be made from fresh yogurt, and the natural flavour of such chaas is mildly sweet.[citation needed]

Gahun ko jaanr

Gahun ko jaanr

Jaanr

Jaanr

Chhaang or chhyang is a Nepalese and Tibetan alcoholic beverage popular in parts of the eastern Himalayas among the Yakkha, Limbu, Dura, Newar, Sunuwar, Rai, Bhutia, Gurung, Magar, Sherpa, Tamang, Tharus and Lepcha communities. Among the Lepcha, it is called Chi. It is also known as jaarh in Nepal. Chhaang is consumed by the ethnically Tibetan, Ladakhi and Nepalese, and to a lesser degree, by the people of the neighboring nations of Pakistan and Bhutan. It is usually drunk at room temperature in summer, but is often served piping-hot in brass bowls or wooden mugs when the weather is colder. The Limbu people of eastern Nepal call the drink Tongba.

Jahun ko jaanr

Jahun ko jaanr

Kodo ko jaanr

Kodo ko jaanr

Finger millet alcohol

Makai ko jaanr

Makai ko jaanr

Raksi

Raksi

Raksi (Bantawa language: Hengmawa/Hengma, Limbu language: Sijongwaa aara, Nepal Bhasa: aila) is the Nepali term for a traditional distilled alcoholic beverage in Nepal, India (Darjeeling, Sikkim) and Tibet. It is often made at home. Raksi is a strong drink, clear like vodka or gin, tasting somewhat like Japanese sake. It is usually made from kodo millet or rice; different grains produce different flavors. It is made by distilling a chhaang, a brewed alcoholic drink. The Limbus and Kirati people, for whom it is a traditional beverage, drink tongba and raksi served with pieces of pork, water buffalo or goat meat sekuwa. For the Newars, aila is indispensable during festivals and various religious rituals as libation, prasad or sagan. In CNN's list of the world's 50 most delicious drinks, raksi was ranked 41st and was described as follows: "made from millet or rice, raksi is strong on the nose and sends a burning sensation straight down your throat that resolves itself into a surprisingly smooth, velvety sensation. Nepalese drink this home brew to celebrate festivals, though some think that the prized drink itself is the reason to celebrate."

Simal tarul ko jaanr

Simal tarul ko jaanr

Cassava alcohol

Tea

Tea

Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and northern Myanmar. Tea is also made, but rarely, from the leaves of Camellia taliensis. After plain water, tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world. There are many different types of tea; some have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavour, while others have profiles that include sweet, nutty, floral, or grassy notes. Tea has a stimulating effect in humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. An early credible record of tea drinking dates to the third century AD, in a medical text written by Chinese physician Hua Tuo. It was popularised as a recreational drink during the Chinese Tang dynasty, and tea drinking subsequently spread to other East Asian countries. Portuguese priests and merchants introduced it to Europe during the 16th century. During the 17th century, drinking tea became fashionable among the English, who started to plant tea on a large scale in British India.

Aloo tama

Aloo tama

Potato and bamboo shoot curry

Chambray

Chambray

Rice with spices, cumin, cinnamon, bay leaves, ghee

Chataamari

Chataamari

Chatānmari is a Nepalese rice crepe, which is a part of Newa cuisine of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. It is generally eaten during festivals and other special occasions.

Chhurpi ningro curry

Chhurpi ningro curry

Fermented cheese and wild ferm curry

Choila

Choila

Choila, sometimes Chhwela or Chhoyela is a typical Newari dish that consists of spiced grilled buffalo meat. Though the dish is traditionally popular with water buffalo meat, nowadays mutton, chicken, duck meat and mushroom are also being used. Usually eaten with rice flakes (chiura), this dish is typically very spicy. It is considered a necessary part of the diet in festivals among the Newar community along with several other ingredients. It is also an important ingredient of Samay Baji.

Cho-nyok

Cho-nyok

Rice and vegetable porridge

Dal bhat

Dal bhat

Dāl bhāt (Bhojpuri:𑂠𑂰𑂪 𑂦𑂰𑂞, Nepali: दाल भात, Hindi: दाल भात, Bengali: ডাল ভাত, Gujarati: દાળ ભાત, Marathi: डाळ भात, Assamese: দাইল ভাত dāil bhat / দালি ভাত dāli bhāt, is a traditional meal from the Indian subcontinent. It was originated exactly in southern part of Nepal which is also called "Terai Region". It consists of steamed rice and a stew of pulses called dal. It is a staple food in these countries. Bhāt or chāwal means "boiled rice" in a number of Indo-Aryan languages. At higher elevations in Nepal, above 6,500 feet , where rice does not grow well, other grains such as maize, buckwheat, barley or millet may be substituted in a cooked preparation called dhindo or atho in Nepal. Bhat may be supplemented with roti in Nepal (rounds of unleavened bread). Dal may be cooked with onion, garlic, ginger, chili, tomatoes, or tamarind, in addition to lentils or beans. It always contains herbs and spices such as coriander, garam masala, cumin, and turmeric. Recipes vary by season, locality, ethnic group and family.

Dheroh

Dheroh

Corn flour porridge, eaten with vegetables, achar (pickles), dahi (yogurt curd) and mohi (buttermilk)

Falki

Falki

Curry made with sheep legs or head, serve with rice

Gundruk and sinki soup

Gundruk and sinki soup

Soup with fermented greens (e.g., cauliflower, mustard, radish) and radish tap roots

Gundruk ko jhol

Gundruk ko jhol

Gundruk soup, soup made with fermented leafy vegetable greens

Gyathuk

Gyathuk

An Indian version of thukpa, a Tibetan noodle soup

Kinema ko jhol

Kinema ko jhol

Fermented soybean soup/curry, serve with rice

Kwati

Kwati

Kwātī = 'hot' and ती (tī) = 'soup'); Nepali: क्वाँटी) is a mixed soup of nine types of sprouted beans. It is a traditional Newari dish consumed on the festival of Guni Punhi, the full moon day of Gunlā which is the tenth month in the Nepal Era lunar calendar. It is also known and widely consumed as gedagudi (Maithili: गेडागुडी) in the Mithila region of Nepal, historically aligned down to Kingdom of Nepali people. Kwāti is eaten as a delicacy and for its health benefits and ritual significance. Kwati is considered to be a healthy food. Because the soup contains varieties of beans, this recipe is high in proteins. The feast day coincides with Shravan Poornima of the month of Shravan in the Hindu lunisolar calendar which is celebrated as Janāi Purnimā (Raksha Bandhan), the festival of the sacred thread. The festival occurs in August.

Lauwa

Lauwa

Cooked rice with vegetables

Masaura curry

Masaura curry

Fermented black gram and vegetable curry

Momo

Momo

Momos[a] are a type of steamed filled dumpling in Tibetan and Nepali cuisine that is also popular in neighbouring Bhutan, Bangladesh, and India. The majority of Tibetan momos are half-moon in shape like jiaozi, while Nepali momos are normally round like baozi. Momos are usually served with a sauce known as achar influenced by the spices and herbs used within many South Asian cuisines. It can also be used in soup, as in jhol momo and mokthuk. "Momo", as written, is a phonetic transcription of the Tibetan word མོག་མོག . It is possible that this Tibetan word is borrowed from the Chinese term momo (馍馍), a name traditionally used in northwestern Chinese dialects for wheat steamed buns and bread. The word mo (馍) itself means wheat flour food products or mantou (馒头), steamed buns. Historically, Chinese names for steamed buns did not distinguish between those with or without fillings until the term baozi (包子) emerged during the Song Dynasty between the tenth and thirteenth century. However, in eastern regions of China such as Jiangsu and Shanghai, mantou continues to carry both meanings in modern day. The history of dumplings in China shows that dumplings were popular during the Southern and Northern dynasties (420–589 AD). Dumplings dated between 499 AD and 640 AD were found in the Astana Cemetery in northwestern modern-day China.

Pakku

Pakku

Curried goat or mutton kebab, serve with rice or sel roti

Phagshapa

Phagshapa

Stewed strips of pork with radish, onions, chili peppers

Phituk

Phituk

Rice or barley flour porridge with meat

Ponguzom

Ponguzom

Rice, fish and vegetables are cooked inside green bamboo

Sishnu soup

Sishnu soup

Nettle leaves soup

Sorongbeetuluk

Sorongbeetuluk

Rice and nettle porridge

Su zom

Su zom

Meat cooked in an earth oven using banana leaves

Thukpa

Thukpa

Thukpa ˀ˥˥.pə˥˥/ ) is a Tibetan noodle soup, which originated in the eastern part of Tibet. Amdo thukpa, especially thenthuk, is a variant among the Indians, especially Ladakhis and the Sikkimese. Thukpa can be prepared in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian variations; the most popular non-vegetarian variation includes chicken. Varieties of thukpa include: Thukpa has been described as a "generic Tibetan word for any soup or stew combined with noodles".

Til ko alu

Til ko alu

Potato chunks cooked with onion, chili peppers and sesame seeds

Axone

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Axone

Akhuni is a fermented soybean product commonly used in Naga cuisine of India and Myanmar. The word Axone is from the Naga Sümi language, and is a combination of two words. Axo means "aroma" or "smell" and ne or nhe (similar word "tho") means "deep" or "strong". So it can be literally translated as "deep smell" or "strong smell".

Bamboo shoots

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Bamboo shoots

Bamboo shoots or bamboo sprouts are the edible shoots of many bamboo species including Bambusa vulgaris and Phyllostachys edulis. They are used as vegetables in numerous Asian dishes and broths. They are sold in various processed shapes and are available in fresh, dried, and canned versions. Raw bamboo shoots contain cyanogenic glycosides, natural toxins also contained in cassava. The toxins must be destroyed by thorough cooking, and for this reason, fresh bamboo shoots are boiled before being used in other ways. The toxins are also destroyed in the canning process. Most young bamboo shoots are edible after being boiled to remove toxins, but only around a hundred or so species are harvested regularly for edible shoots. These are usually from species that are also cultivated for other uses. These include:

Bhatmas ko achar

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Bhatmas ko achar

Pickled ground dry soybean seeds

Chataamari

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Chataamari

Chatānmari is a Nepalese rice crepe, which is a part of Newa cuisine of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. It is generally eaten during festivals and other special occasions.

Chhurpi

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Chhurpi

Chhurpi , otherwise known as durkha and chogo/chugo, is a traditional cheese consumed in Nepal, Bhutan and parts of Northeastern India. The two varieties of chhurpi are a soft variety (consumed usually as a side dish with rice) and a very hard variety. Chhurpi is considered one of the hardest cheeses in the world. Chhurpi is prepared in a local dairy or at home from buttermilk. The buttermilk is boiled and the solid mass that is obtained is separated from the liquid and wrapped and hung in a thin cloth to drain out the water. The product is rather like the Italian ricotta, which also is made from whey. It is soft, white, and neutral in taste. However, it is often left to ferment a bit to acquire a tangy taste. To prepare the hard variety, the soft chhurpi is wrapped in a jute bag and pressed hard to get rid of the water. After it dries, it is cut into small cuboidal pieces and hung over fire to harden it further.[citation needed]

Chiura

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Chiura

Flattened rice is a preparation of rice made from raw, toasted, or parboiled rice grains pounded into flat flakes. It is traditional to many rice-cultivating cultures in Southeast Asia and South Asia. It is also known as rice flakes, beaten rice, pounded rice, pressed rice or chipped rice. It is toasted, fried, or used as ingredients or toppings for other dishes. Depending on their use, they can be crispy, crunchy, chewy, or soft in texture with a light nutty flavor. Much like oatmeal, the term "flattened rice" and its equivalents in other languages may refer to the ingredient itself or a dish based on the ingredient.

Choila

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Choila

Choila, sometimes Chhwela or Chhoyela is a typical Newari dish that consists of spiced grilled buffalo meat. Though the dish is traditionally popular with water buffalo meat, nowadays mutton, chicken, duck meat and mushroom are also being used. Usually eaten with rice flakes (chiura), this dish is typically very spicy. It is considered a necessary part of the diet in festivals among the Newar community along with several other ingredients. It is also an important ingredient of Samay Baji.

Churul

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Churul

Shosha, also known as churul or churu, is a type of soft cheese in Tibetan cuisine. Tibetan cheese is a staple food and is often made from animals suited to the climate such as yak and goat. It is a pungent cheese compared with blue cheese. It is used to make beef dishes and churu cheese soup.

Dhania ko achar

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Dhania ko achar

Pickled coriander (cilantro)

Foldong

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Foldong

Rice ball or cake made with dry fruits, butter, cardamom

Ghartarul

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Ghartarul

Gundruk

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Gundruk

Gundruk is a dish made of fermented leafy green vegetables (saag; Nepali: साग), originating in Nepal. It is also popular in Sikkim and other regions of India, as well as in Bhutan and Myanmar. Annual production of gundruk in Nepal is estimated at 2,000 tons, most of it at the household level. Gundruk is served as a side dish or as an appetizer. It is an important source of minerals, particularly during the off-season, when local diets mostly consist of starchy tubers and maize, which tend to be low in minerals.

Kalimpong

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Kalimpong

Kalimpong cheese is made in and named after Kalimpong, a hill station in the Indian state of West Bengal. When unripe, Kalimpong cheese is a little like a rustic Welsh Caerphilly: white, slightly acidic and a little crumbly in the centre with a relatively smooth rind that is yellowy on the inside, with a bit of a tang and not particularly strong-smelling. Kalimpong cheese making was started by Father Andre Butty, a Jesuit parish priest in Kalimpong. It is still made in 12 kg and 1 kg wheels and is produced in limited quantities, like Gouda. While production of the nearby region Sikkim's Gouda has been taken over by Amul, a small amount of the local variety by Pappu Dairy Co-op, which shut down wholescale production a few years ago, is available occasionally. Kalimpong cheese and some variety of mozzarella is produced by Dairy Makarios Bous, Kalimpong (only 10 kg (22 lb) are made each day) in Kolkata's New Market.

Kasalok

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Kasalok

Boiled sweet potato or yam

Kinema

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Kinema

Fermented soybean food

Kodoko roti

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Kodoko roti

Finger millet flatbread

Masaura

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Masaura

Masaura or Masyaura is a fermented sun-dried vegetable balls made with a combination of various or single minced vegetables with black lentils. It originated in Nepal and is made by Nepali diaspora throughout the world. The choice of vegetables is mostly taro, yam, and colocasia leaf. As finding fresh vegetables was a hard all-around year in the earlier days, masyaura become an alternative nutritious food item when fresh vegetables weren't available. It is fried in oil and made into a curry. There is no exact or written proof, but local people believe the word itself derived from the word Maas (black lentils), given that maas is a key ingredient of masyaura preparation. There is no such history on when who invented or start making masyaura, but it is likely one of the traditional preserved food items of Nepal.

Mesu

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Mesu

Fermented bamboo shoot pickle

Phapar ko roti

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Phapar ko roti

Phapar ko roti is a traditional Nepali pancake, which Nepalis typically consume with achar (pickles) of various kinds. A dough of buckwheat flour with a little rice flour and ingredients including chopped vegetables, egg white, milk, and water is poured on hot ghee on a flat pan and browned in both sides.

Philinge ko achar

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Philinge ko achar

Philinge ko achar is a traditional Nepali pickle made from Niger seeds, known as "filinge" in Nepal, combined with various spices. It offers a unique taste with its blend of spicy, tangy, and savory flavors, often enjoyed as a condiment with meals, particularly in the Nepali cuisine.

Phulaurah

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Phulaurah

Buckwheat fritter

Piranlu

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Piranlu

Boiled colocasia (taro)

Rigichoboo

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Rigichoboo

Sel roti

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Sel roti

Sel roti is a traditional Nepalese ring-shaped sweet fried dough made from rice flour. It is mostly prepared during Dashain and Tihar, widely celebrated Hindu festivals in Nepal as well as Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Sikkim regions in India. The dish is popular throughout Nepal. Sel roti is made from a batter of rice flour, water, sugar, ghee, and spices which is then deep-fried in cooking oil. Dinesh Raj Panta, a professor at Nepal Sanskrit University estimates this dish to be over 800 years old. According to Madhulika Dash, an Indian food columnist, the dish was made bland many years ago, without sugar and spices. Over the years with intermingling of various ethnicities of Nepal, the dish has reached in its modern form. Dash also estimates that sel roti may have been a modified form of Babari, a Nepalese rice pancake. Babari is made of the same batter but is cooked like a pancake on a shallow griddle while sel roti is ring shaped and deep fried on a karahi.

Shimi ka achar

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Shimi ka achar

Pickled string beans

Sidra ko achar

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Sidra ko achar

Pickled dried sidra fish, serve with rice and dal

Silam ko achar

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Silam ko achar

Pickled silam seeds

Sinki

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Sinki

Sinki is a Nepali preserved fermented vegetable, similar to gundruk. Gundruk is prepared from leafy vegetables but sinki is prepared from radish tap roots. To make this generations-old indigenous dish, aged radish slivers are pressed into a hole lined with bamboo and straw, then coffined by a cover of vegetation, rocks, wood and, finally, mud. After a month of bacterial curing, the resulting preserved vegetable is dried in the sun and stored to last a few years or more. The process of making sinki starts by allowing the radishes to wilt for a few days. Then the leafy tops are cut off and the radish tap-root sections are shredded. If there is a large amount of radishes to process, rather than shredding by hand, a dhiki is usually used to break them up. If the sinki will be made into a pickle after fermentation, instead of shredding, the radish is just cut up. Meanwhile, a 2– to 3–foot (0.6– to 0.9-metre) hole is dug, and a small fire is built at the bottom just before the storage period begins to warm it up.

Sisnu

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Sisnu

Nettles, nettle greens

Tama ko achar

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Tama ko achar

Pickled young bamboo shoot

Timur ko achar

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Timur ko achar

Pickled tomatoes, serve with momos

Wachipa

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Wachipa

Wachipa is a typical Kirat Rai, People dish made with rice, minced chicken, and powder made out of burnt feathers of a chicken. The powder gives a unique bitter taste. Vegetarian wachipa is made by replacing meat with leaves or flowers of a plant called Damlapa, which is also bitter. It is eaten on special occasions. It is believed that consumption of wachipa cures body aches. It is called Wamik in Lohorung.