Uttarakhandi Thichodi
Thichodi also known as thenchwani is made with mountain radish or potato with is crushed with some garlic and ginger. It is famous in Uttarakhand culture and also in kumaoun culture. It is popular for its great taste. It is the most nourishing and health-conscious dish you will come across in the state.
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Thichodi is a well-known dish in the cultures of Kumaon as well as Uttarakhand. Another name for thichodi is thechwani. Thichodi can either be made with potato or with mountain radish, which is also called radish root. All over the world, the ways in which potatoes can be added to meals are that of a large number. Since the preparation is made by smashing and not cutting the mountain radish or the potato, along with smashing some ginger and garlic, that is why the dish is known as “thichodi”. If potatoes are the chosen ingredient, then, the potatoes being used in a smashed form in this dish is the only difference between thichodi and other curries made with potatoes. A suitable tool like a stone, hammer, or pestle, is what is used to pound the peeled potatoes into fine pieces. For the pounding part, using small potatoes is recommended. This locally popular dish of Uttarakhand, known as Thichodi, can either be served with rice or with rotis.
Ingredients:
- 3 or 4 radish roots
- 4 or 5 cloves of garlic
- 1 potato
- 1 medium sized chopped onion
- 3 centimetres of ginger pieces
- 2 tablespoons of ghee or oil
- 1 medium sized chopped tomato
- 4 or 5 whole red chillies
- 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon of dry coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon of red chillies powder
- ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder
- A pinch of asafoetida
- 6 cups of water
- Salt as per requirement
Preparation:
- Smashing the mountain radish or the potatoes needs to be done after washing them and peeling them. Garlic and ginger also needs to be smashed.
- On a medium flame, oil or ghee needs to be heated in a frying pan. The smashed ginger or garlic needs to be stirred and fried in the hot oil or ghee. The smashed radish or the smashed potato needs to be added in it. After 2 or 3 minutes of frying the mixture, it must be set aside.
- The asafoetida, red chillies, and the cumin seeds needs to be added in the remaining oil and, chopped onion must be added and fried till it turns into a light brown colour.
- The red chillies powder, dry coriander powder and the turmeric powder needs to be added and fried for few seconds. Chopped tomatoes and fried vegetables must be added in it, along with the required amount of salt and some water.
- The mixture must be boiled for 2 or 3 minutes. Either it must be cooked on low heat for 30 minutes on low heat or, it must be pressure cooked after adding the remaining water. Another option is cooking it till the softness of the radish is noticed.
- The last step is to garnish the thichodi with split green chillies or with coriander leaves
