Darjeeling’s culture is diverse, with cuisines from the Gorkhas, Khampas, Lepchas, and Sherpas. Darjeeling is best known for its cuisine, which is primarily a blend of food influenced by West Bengal, Tibet, and Nepal, creating a truly fascinating gourmet scene in Darjeeling.
Here Darjeeling’s top 10 dishes:
Thali in Nepali tradition
Traditional Nepali Thali, which represents a platter or a thali, is mostly relished by the locals in Darjeeling. The Nepali thali includes a variety of delicacies including lentils as daal, array of different vegetables such as tarkari, boiled rice with achaar or pickle, and a sweet dish to round out the meal. The spices and herbs used in the preparation of a thali are absolutely unique to Nepal. If you want to try Nepali thali in Darjeeling, just go Revolver restaurant on Gandhi Road, which the best Nepali thali.
Momos
Momo is a very powerful and familiar street food everywhere you go, including Darjeeling. Momos are easily accessible in Darjeeling. It is served together with hot soup and is amongst the best street foods in Darjeeling. Depending on your preferences, you can order either vegetarian or non-vegetarian momos.
While you can find momos in dwellings all over town, one popular place to try momos in Darjeeling would be Kunga Restaurant, which is a family run restaurant. On average, 6-7 bits are served hot.
Are you getting hungry yet?
Aloo Dum
To you, Aloo Dum may appear to be a home-cooked dish, famously made by a stay at home parent. The dish, on the other hand, is unmistakably Nepali and Bengali in origin. However, it has become so famous in Darjeeling that it is now regarded as among the best vegetarian local food in the city.
It’s made with boiled potatoes, garlic, onion, along with a must-have red chilli, together in a thick gravy. The potato wafers, or ‘bhujia,’ are the icing on the cake, elevating the flavour to another level. You’ll love eating Aloo Dum by the side of a road while admiring the scenery!
Thukpa
You’ve probably heard of Thukpa, and we’re happy to report that it’s popular in Darjeeling as well. It is a well-known Darjeeling street food. It is available as a starter in both shacks and restaurants. It is a warm noodle soup with vegetables, baking powder, and meat bits if it is not vegetarian. The best Thukpa can be found at Devekas and Kunga restaurants.
Shaphalay
This is an exceptional Darjeeling street food. Despite being a Tibetan dish, it is very popular in Darjeeling. It’s a bread that’s been tucked away with chicken, meat, or pork. It is also served with sauce or barbecued barley and cheese, which enhances the flavour. This food is not widely accessible, but it will undoubtedly treat your tastebuds like never before.
Churpee
Churpee is yet another one-of-a-kind dish that you will not see everywhere in India. It is essentially a cheese delicacy of Nepali origin. It is available in both soft and hard forms. It’s available in a few Darjeeling restaurants. While you are bound to have tried all in Darjeeling throughout your vacation, you should try this dish.
Naga Cuisine
When visiting Darjeeling, you should try the Naga cuisine, which is available in a few restaurants. Nagas are people who live in Darjeeling and are well-known for their cuisine. Naga cuisine includes a royal thali with fermented or dried bamboo shoots, usually made with chicken, pickles, boiled rice, ghee,pork or fish, and one sweet dish to round out the meal. In Darjeeling, the most well-known Naga cuisine restaurant is Revolver.
Roti, Sael
The above roti is served in Nepali gastronomy but is not widely available in Darjeeling. This Sael roti is mostly eaten by the locals in Darjeeling, so when you get along well with any local, they might end up serving you with this outstanding sael roti. The sael chapati is typically prepared in Nepali households during celebrations or other special days. It is prepared of rice paste, deep fried, and served with extra cream or cheese, as well as pickles or purees.
If you liked this article, do check out ‘8 Famous food places in Delhi‘.