22 July 2026 · Food & Dining · 5 min read · By Excel Hotels & Resorts
Bhatt ki churkani, aloo ke gutke and slow hill cooking — what our kitchens serve when guests ask for something local.
Kumaoni cooking is quieter than the food most travellers associate with north India. There is less cream, less chilli and a great deal more patience.
Bhatt ki churkani, made from black soybean, is the dish our chefs are asked about most often. Aloo ke gutke, tossed with mustard seed and dry red chilli, usually arrives beside it.
Ask the kitchen the evening before and most of our properties will build a Kumaoni thali around whatever the local market has that week.
Alongside the regional menu, every kitchen serves Indian, Chinese and Continental dishes, so a table with different appetites is easily looked after.
