What did my Kids eat on Kareri Lake Trek

When I first thought about a high altitude trek with kids aged seven and thirteen, I had many apprehensions because of their age. One of these was about food. Will kids like the food that will be served to them?

What if they do not like and do not eat properly, how will we finish this demanding journey. All my fears were proven wrong. Kids ate happily, wholeheartedly and were always looking forward for meals.

Meal after first day’s climb.

We have ascended from Satobari village in Mcleodganj at 5600 ft to Kareri village at 8000 ft, in six hours with multiple fun and frolic breaks, birding detour. We were tired and yet we were excited and jubilant. Our hosts, Shri Amar Singh ji and their family called us for the evening meal in their kitchen itself.

Mats were placed on a fine mud floor in an immaculately clean kitchen. The wood fired Chulha was burning and giving out glow of warmth and scent of being at home.

Land lady welcomed us and we sat near the chulha. She served Dal and vegetables hot from the earthen pots. She rolled chapati and baked it on the fire on a earthen tawa. The chapati puffed in proud, round and full, and she spread Ghee on it.

One by one, we all got our chapatis. I took a bite and the full flavors burst into my mouth. The texture was coarse, taste was sweeter, bite was soft and yet crunchier; I looked quizzically at the lady.

I told her that I remembered my childhood. Before the gas cylinders arrived in our kitchens, it was coal fired Angeethi or wood/cow dung fired chulha that was used to prepare food which made food taste great. But here food tasted even better.

She knew the answer. She ground wheat in water driven mills in stone grinders. That way it never loose any of its flavor. Kids were busy listening the tales and licking their fingers.
Raw salad of cucumber, radish and tomato, green chilly added the delight.
My elder one filled his plate with heap-full of rice and poured dal, sabji abundantly.

Morning was cool and we were in a rush mode. We had to start our trek and porters were busy tying up the luggage, tents and ration. Breakfast was aloo-puri and we ate peacefully, savoring it in a gorgeous setting of Dhauladhar.

Meal after second day’s climb

Second days trek was more adventurous. The climb was tougher and altitude was higher. Rain leashed its mountain fury in full force. When we reached out first camping site, rain had thoroughly drenched us despite rain ponchos.

We huddled together in the kitchen tent till rain stopped, and warmed ourselves with tea. Sky remained overcast.

As soon as the rain stopped, kids and Amar Singh ji and Bunty, our another guide, went out for collecting dried and fallen branches as fuel. Wood was wet and there was too much moisture in the air. It was  tough to lit a fire.

It became another adventure sport for kids and they took turns to blow air to light a good fire. Once the fire started, they clapped and sat around the fire to warm themselves.

Now imagine what was cooked in dinner?
Bicchu saag! Nettle leaves!

Bicchu saag is a local delicacy in mountains and people of Uttarakhand, Himachal and Sikkim -all relish it. We had long wanted to taste Bicchu saag and the now we were eating it in a michelin starred restaurant by the riverside.

They cleaned and boiled nettle leaves to remove the sting, and then cooked it with Besan. It was green and yet kids liked it.  Bichchu saag along with dal-roti-chawal was a hearty meal indeed.

There, camping by the side of the river after a rainy climb, we all relished Bicchu Saag with roti and kids licked their plate all clean.

I am awestruck with the quaintness of our country’s vegetarian culinary wonders ; bhang, flower and stems of banana, Kachnar buds Raita, Moringa leaves Saak, roots, leaves and bulbs of Arbi, Kair Sangri of Desert, lotus stem and puffed lotus seeds…the list is infinite.

Every part of the plant- roots, leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, seeds, even bark(cinnamon), we cook everything in every possible way. If we make a “Recipe Survey of India” just like Archaeological Survey of India, we would find that we are no less rich in culinary heritage.

We all were  content. Muscles had been well exercised. Eyes had films of variety of wildflowers, trees, birds and green vistas. Ears heard the flow of water from streams, eddies and rivulets. Tongue has been blessed with silence inspired by the solitude of the surroundings. Tastebuds were thoroughly pleased, and lastly tummy was full and calm now. We slept like a log.

Third dinner at Kareri Lake

Morning brought sunshine, freshness and a cup of ginger tea with bread. Breakfast was Aloo Parantha and we marched ahead. Our final campsite was at Kareri Lake itself. And what did we have for dinner there?

Lungdu. Yes it was Lingdu which is a wild vegetable. Amar Singh ji and our porter collected it during the trek itself. Its English name is Fiddlehead fern and it is eaten in many Asian countries as side dish or as pickle.

Relishing Lungdu with Roti by the Glacier fed rippling waters of Kareri Lake was better than eating at Star Restaurants!

Collecting Lungdu , Nettle leaves and fire wood was fun, its taste was heavenly. And it was a realization that nature means abundance !

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