As a traveller, it does not matter how many times you have visited the hilly areas such as Kullu, Kangra, Manali, Shimla or Kasauli. Still, you will find something fresh and better on your trip to these mountains.

There are hundreds of things that describe the beauty of the Himachal Pradesh, including lush green valleys, snowfall, mountains covered with snow, fresh air and water, environment, culture, and especially Himachali food. Himachal Pradesh is very popular for its traditional and lip-smacking food, and it is said that the Himachali people pour their heart and love into their cuisines.

img src: Times Food

As a food lover, you can find delicious pahadi food from the corner of the roads of the Himachal to the big restaurant and hotels. There are varieties of recipes for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food lovers. Some of the delicious regional dishes can make your trip so memorable and add a different perk to your travelling experiences.

Mithha is one of the delicious sweet dishes of the Himachal Pradesh. It is also known for the traditional sweet dishes, which are prepared at the Himachali festival and on special occasions. Some other popular sweet cuisines of Himachal are Aktori, Patande, Babru, and mithha kaddu. In this article, we will discuss all the related information about this dish.

What is Mithha?

Mithha is a famous pahadi sweet dish of Himachal Pradesh. It originated from the northern part of Himachal Pradesh, yet it is popular in the whole state. It is considered a pahadi treasure because it is delicious and hard to resist. Mithha or meethe chawal is prepared with rice, saffron, and dry fruits. It is a traditional dish of Himachal Pradesh, and it is prepared for every festival and special occasion.

img src: Curly Tales

The thing which makes this dish very special is that it is cooked slowly to keep the nutrients of the dish, and this slow cooking also enhances the flavour of all ingredients three times. It has a delicious taste, but it also has several benefits related to health.

Ingredients to make mithha

The list of ingredients for making mithha is not that long; you can collect it easily because you already have most of the ingredients at your home. The ingredients you will need for its preparation are

For two servings

• 1 cup basmati rice (you can also choose any kind of rice according to your preference)
• 2 tablespoons of butter (you can also put ghee)
• ½ cup of milk
• 1 ½ cup water (for boiling the rice)
• 2-3 clove
• Cinnamon (one small piece of almost 0.5 inches)
• 2-3 cardamom (you can also use its powder)
• Sugar (according to your taste)
• ¼ tablespoon of saffron (Kesar)
• Nuts (raisins, almonds, and cashews)
• ½ tablespoon of fennel seeds or powder
• Turmeric powder (optional, if you want some colour)

How to Make Mithha

It is not a difficult task to prepare this famous sweet dish. You need to follow some steps, including –

• Step 1– First, you have to wash the rice and put it in a bowl for soaking for 10-15 minutes. And at the same time, soak saffron in the warm milk for 5-10 minutes.

  Now you have to boil the soaked rice, drain it and add it into a pot with the clove, cinnamon, and cardamom and cook in the water for at least 10 minutes. You can also add the roasted mixture of clove, cinnamon, and cardamom to enhance the flavour of the rice.

  

  img src: Times Food

• Step 2– Now, you have to saute all the nuts that you are using and the sugar. Take a pan and heat oil, and after adequate heat, saute the nuts for 2 minutes, and keep it aside.

  Next, add sugar to the heated oil in the pan and saute it until it melts, and add this melted sugar is in the mixture of boiled rice.

• Step 3– In the following step, take a biryani pot if possible, or you can cook it in any deep pot. In this pot, add rice, roasted nuts, sugar and saffron milk with the butter and cook it on low flame slowly until it absorbs the remaining water. You can also garnish it with the dry fruits while serving.

Benefits of Eating mithha

Besides its delicious taste, mithha has various health benefits as its ingredients have the properties to fight several health problems.

Saffron: It has a good variety of antioxidant molecules such as Crocin, Crocetin, and Safranal. The study has shown that Crocin help in many mental issues such as memory loss and inflammation. In some places, it is also used for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

And Safran helps in the improvement of memory and learning ability. Its components also help to treat depression symptoms and appetite and protect brain cells.

Saffron can also be used for some cancer treatments because it has cancer-fighting properties. It also has some other health benefits for the heart, blood sugar, and AMD (age-related macular degeneration).

img src: Times Food

Benefits of Dry Fruits: Raisins have several health benefits; it has a good fibre, which can help in digestion, control blood pressure, immunity power, healthy teeth and bone, and heart diseases.

Cashews are the one the most nutritious nuts, as it contains vitamins (E, K, and B6), minerals (magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and calcium, and antioxidants.

Therefore it helps in the many health problems, including cholesterol, diabetes, heart diseases, hair and eyesight issues, and blood pressure.

Clove and Cardamom: Cloves have high oxidants and an impressive amount of nutrients and have several benefits for people who are suffering from high blood pressure, cancer, and other chronic diseases.

Who Can Eat Mithha?

Everyone can eat this dish because it has no harm and has a good nutritional value. You can just avoid the use of any of its ingredients if you have any allergies to it.

Conclusion

Now you know what you must not miss whenever you visit Himachal Pradesh. The delicious food can help you to add a different flavour to your travelling experience.