Retro Rasoi: Recreating My Grandmother’s Magic

There are flavors that whisper stories. For me, hing is one of them. It reminds me of cold mornings in my ancestral home in Almora, where my daadi would prepare steaming bowls of moong dal with that one perfect chhaunk of hing.

Modern-day packaged masalas rarely carry that soulful punch. But when I received a gift hamper from my daughter with Pahadwali’s Hing Mix Flavoured Salt, my memories stirred alive.

Nostalgia Moong Dal with Hing Salt

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow moong dal

• 3 cups water

• 1 tomato chopped

• 1 tsp ghee

• ½ tsp cumin seeds

• ½ tsp Pahadwali Hing Mix Flavoured Salt

• Pinch of turmeric

• Fresh coriander to garnish

Instructions:

1. Boil moong dal with turmeric until soft.

2. In a small pan, heat ghee. Add cumin seeds. Once aromatic, pour over dal.

3. Stir in chopped tomatoes and let it simmer for 2 minutes.

4. Turn off heat. Add Hing Mix Salt. Stir gently.

5. Garnish and serve hot with rice.

What I loved most? The authentic, earthy undertone of hing, paired with gentle warmth that reminded me of the wooden kitchens and stone-ground spices of Uttarakhand.

Pahadwali has done something rare. It has captured the essence of Himalayan kitchens in a pinch of salt.