Bhatt ki Churkani

Black soybean thin dal — bhatt (a small, dark local variety of soybean, Glycine max, grown in Garhwal's mid-altitude fields) soaked overnight and cooked in water with turmeric and dried red chilli into a thin, rustic, earthy broth. Tempered with ghee, cumin, and asafoetida. 'Churkani' means the thin, watery preparation as opposed to a thick dal. The flavour is intense, almost mushroom-like — quite unlike regular soybean preparations. Entirely unique to the Garhwal hills.