Pisyun loon (hill flavoured salt)
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Salt ground by hand on a stone with garlic, green chilli and herbs, the everyday seasoning of Uttarakhand.
Region: UttarakhandOccasion: Everyday seasoningTime: 30 min + dryingServes: 1 small jarVegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup coarse salt
- 10 garlic cloves
- 6–8 green chillies
- 1 cup coriander leaves, or a handful of hemp seeds or jakhiya, roasted
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
Method
- Wash and dry the chillies and coriander completely.
- On a grinding stone (silbatta), grind the garlic and chillies to a paste.
- Add the coriander or roasted seeds and grind further.
- Add the salt little by little and grind until everything is mixed and the salt turns green.
- Spread it on a plate to dry in the shade for a day, then store in a dry jar.
History
Pisyun loon (‘ground salt’) is made in almost every hill home, each with its own family mix.
Significance
It is eaten with cucumber, citrus, rice and roti, and women’s self-help groups now pack and sell it as a hill product.