Katra, the base camp for the holy trek to the shrine of Vaishno Devi, includes some very diverse food cultures and elements the constitute the cuisine of this town. Owing to the huge influx of tourist every year, a lot of restaurant in Katra have opened up in different parts of the hill town. From extravagant North Indian and Mughlai to absolutely delicious and chatpate street food items, you can find everything at these restaurants to delight your taste buds.
The regulars here are the Dogra dishes that include delicacies like Rajma, Aloo Dum, Kashmiri Pulao and the staple Naan. At some of the high-end restaurants, you can even find the extremely popular Wazawan. It is a lovely 36 course meal prepared by expert chefs called Wazas.
You can also find decadent varieties of typical North Indian sweets like Chocolate Barfi, Patisa and more.
Some Recommended Street Food Items You Must Try at the Restaurants in Katra
The gorgeous town of Katra is dotted with exceptional restaurants and small cafes serving piping hot paranthas along with some of Katra’s street food delicacies.
You can easily spot the famous Kaladi Kulcha on the menus of almost all the Katra restaurants. It is one of the most-sought after dishes, which is especially popular among the tourists. It is prepared by a special type of cheese that is extracted from cow’s milk. The savory dish is a mouth-watering mix of kaladi (cheese), kulcha and a bunch of aromatic spices.
Kachalu is another hot favorite dish of the people of Katra. It is made from a palate-pleasing combination of potatoes, jamiri (extract of lemon), chilli and ground pepper. You can easily come across several restaurants in Katra serving this appetizing dish to indulge your senses.
You must try the authentic Poode, generally prepared in pure desi ghee. If you are lucky, you may also find the delish Dabba Kulcha on the menu of a few restaurants in Katra. It is a delicious kulcha bun soaked in the gravy of rajma and garnished with tamarind chutney, chopped onions and chilies. The scrumptious taste of it will leave you wanting for more. You can also find nice potato and onion pakode at these restaurants.
Another extremely popular local dish of Katra is Gulgule. Widely appreciated by food lovers, this dish includes small balls made with chickpeas and served with imli ki chutney and mooli. All the street food delicacies that you try at the famous restaurants in Katra is served with a spoonful of Anardana Chutney. Made from anardana seeds, coriander, mint, green chilies and salt, the divine taste of this chutney can take all the food dishes to an all-together new level.
So, when you visit Katra, do not forget to explore the different food varieties served at the various restaurants here. You can ask for recommendations from your friends and family or even browse the internet to find the best restaurants in Katra, serving wonderful street food items for an enjoyable experience.