Minjar Fair: Trainee chefs learn about Chamba’s culinary heritage

Chamba, August 1
As part of the ‘Chalo Chamba’ campaign, a workshop was organised at H2O Anandam in Chaminoo village, 12 kilometres from Chamba town, to celebrate the international Minjar Fair. The event was centred around preparing traditional ‘Chambiali’ dishes, and explaining their significance.
The workshop took place at the community kitchen of H2O Anandam, where elder women from various self-help groups (SHGs) taught the younger generation how to make traditional Chamba dishes — Chambiali Dham, Gheyor, Beab, Kachori, Sakot, Bada, Babru, Dahi Wale Aloo, Ghughi and Mithdu.

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Traditionally, these dishes were exchanged as gifts during festivals. The women prepare these traditional dishes for special occasions at H2O Anandam, highlighting the unique culinary traditions of Chamba. Participants included trainee chefs from the National Finishing and Cookery Institute (NFCI), Udaipur, Chamba. Under the guidance of faculty member Pawan Pathania, they learned about the preparation of the traditional dishes.
The dishes were displayed in the auditorium, where their traditional significance was explained to the attendees, including the general public.
Vijay Sharma, a Padma Shri awardee, and Pankaj Chauphala were the special guests at the event.
SHGs H2O Anandam, Holistic Himalaya, Not-On-Map, Pehchan Self-Help Group and Chamba Rediscover played a crucial role in the execution of the workshop.
“The cuisine of Chamba is unique. Such workshops should be organised regularly to generate interest among the younger generation about preparing traditional dishes, ensuring the continuity of this tradition,” one of the participants of the workshop said.
Not-On-Map co-founder Manuj Sharma emphasised the collaborative effort to introduce Chamba’s traditional cuisine to the younger generation. He said the enthusiastic participation of the youth was a positive sign. The organisation had plans to continue the workshop at NFCI, Udaipur, in the future, he added. — OC