Must-Try Himalayan Foods When in Siliguri

Siliguri as a Himalayan Food Gateway

Must-try Himalayan dishes at Mustang Thakali Siliguri

For many travellers, Siliguri is a transit city — a stop on the way to Darjeeling, Sikkim, or the Northeast. But those who take the time to eat well here will discover a city with one of India’s richest concentrations of Himalayan food, shaped by its Gorkha community, its proximity to Nepal and Bhutan, and its position at the foot of the mountains.

The Must-Try Himalayan Dishes

1. Thakali Thali — The Complete Mountain Meal

If you eat one thing in Siliguri, make it a Thakali Thali. The full set meal — with dal, curry, gundruk achar, alu timur, seasonal greens, and ghee — served with rice or traditional dhido/ghoken is the most complete expression of Himalayan cuisine you can experience. At Mustang Thakali: from 360 (veg) to 580 (mutton with ghoken).

2. Jhol Momo — Nepal’s Most Satisfying Street Food Upgrade

Regular momo are good. Jhol momo — steamed momo served in a spiced tomato-sesame broth — are transformative. The broth is warming, tangy, and deeply umami. Not to be missed. At Mustang Thakali: from 180 (veg).

3. Kanchamba — The Rare Buckwheat Snack

Kanchamba — traditional Thakali buckwheat snack from Mustang valley

One of the rarest Himalayan snacks you’ll find anywhere in India. Made from buckwheat, traditional to the Mustang valley. Dense, earthy, satisfying. Available at Mustang Thakali: 200 (plain) or 220 (chilly).

4. Buff Sukuti Sadeko — Himalayan Dried Meat at Its Best

Sukuti is traditional sun-dried and smoked meat — a preservation technique from mountain communities where refrigeration was impossible. Sadeko style means it’s tempered with herbs and spices after drying, giving it a complex amilo (sour), piro (spicy), twakka (tart) flavour profile. At Mustang Thakali: 400.

5. Chicken Choila — The Newari Classic

A Newari preparation rather than strictly Thakali, but a Himalayan essential. Flame-grilled chicken marinated in mustard oil, garlic, ginger, and timur. Smoky, tangy, intensely flavoured. At Mustang Thakali: 295.