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5 min
02/03/2026
Bhutwa, a traditional meat dish from Uttarakhand, is made using various organ cuts and spices. Historically, this is a dish associated with communal eating in and around the Kumaon hills, and has not gained mainstream popularity like many of the sweet and savoury dishes have. However, bhutwa does play a vital part in some of the regional food practices celebrated during Holi, where meat becomes part of the overall festive feast.
India has a wide variety of food for Holi, ranging from sweets to hearty savoury meals. One of the traditional dishes of Holi in Uttarakhand has its own distinct identity as bhutwa. It is a meat dish, particularly a mixture of meat and offal, that is created in accordance with the customs, conditions, and energies of the people within the mountain region. While the vast majority of the dishes prepared during the Holi festival consist of sweets, bhutwa reinforces the mountain way of life by using the entire ingredient as much as possible and brings people together in community celebrations and fellowship at this time of year.
Bhutwa is a traditional dish from the Kumaon area of Uttarakhand that is made mainly from the internal organs of an animal (offal), with the addition of spices, which are then slow-cooked to produce a rich, flavourful dish of meat. It represents the idea of using every part of the animal in the sense that it uses the animal to its fullest and avoids wasting anything, which was very important in the Himalayas due to the nature of the environment and the available resources.
Bhutwa is made up of a combination of high-quality organs that have been thoroughly cleaned and slowly cooked in mustard oil with a base of sautéed onions and garlic, caraway seeds (called thoya locally), and regional spices. The long cooking time allows all of the different textures of the offal to become tender and soak up the aromatic flavours of the spices, which combine to make a bold and savoury flavour profile that goes well with the other simple local dishes.
Though numerous regions of India indulge in sweet vegetarian foods to celebrate the Holi festival, Uttarakhand’s culinary heritage also features rich dishes containing meat, such as bhutwa. Dishes such as bhutwa have a very robust traditional history, being consumed during Holi throughout the Northern and Eastern regions of India, often to welcome Spring from Winter through togetherness and prolific feasting.
The hill districts of Kumaon and Garhwal, both part of Uttarakhand, are where Holi is widely celebrated with gulal. Locals are often seen singing along while eating hearty dishes such as bhutwa during large family gatherings. Community meals also comprise the many available regional variations of Holi food that aid in showing how the multitude of ways Holi can be represented beyond just sugar-based treats.
Bhutwa represents not just a savoury dish but a gathering of social and environmental wisdom to cook food historically in mountain villages that had long winters and limited supplies, allowing families to create cooking practices that optimised nutrition and consumed the most out of their food. Cooking bhutwa was an act of community, as people came together to prepare bhutwa over open fires. Bhutwa reflects resourcefulness and the value placed on communal meals during joyous occasions.
Uttarakhand's Holi special food recipes consist of various preparations, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, to accompany festive meals. In many regions of India, during the Holi festival, the traditional Holi spread contains dairy and sweets from the various states, demonstrating how the regional aspect of cultural context has an impact on the menu of the festival. Although many regions of India are known for their sweets, bhutwa is an example of how the culture of food in the Himalayas enhances the celebration of the Holi festival.
The unique place in the culinary and festive traditions of Uttarakhand bhutwa is that it is a slow-cooked, hearty meat-based dish that reflects the values of resourcefulness and community. While bhutwa may not be as recognised as other special foods associated with Holi, the dish serves as an example of the diversity of festival cuisines in India and expands the knowledge of how regions around India honour the celebration through the use of meaningful and flavourful foods.
