When I was planning my trip to Sikkim, I had only two things on my agenda – eating momos and getting a good view of the Kanchenjunga. Yes, pretty much the simple stuff. This was one of those trips where I wanted to do slow travelling, eat heartily, stay put in one place and immerse in knowing that place well. And that’s exactly what I did.
What to Eat as a Vegan Traveller in Sikkim
Luckily for me, my homestay host Yeshey was a brilliant cook, and she went out of her way to make authentic Sikkimese vegan dishes for me.
That’s when I realised that it’s a common myth that Sikkimese cuisine is mostly non-vegetarian, trust me, I ate something new every day. Plus, Sikkim being a state abundant in varieties of organic vegetables, a vegan will never go hungry there.
On-route Gangtok
My travel from Mumbai to Gangtok was pretty long – a 3-hour flight to Bagdogra and then a 6-hour long road journey through the winding roads. But the view of the mighty Teesta River kept me completely in awe and occupied. So, by the time I reached the homestay I was pretty tired, as the mountain roads had made my head dizzy and my stomach nauseous, so I crashed early that day.
Next day, I woke up to the nice cold weather, a hot cup of coffee and a hearty conversation with Yeshey. I had told her I was not a fussy eater, and I would eat anything vegan that she made for me. And I was in for a delightful and unexpected treat for breakfast – Tingmo with aloo curry.
Tingmo with aloo sabzi
Tingmo is a soft, fluffy, steamed bun, usually made with refined flour, but Yeshey made it with wheat flour for me. This slightly chewy bread, shaped into beautiful folds, looked like a piece of art, I almost didn’t want to touch it but at the same time was tempted to taste it. It serves as a perfect accompaniment to savoury dishes like curries and stews. I had it with mildly spiced aloo curry and it instantly cheered me up. It was a good beginning for my trip.
Tingmo, also known as Tibetan bread, has its roots in the Tibetan cuisine, where bread and dumpling-like dishes are staples because of the cold temperatures. It is widely enjoyed in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal and Sikkim. For me, it was a hearty breakfast, and it fully equipped me to step out with energy and explore the city.
I went to MG Marg, which is the heart of Gangtok, like in most cities. It is a walking street lined up with shops, restaurants, benches to rest and filled up with tourists and locals alike. Sipping coffee and just watching people pass by is a good time pass, or you could just walk around and explore the shops. I am not a fan of shopping, so I sat with a cup of coffee. There are quite a few quaint cafes there and the coffee is good too.
Momos and Momos
Next thing which was on top of my list to try was momos. Following the advice of many online pages, I went to Shuffle momos. I ordered the veg momos. It looked pretty for pictures, but the taste was average, I wasn’t satisfied with it. Being in the mountains, I somehow expected better tasting momos. When I discussed this with Yeshey, she suggested I try the momos at Roll House. I went there the very next day.
It was a tiny shop tucked inside a lane, easily miss-able if you are not actively looking for it. But once you enter the lane, you see a crowd at a particular shop and yes, that is Roll House. Seeing the crowd kind of gave me a kind of assurance that the food would be good.
You get a variety of rolls and momos there. There were just two people operating the place- one was making it and the other was serving it. Few stools were placed outside the shop, but most people were standing and relishing every bite.
When I was handed my plate of veg momos, splashed with a side of sparkling red chutney, it looked quite unassuming. But one bite of the soft, piping hot momos with a dip of the chutney, made me finally feel that I was in the mountains. The combination of the cool mountain air, hot momos, and that spicy kick from the chutney – made it an ever-satisfying soul food. I was glad that I had found the kind of momos I was looking for.
If you carefully look at the map of Sikkim, you can see that it is squeezed between Nepal on one side, Bhutan on the other, and Tibet on the top. And this directly reflects in the cuisine of Sikkim. Both Tibet and Nepal claim to be the origins of momos. But it doesn’t matter to us, we Indians love it and call it our very own.
Thupka – A Bowl of Warmth
My exploration of the Himalayan cuisine continued when Yeshey made me a bowl of heartwarming thupka.
Imagine an evening where the cold seeps in through all layers of your clothes and a big bowl of soup with noodles, herbs and vegetables is presented to you. The aroma makes its way to you to entice you; you dip a big spoon and taste it, it instantly warms your heart. That is Thupka, which is one of the staples in Sikkimese cuisine and local spices, herbs and vegetables, gives it a unique Sikkimese twist. And the best part is that the vegan version is easy to make.
It is said that the Dalai Lama’s mother introduced Thupka to the refugee community in India and then it became popular and spread everywhere in the Northeast. In Sikkim, this dish is popular with all communities and is easily available.
So, if you are in Sikkim, you have to taste it, as it offers an authentic taste of Sikkim’s culinary traditions.
Aloo Chura – A vegan street food in Gangtok
A disposable plate filled with the creaminess of potato gravy, the crispiness of chura or flattened rice, the spiciness of masala, the crunchiness of diced onions and a trickle of chutney. Yes, that’s aloo chura for you. It is surprisingly filling and chatpata too.
The dish has a wonderful balance of flavours – the mild spiciness of the potatoes gravy, the crispy texture of the flattened rice, and the tangy and spicy chutneys served alongside. It’s a perfect combination of soft, crunchy, spicy, and tangy elements performing a perfect dance in your mouth.
Try this with no second thoughts. You will crave it once you are back in the plains.
Nepali thali in Gangtok
Owing to the proximity of Nepal and because there is a sizeable population of a Nepali community in Gangtok, you will find many restaurants that serve Nepalese cuisine. I tried the Nepali thali and specifically told them I was vegan, and they customised it for me. It had rice, dal, aloo gravy, saag, salad, achar and different types of chutneys. It was uncomplicated yet delightfully flavourful.
I liked it so much that I tried it at different restaurants, the basic assortments were the same just the sabzi changed.
It felt very close to the Indian thali but the taste of the mountain saag, the chutneys and spices, were different. And definitely appealing to my Indian palette.
Homemade thali
Back at the homestay, I got to eat a different kind of thali, the Sikkimese thali.
It featured a flavourful Ningro stir fry, a hearty butter beans sabzi, an assortment of tangy achars, comforting dal, and steamed rice. Each dish carried the essence of the region, celebrating its diversity and the fresh, organic flavours that make it so special.
Maggie
A trip to the mountains is incomplete without eating piping hot Maggie in the chilling cold weather.
There’s a beautiful dichotomy hidden in eating Maggie in the mountains. You want to eat it fast so that it doesn’t become cold, but you also want to eat it slow because you want to enjoy it in the cold weather. There’s nothing quite like it.
Final Thoughts: Sikkim Vegetarian & Vegan Food Guide
What stands out about Sikkimese cuisine is that it reflects the state’s unique position on the map. It’s shaped by the Himalayas and the Nepali, Bhutia and Lepcha culinary traditions. The best part is the food celebrates simplicity; it allows the natural flavours to take centre stage without overpowering it with masalas. If you are having saag, you can actually taste the saag and its texture.
The staple food is rice, noodles and steamed dumplings and it is often accompanied by fermented vegetables, leafy greens and hearty broth that keeps you warm during the tough winter months.
The food there tells a beautiful story of migration, adaptation and the deep relationship people have with the landscape they call home.
If you are a vegetarian or vegan, plan a trip without any doubt, you will come back with newly discovered flavours and taste.
Read more Sikkim stories:
Three Unusual Foods that I had in Sikkim
