The day-to-day cuisine of "Himachalis" is similar to the rest of northern India with Punjabi and Tibetan influences. Lentils ("Dāl"), rice ("Chāwal" or "Bhāț"), vegetables ("Sabzī") and chapati (wheat flatbread) form the staple food of the local population. Non-vegetarian food is more preferred and accepted in Himachal Pradesh than elsewhere in India, partly due to the scarcity of fresh vegetables on the hilly terrain of the state. Himachali specialities include "Siddu", "Babru", "Khatta", "Mhanee", "Channa Madra", "Patrode", "Mah Ki Dal", "Chamba-Style Fried Fish", "Kullu Trout", "Chha Gosht", "Pahadi Chicken", "Sepu Badi", "Auriya Kaddu", "Aloo Palda", "Pateer", "Makki Ki Roti" and "Sarson Ka Saag", "Chouck", "Bhagjery" and "Chutney" of Til. At the time of Independence, Himachal Pradesh had a literacy rate of 8% - one of the lowest in the country. By 2011, the literacy rate surged to over 82%, making Himachal one of the most-literate states in the country. There are over 10,000 primary schools, 1,000 secondary schools and more than 1,300 high schools in the state. In meeting the constitutional obligation to make primary education compulsory, Himachal became the first state in India to make elementary education accessible to every child. Himachal Pradesh is an exception to the nationwide gender bias in education levels. The state has a female literacy rate of around 76%. In addition, school enrolment and participation rates for girls are almost universal at the primary level. While higher levels of education do reflect a gender-based disparity, Himachal is still significantly ahead of other states at bridging the gap. The Hamirpur District in particular stands out for high literacy rates across all metrics of measurement. The state government has played an instrumental role in the rise of literacy in the state by spending a significant proportion of the state's GDP on education. During the first six five-year plans, most of the development expenditure in education sector was utilised in quantitative expansion, but after the seventh five-year-plan the state government switched emphasis on qualitative improvement and modernisation of education.