Kashmiri Cuisine

Known for its scenic beauty, Kashmir is variously described as the paradise on earth, the dream-land, the choicest creation of God, etc. Synonymous with Kashmir's scenic beauty is the delectable native cuisine, from fresh fruits, crisp vegetables and expensive dry fruits to the most delicious non-vegetarian food. With dishes like rista yakhni and tabak maaz prepared by chefs known as wazas with hours of tedious preparation, it can be said that each Kashmiri dish is a labour of love. The unique feature of Kashmiri cuisine is that the spices used are boiled rather than fried; this gives them a unique and distinctive flavour and aroma.

Traditional Kashmiri cooking is called wazawan - a ritual of spreading all the food in the house before the guest . This taste of hospitality must, in turn, be fully appreciated by the guest, for the wazawan is not a simple meal but a ceremony. Hours of cooking and days of planning go into its making and serving. The wazawan experience includes table settings for groups of four on the floor where dishes (mostly non-vegetarian) are served, each aromatic with herbs and the fresh produce of the region. . Wazawan is rich with a wonderful flavour unique to Kashmiri cuisine.

Most Kashmiris, including the brahmins (Kashmiri Pandits), eat meat. For the wazawan, first the Tash-t-Nari is passed around, and diners wash their hands with warm water in a samovar, a large metal kettle that must have come from the Russian steppe region. The waza (chief cook) personally supervises each dish which comes out of his kitchen. Even the ingredients for the meal are handpicked, and the effort that goes into it ensures that each dish in this rich cuisine is one-of-its-kind. Choice delicacies such as Methi and Tabakmaaz, Roganjosh and Rista, and a variety of kebabs and vegetable preparations are served.

The cuisine of the State is characterised by three different styles of cooking ? the Kashmiri Pandit, the Muslim and the Rajput styles. Though they eat meat, surprisingly, many traditional Kashmiri Pandits don't include garlic and onion to their cooking. One of the distinct features of Kashmiri cuisine is the generous use of curds in the gravies, giving the dishes a creamy consistency. The Kashmiris also use asafoetida (heeng)to flavour their meat dishes.

Saunf (aniseed) and dry ginger are other spices used to enhance the taste. For instance, some dishes get their pungency not from chillies, but from dry ginger. Other dishes have no spice except for a little saunf added to them for flavour. Being the home of saffron, the colourful flavouring agent is used in pulaos and sweets.

Walnuts, almonds and raisins are also added to the curries. Ghee is the medium of cooking, probably because the fat is required to impart heat to the body, though mustard oil is also used. Some of the better known dishes are Yakhni, Tabaq Naat, which is an exotic dish made of fried ribs and decorated with silver varq, Dum Aloo, Rogan Josh, Gaustaba which is a light meatball, Haleem which is meat pounded with wheat, etc.

Locally grown varieties of rice are fragrant and very light. All the dishes are built around the main course of rice. The delicious saag is made from thick-leafed green vegetable called hak that grows throughout the year. Lotus root is also an important produce for boat dwelling people and makes a good substitute for meat. Fresh vegetables are used in season. Morel mushrooms called gucchi are harvested and consumed fresh in summer. They are expensive and therefore used only for specific occasions such as religious and wedding feasts. Their hearty flavour enlivens pilafs and other meatless dishes.

Corn bread is an alternative for rice. The tea in Kashmir is not Lipton or Orange pekoe. Rather, it is spice-scented green tea called kahva poured from a samovar. Fresh fish is a favourite. Lamb and poultry are served as accompaniments during traditional feasts. Smoked meat, dried fish and vegetables are stored for use in winter. A special masala `cake' is made from spice-blends, onions and locally grown chillies that can be stored for a longer period of time and used in flavouring curries. Sauces are made from dairy-rich products. Kashmiri fare is also influenced by Mughal cooking. The fruits and nuts grown from the Valley are used lavishly in daily menus.

Source & Photo Credit - Chef Pradeep, Chef Chalapati Rao & The Hindu

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes

?Chicken: 750 gm ?
Salt: to taste
?Garlic: 75 gm
?Yoghurt: 100 gm
?Red chilli paste: 20 gm
?Saffron: a pinch
?Cashew nuts, broken: 80 gm ?
Refined oil: 20 ml
?Bay leaves: 3 ?
Cloves: 4 ?
Onion, big: 2 ?
Coriander leaves: 1 spring

Marinate the chicken with salt, half the garlic paste and yoghurt.

Heat oil in a pan and add bay leaves, cloves and onion paste.

Add the garlic paste once the onion is brown. Add a mixture of red chilli, cashew nut paste and saffron dissolved in water. Cook till the raw flavour goes.

Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook. If needed, add a little water to it. Cook well and finally adjust the seasoning. Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Potatoes, small: 20 nos
?Refined oil: for deep frying
?Dried Kashmiri chillies: 6 to 8
?Yoghurt: 100 gm ?
Cardamom powder: half teaspoon
?Dry ginger powder: 1 teaspoon
Fennel powder: 2 tablespoon
Mustard oil: half cup
?Clove powder: a pinch ?
Asafoetida: a pinch ?
Salt: to taste
?Roasted cumin powder: half teaspoon
?Garam masala powder: half teaspoon

Peel the potatoes and deep fry till they turn golden brown.

Prepare a paste of dried Kashmiri chillies.

Prepare a mixture of the Kashmiri chilli paste, yoghurt, cardamom powder, dry ginger powder and fennel powder.

Heat the mustard oil in a pan; add clove powder and asafoetida. Add some water and salt and bring it to boil.

Add the fried potatoes and the yoghurt mixture. Cook well till the potatoes absorb the gravy.

Check the seasoning and serve hot, garnished with roasted cumin powder and garam masala powder.