Kashmiri Cuisine

History and Geography

Kashmir, the most enchanting state, with its' snow-capped Himalayan ranger, beautiful lakes and
houseboats is often called the Switzerland in India. This beautiful valley has a population of both
Hindus and Muslims.
Kashmiris cultivate an ancient crop called saffron. Each thread like 'stigma' will be worth almost
its' weight in Gold.
Essential Ingredients
Lotus Stem (Nadroo), Shallots (Praan), Dried Vegetables (Sheengri many vegetables are dried
during autumn and kept for the winter months like, Brinjals, Apples, Tomatoes, White gourd,
etc.), Bauhinia flowers (Kachnaar), Cocks comb flower (Mowal colouring agent), Saffron
(Zafran dried stigma of the crocus flower), Morels (Guchi), Kohlrabi (Moinja), Green Leafy
vegetables (Haaq), Wild Spinach (Saunchal), Kashmiri Masala (Ver), Turnips (Gogji), Black
beans (Varmoth), Round Radish (Muzh).
Special Equipments
a) Dan: On normal days the cooking in both Hindu and Muslim homes is mostly done on a dan,
which is an oblong clay oven about 3 ft by 2 ft in length and a foot and a half in height. It has a
floor-level hole, through which firewood is fed, and has usually three holes on the top on which
food in different pots is heated or cooked.
b) Tarami: These are large brass plates used for serving food. A tarami could be shared between
four people in the event of feasts.
c) Leji / Degul / Digcha: Among Kashmiri pandits, most vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes
are cooked in pots made of baked clay. The pot is called a deg, a degul, or a leji according to its
size and shape. Pots used in Kashmir are round-bottomed, which makes stirring and turning of
the contents easy while cooking and also while mixing spices and condiments.
d) Tasht Naar: These are a portable hand washbasin and a pitcher that are passed around to
wash hands during big banquets.
e) Goshpar Kaen: These are a flat coarse stone and a wooden mallet made of walnut wood
which are used for pounding meat to a fine texture, generally used for making goshtabas and
rishtas. The wooden mallet is made up of walnut wood so that it does not splinter when it hits the
stone.
f) Krech: These are different kinds of wooden spoons and ladles used for turning the food in clay
pots so that the base of the pot does not get scraped.
g) Khalur Dula: This is a stone mortar with a wooden pestle used for grinding chutneys and
pastes.
h) Samovar: This is a jug-shaped metallic pitcher used for brewing tea such as kehwa and sheer
chai. It has a long tube inside that is filled with charcoal, which keeps the tea in the pot brewing.
Salient Features
1. Kashmiri food is a blend or a cultural mix of Indian, Iranian and Afghani cuisine which in turn
gave rise to the traditional 'wazwan' style of cooking which is mostly non-vegetarian and is
cooked in a lot of spices.
2. The population mainly consists of Muslims and Kashmiri Pandits (Brahmins who eat meat but
surprisingly do not include onion and garlic in their food).
3. Curd is a very important ingredient that is used extensively and of course saffron for
colouring.
4. The upland forests of Kashmir are carpeted with fat, juicy, spongy morels. Other mushroom
grows everywhere.
5. Kashmiris rarely slaughter household animals. They depend for their meat upon Gujars
(Nomadic Muslim herdsmen).
6. Many precious terraces are reserved for their staple, Rice. Kashmiris love their rice which the
cold dew penetrating through the husk to the grain makes hard and sweet. Wheat too is grown, to
make superb breads such as, flaky, bun shaped 'Kulcha' and the sesame crusted 'tsachvaru' both
very popular accompaniments for tea.
7. The blue lakes are filled with the rhizomes of the lakes, often called lotus roots (Nedru). These
resemble linked sausages and tastes of artichoke hearts. They are cooked with fish, with
wastahaak (a popular spring beans) and also with lamb. They can be made into meatballs cooked
in yoghurt as a Yakhni, dipped into rice batter and made into fritters, or the best of them all: fried
in mustard oil to make yummy, crunchy chips.
8. The abundance of dry fruits -walnuts, dried dates, apricots also inspire the Kashmiri
connoisseur to use them lavishly in puddings, curries and snacks.
9. The Kashmiri day begin at the crack of dawn while a delicate mist still hovers over the lakes.
The first order of business in most homes are the setting of the samovars. Water is poured in and
some live charcoal thrown into its' chimney. Once the water is boiling loose green tea is
sprinkled in and a little sugar. Some crushed cardamom and almonds is also added. This is called
Kahwa. It is drunk for breakfast and sipped all through the day.
10. For the breakfast, handless cups make their appearance neatly stacked in special cage, a
'Pyabnoor' or cup holder which also has loops for spoons. Kahwa is in the cups. They get so
ferociously hot that they can have only with towels. Breads from baskets are nibble with the tea.
11. Mustard oil is used as the cooking medium. Asafoetida, better known as heeng, is used as a
tempering in most of the preparations. The main spices used for flavouring most of the dishes are
saunth or dried ginger and saunf powder.
12. Kashmiri breads are more related to the breads of Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Middle
East than to the chappatis, pooris and parathas of the rest of the subcontinent. They range from
shortbread like buns, to discs of flaky pastry, to spongy chewy creations that are crosses between
bagels and doughnuts. There is nothing quite as satisfying as a chewy 'girda', still warm from the
bakery, smoothened with a mound of clotted cream; or for that matter, a crumbly 'kulhca' from
Bandipura, the soft 'Bakirkhani' from sapore with a hole in its center; or the delicate 'krep' and
the biscuit - like 'sheermal' from Pampur.
13. Vegetables and many other seasonal greens that go under names like moinja haak, vappal
haak, wastahaak, hernj haak and 'aaram haak' are considered staples and are invariably cooked in
mustard oil and water with the addition of red and green chillies. For extra flavouring Hindus use
asafoetida and Muslims use garlic and sometimes cloves and cinnamon as well.
14. Kashmiri Pandits eat meat with great gusto-lamb cooked with yogurt (yakhni), lamb cooked
in milk (aabgosht), lamb cook with asafoetida, dried ginger, fennel and lots of ground red chillies
(roganjosh) but frown upon onion and garlic, which they say, encourage base passions.
15. Kashmiri Muslims eat many of the same meat dishes, but just spice them somewhat
differently, using lots of Garlic, dried red cockscomb flowers (maval) for food coloring, and
onion. But the onion is called 'praan', the onion of Kashmir, a strange cross between a spring
onion (scallion) and a shallot)
16. Hindus tend to eat many more vegetables than Muslims such as auberigines cooked with
greens, aubergines cooked with apples, and cabbage cooked with tomatoes.
17. 'Ver' is a spice mixture used in foods to give them a Kashmiri flavour. But the recipe of 'Ver'
is kept as a family secret. It contain garlic and praan for Muslims, asafoetida and fenugreek for
Hindus as well as lots of freshly ground red chillies, cumin, coriander, dried ginger, cloves,
cardamom and turmeric. All spices are ground, and then made into a patty with the help of some
mustard oil. A hole is made in the patty and left to dry on wooden planks on shade.
18. Among Kashmiris there is consistent awareness of the inevitability of winter. Each vegetable
will be cut and dried and kept. Also they will keep dried fish (hogaad) for use in winter.
19. The first snowfall is celebrated by the Muslims with a dish of 'harissa', a kind of porridge
made by meat and grains that is eaten with delicious 'girda' bread. Hindus will enjoy hearty
bowls of 'razma gogji' - red kidney beans simmered with turnips.
20. The Kashmiri Muslim Banquet, 'waazwaan', named for the 'waaza' or professional cooks,
who prepare it, begins with the appearance of an unlikely procession. A team of about twenty or
thirty chefs and assistants forms the team to cook waazwaan. Their recipes are kept secret,
locked away in their heads. The wazwan is led as a festival in its own & it is like a dream of
every Muslim to have a wazwan organized. Consumption of mutton has a very high regard in
wazwan.
21. The animals are slaughtered according to the Muslim custom and then butchered expertly on
the spot. According to 'waaza' there are seventy two parts of an animal and a most of them are
cooked. Organ meats such as Kidneys, hearts, liver will be served for the host family for lunch.
22. Tents are set up, one as the kitchen and one as the dining pavilion. Earnest young men will
cut meat into cubes, mince it and pound it repeatedly into a smooth paste. All of this; is done
with mallets and cleavers over several hours.
23. When cooking is finished, long white sheets called 'dastarkhans', are spread on the carpeted
floor of dining pavilion. Guests come in quietly and take their places, the men segregated from
women. Jugs of water and basins are brought in so hands may be washed.
24. It is time for food. This comes in covered 'tramis' plates that are large enough to seat tour
people around them. The cover (sarposh) is removed, the name of God invoked with the cry of
'bismillah' and the eating begins. In the centre of the tram, is a huge mound of rice on top of
which are place ' dry' , unsaved meats - roasted chicken halves, skewered, mincemeat, seekh,
kababs, the much priced muscle from a shank and the Kashmiri specialty, tabakmaaz. To make
the last, rib chops are braised in an aromatic broth and then shallow fried until they are nice and
crisp. Yogurt is served in large clay bowls and sweet pumpkin chutney in saucers.
25. Once the dry course is eaten, the wetter dishes begin to arrive. Etiquette demands that, even
though the food in a trami is communal, you must neatly with your fingertips, burrow your own
private tunnel be it 'rista' - spongy meatballs, 'raganjosh' - meatcubes cooked with yoghurt red
chillies and saffron, 'palag korma' - tiny meatballs in a spinach sauce , 'ruangan tsaman' - fresh
cheese chunks cooked with tomatoes, or goshtaba - large silky meatballs.
Festivals / Occasions
NAVREH The Kashmiri New Year, known as Navreh, is celebrated with rice, walnuts, honey
and curd, symbolizing prosperity and abundance.
Ramzan (Id ul Fitr), Id ul Zuha, Shab e Barat.



Signature Dishes

Non- Vegetarian
RISHTA: This is prepared by poaching lamb dumplings in a rich red gravy, flavoured with
saffron and an extract of cock's comb.
GUSHTABA: This dish is made with lamb, freshly pounded to a paste. The boneless cubes of
lamb are beaten along with lamb fat with a wooden mallet on a coarse stone so that the fibres
break down, yielding a paste of meat. It is then flavoured with black cardamom seeds, fennel and
black pepper corns, Kashmiri garam masala, and ginger powder. The gravy is made by
combining yoghurt, ghee, salt, and Kashmiri spices. The gushtabas are poached in it until spongy
and tender.
DHANIWAL KORMA: This is a rich preparation of lamb in a yoghurt-based gravy. The
preparation for the gravy is started with pure ghee to which ingredients such as garlic paste,
cloves, and green cardamom are added. The gravy is finished by adding cooked yoghurt,
turmeric, and coriander powder, and then garnished with coriander leaves.
TABAK MAAZ: This is also a lamb preparation from the ribs of lamb. The lamb ribs are
boiled in a mixture of milk and water with aniseed powder, ginger, turmeric, asafoetida, and
cinnamon powder till the meat absorbs all the water. After that, the meat is taken out, cut into
pieces, and then pan-fried in hot ghee flavoured with cardamom, fennel, and cinnamon. The
pieces of meat are fried till they are crisp and golden brown in colour.
AAB GOSHT: For preparing this dish, lamb is cut in serving portions and boiled in water along
with aniseed powder, ginger, garlic, and salt till tender. Then the gravy is separately made by
cooking fried onion paste in ghee with the addition of black pepper powder and reduced milk.
The milk has to be reduced with green cardamom so that the cardamom flavour is completely
infused in the milk.
KABARGAH: This is similar to tabak maaz, but the only difference is that the tender boiled
pieces of lamb ribs are dipped into a batter made with gram flour and spices, and then fried until
crisp.
METHI MAAZ: This is served as an appetizer. Small boneless pieces of lamb (boti) are
combined with offals such as the stomach of lamb, the oesophagus or the food pipe, and lungs.
These are cooked with spices and a paste of boiled fenugreek leaves.
YAKHNI: Boneless pieces of lamb known as boti and on-bone pieces of lamb are stewed in a
yoghurt-based gravy flavoured with fennel, cardamom, and dried ginger powder to make yakhni.
It is basically a thin gravy and is usually relished with rice.
ROGANJOSH: Lamb culled out from the shoulder is simmered in a gravy made from mustard
oil, yoghurt, red-coloured water from cock's comb flowers, brown onion paste, and spices such
as fennel powder and cardamom.
PALAK KORMA: Tiny meat balls in a spinach gravy.


Vegetables
RWANGAN TSAMAN: Rwangan Cottage cheese known as tsaman is commonly eaten tsaman
in Kashmir in many variations. It is sometimes cooked with fresh fenugreek leaves and called
methi tsaman. Rwangan refers to tomatoes and this preparation calls for stewing cottage cheese
in tomato gravy flavoured with ver and other spices.
DUM OLAV: Medium-sized potatoes are first boiled in salted water, and then peeled and
pricked all over before deep-frying in mustard oil. The potatoes are then stewed in a yoghurt-
based gravy that is flavoured with Kashmiri red chilli paste, brown onion, and ver. This is then
cooked on dum until the oil starts to float on top.
RAJMA GOGJI: Red kidney beans cooked with turnips, flavoured with fennel and saunth (dry
ginger powder).
Others
YAKHNI SHORBA: A rich, thin mutton based stock flavoured and enriched with ginger,
garlic, garam masala, etc.
KHURBANI KA MEETHA: Dried apricots soaked in water are simmered in sugar syrup and
mildly flavoured with kewra and saffron.
MECHAMA: It is a dessert in which rice is cooked with sugar syrup and milk is added at the
later stage and flavoured with saffron and kewra with lots of nuts and raisins.

WAAZWAAN OF MUSLI MS
Seekh Kebabs
Tabak maaz (Rib chops of Lamb braised in an aromatic broth and shallow fried)
Yoghurt / Sweet Pumpkin chutney
Rista (Spongy meat balls)
Palak Korma (Tiny meat balls in Spinach sauce)
Ruangan Isman (Fresh cheese chunks with tomatoes)
Goshtaba (Large Silky meat balls) / Rogan Josh
Plain Rice
Steamed Pudding
Festive Menu
During the first snowfall: By Hindus
Harissa (traditional Kashmiri Porridge)
Girda
Razma Gogi (Rajma with turnips)
Nedr Moinj (meat balls with curd dipped in rice flour, butter and deep fat fried)