The heaven of earth as it is known as not just has an alluring beauty to the eyes but also has the capability to mesmerize your taste buds. These Mouthwatering and finger licking dishes of Kashmiri food might leave your stomach full but your tongue will still crave for more. This beautiful state of Kashmir famous for its serenity also offers authentic non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes too. Kashmiri Wazwan is a splendid dish in Kashmiri region, the making of which is considered as a pride art in Kashmiri culture and identity.
Kashmiri food is yummy to taste and enriched with hot spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves etc. Most of the Kashmiri dishes contains non-vegetarian as the prime ingredients used are mutton, chicken or fish due to the influence of Mughals but there is incorporation of vegetarians too. Experience your taste buds with the yummy and distinct Kashmiri delicacies as you browse below the dishes that are worth trying once in life.
1. Rogan Josh
This is one of the signature recipes of the Kashmiri cuisine. This is the most suitable dish for lamb and meat lovers. Rich and sapid with flavors, brown onions, yogurt, various spices; the garlic and ginger paste is added to the lamb mixture and stir well to combine. Than the heat is reduced to cook the dish for 3 to 4 minutes while stirring frequently. This is a very low-fat dish that will leave you with having an intense feeling of longing for more when tried with naan or rice.
2. Yakhni or Yoghurt Lamb Curry
This authentic Kashmiri delicacy is a must try and the most common love of Kashmiri house which is a lamb cooked in yogurt based gravy. The main component that sparks the dish is the gravy or yakhni which is flavored with mawal flowers (known by many names likes Cockscomb, velvet flower, wool flower etc.), black and green cardamoms, onion paste and dry mint leaves with aromatic fennel seeds. Not just this dish is delicious to taste but also it has health benefits along. The ingredients used to prepare this dish helps in treating intestinal worms (particularly tapeworm), blood diseases, mouth sores, eye problems and treats various Liver and Kidney Problems. Serve with yummy cooked rice to enjoy the flavor of this mouthwatering Kashmiri dish.
3. Kashmiri Dum Aloo/Dum Olav
While Kashmiri cuisine is more about non- vegetarian dishes, there is something for pure veggies to try which a specialty dish is prepared with potatoes. One of the most famous dishes of Kashmiri food which is known as Dum Olav or Dum Aloo is cooked with ginger powder, yoghurt, fennel and other exotic hot spices to give it a unique aroma and flavor. You can have it with chapatis, rice or naan to get the perfect taste out of this popular and all-time favorite Kashmiri cuisine dish.
4. Matschgand
The aroma of this Kashmiri cuisine will seduce your taste buds. If you want to have something that will make you unforgettable then this is the dish for you, a special treat for the meat eaters Matschgand! This dish is consisting a main ingredient of spicy red gravy in which minced meatballs are cooked in which indeed results is a dish which will allure your taste buds!
5. Kashmiri Muji Gaad
This dish is mainly prepared on festivals and occasions. Kashmir gaad is made with radish or nadur and composed of fish. This dish is kind of delicacy which is a combination of vegetarian and non-vegetarian items as you can taste the fish and lotus stem flavors blend together to give a unique taste. While on the other hand the hot spices and herbs used add more to its unique yet amazing aroma and flavor. This dish is usually served in the month of December during festivals like ‘Gaada Bata’
6. Aab Gosht
Mutton is one major ingredient used every day in the food of Kashmiri people and for all those who love mutton Kashmiri food is a bliss where you can grab your hands on 30 diverse ways of mutton dishes in Kashmiri food. And, Aab gosht is among these many varieties which is the most famous mutton dish. It can be prepared in either Kashmiri or Iranian and the Kashmiri style for this dish is in its ingredients for preparation which is served using milk and several spices including black pepper and cardamom. Yummy!
7. Goshtaba
Goshatba is a traditional delicacy of Kashmir which is minced mutton cooked in yogurt full of flavors, spices and gravy. This dish is having a royal taste and flavor and is a must present dish prepared on royal occasions. This indeed can tease your appetite to urge for more. This is one of the reasons which has led to its popularity and is known as a “dish made for the royal Kings”. Your trip to the beautiful Kashmir is incomplete if you forget to try these delicious balls on!
8. Lyodur Tschaman
Vegetarian dishes aren’t kept aside in the menu list of Kashmiri food. This delicacy from hills and mountains of Kashmir is especially for all those who are pure vegetarians. Priority favorite among Kashmiri vegetarians, Lyodur Tschaman is a dish made with cottage cheese where it is cooked in creamy turmeric based gravy. It is one of the very less popular vegetarian dishes which are a common part of Kashmiri food and is also a part of their everyday household.
9. Modur Pulav
Modhur Pulav is the sweet name given to sweetened Kashmiri rice which is prepared using a little saffron, cinnamon, ghee, milk, sugar, almonds, cashew nuts and green cardamom among several other ingredients. These ingredients give a beautiful color and taste to this dish which is sweet, healthy and flavored with saffron as a main spice in it which is also grown in Kashmir itself. The unique taste of this pulav is something I bet you haven’t tasted before which will leave you with cravings for more.
10. Gogji Razma
One can never be unaware of this dish as the most popular dish of India, Razma is the comfort food of all kitchens amongst the Indian families. Kidney bean is used as vital part in this dish. The dish came into existence after the red kidney bean back than was brought to India from Mexico. Gogji Razma is a dish of kidney beans with turnips. The Kashmiri razma are soaked overnight with peeled and quartered turnips and salt. This dish has its own authenticity rooted from the exotic spices used to flavor the dish.
11. Tabakhmaaz / Qabarghaah
Tabakh Maaz is one of the popular dishes of a Kashmiri wazwan and is a very traditional preparation of the region. Tabakh Maaz has a simple making procedure but it takes a lot a time of preparation and ingredients of excellent quality are required. It is a brilliant example of how without adding any heat spices can flavor a fish. There is a broth in which lamb ribs are cooked slow which is flavored with exotic spices and then fried off in ghee. This dish is not at all for you if you are calorie-conscious as Its rich and indulgent flavor warms you from within.
12. Monji Haak
Monji haak or also known as monji haakh is one of the simplest recipes that is one of the tastiest you will ever try. This dish is a stew from Kashmir beautifully make use of the bulb and greens of ganth gobhi (khol rabi or khol khol). This dish has a strong taste and is preferred to be eaten with rice and through hands. They say that you are not a kashmiri if you haven’t had developed love for haakh.
13. Nadru/ Nadir Yakhin
This dish is famous among the locals where in lotus stems are cooked with spinach, yogurt, saag or radish which turns out to be finger licking good. In this dish, the porous roots are boiled until just tender, then stewed in a spiced gravy fragrant with dried spices.
14. Syun pulaav
With exotic fine rice, mutton with a blend of spices and saffron giving exciting aroma comes a relishing delicacy, Syun Pulao. The mutton is cut into one-inch sized cubes. The dish is a vessel full of exotic spices like cloves, black cardamoms, green cardamoms, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves which can crackle.
15. Tschok Wangan
The Chouk Wangan is an extremely appetizing meal which is made with brinjal which is cooke
16. Rista
Good things take time and so does tasty food. This famous kashmiri cuisine known as Rista take a lot of efforts to get prepare but all that challenging work, it’s all worth it. Rista is just like kebab or meat balls if you ever had but the its softer, tender and tastier. To prepare this dish finer minced meat is required for which a special Wooden hammer is used and wooden log to process the meat into Mince the meat. This mouth-watering delicacy, famous dish of Kashmiri wazwan is prepared spicily with aromatic spices in a special way which would certainly evoke your taste senses.
17. Kalari Cheese
This is a traditional ripened cheese product indigenous to Udhampur, Jammu province of Jammu and Kashmir state of India. It is actually a very thick and dense cheese that is usually fried quickly in its own fat and salted while serving. The dish is simple butter shallow fried Kalari cheese served between bread. Kalari or Maish Krej is traditional cheese from hilly areas of Kashmir and made from cow / goat milk. It has mild mozzarella-like flavor.
18. Roth
The Roth is a Kashmiri dessert. It is generally prepared by the pundits who are residing in the state. If you look at this, it resembles a crossover between cookies and roti. To consider, the fact is that since it’s made with ingredients like sugar, flour and ghee, it indeed is a sweet surprise. It is now a tradition that is followed on every Kashmiri New Year.
19. Noon Chai or Sheer Chai
The Sheer Chai, which is also popularly known as the Nun Chai or the pink tea is not just a pretty picture but also an important member of Kashmiri cuisine. Considering the fact that though it is tea, this pink colored chai isn’t sweet, and is made with special tea leaves, baking soda, almonds and pistachios cardamom, cinnamon and salt. It is a traditional delicacy of Kashmir.
20. Kahwa
Now here is another fact that Kahwa is more favored and popular than the Sheer Chai or the pink tea. This delicacy is repaired from special leaves grown in Kashmir. This herbal mixture of various elements is rich in antioxidants, and consists of almonds, saffron and cinnamon for flavoring. It is a popular beverage for breakfast among Kashmiris which is tending to be accompanied with special Kashmiri baked items. It is also consumed at night during winters after dinner as it helps in warming the body. Usually served in small cups or glass. Also, is commonly served after Wazwan and elaborate family dinners.
So, the next time you Plan a visit to Kashmir or decide to prepare a food bucket list, make sure you add these delicacies to try once. Bon appétit!
