Kashmiri cuisine

The thirty-six course meal, Kashmiri wazwan
Shufta, a Kashmiri dessert, at a pandit restaurant in New Delhi.[1] One major difference between Kashmiri pandit and Kashmiri Muslim food is the use of onion and garlic.[2]
Harissa or Harisse, a meaty staple from Kashmir.
Kashmiri Pandit platter.

Kashmiri cuisine is the cuisine of the Kashmir Valley. The cuisine has strong influences from neighbouring regions in central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.[3][4] Rice has been a staple food in Kashmir since ancient times.[5] The equivalent for the phrase "bread and butter" in Kashmiri is haakh-batta (greens and rice).[6]

Kashmiri cuisine is generally meat-heavy.[7][8] The region has, per capita, the highest mutton consumers in the subcontinent.[9][10] In a majority of Kashmiri cooking, bread is not part of the meal.[11] Bread is generally only eaten with tea in the morning or evening.[11] A typical Kashmiri meal consists of a generous serving of rice (about 250 gms), mutton (100 gms) and vegetables (about 100gms, mostly greens) cooked in oil, and yoghurt (50 to 250 gms).[6]

The cooking methods of vegetables, mutton, homemade cheese (paneer), and legumes are similar to those of Kashmiri Pandits, except in the use of onions, garlic and shallots by Muslims in place of asafoetida.[12] Goat is more prevalent in Kashmiri Pandit cuisine, while Kashmiri Muslim dishes more frequently feature lamb.[13] Cockscomb flower, called "mawal" in Kashmiri, is boiled to prepare a red food colouring, as used in certain dishes in Kashmiri Muslim cuisine called Wazwaan. Pandit cuisine uses the mildly pungent Kashmiri red chili powder as a spice, as well as ratanjot to impart colour to certain dishes like rogan josh. Kashmiri Muslim cuisine uses chilies in moderate quantity, and avoid hot dishes at large meals.[12] In Kashmiri Muslim cuisine, vegetable curries are common with meat traditionally considered an expensive indulgence.[12] Meat along with rice, some vegetables and salad are prepared on special occasions like Eid al-Fitr.[14]

  1. ^ David, Shantanu (26 April 2020). "First Kashmiri pandit restaurant in Delhi, 'Matamaal'". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  2. ^ Chaudhary, Arushi (2 November 2019). "Memories of a paradise lost". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  3. ^ Excelsior, Daily (4 February 2023). "Cuisines of Kashmir: A tradition and a treasure trove". Jammu Kashmir Latest News | Tourism | Breaking News J&K. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  4. ^ "ROGAN JOSH: GHULAM WAZA'S KASHMIRI MUTTON CURRY". 16 June 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  5. ^ Bamzai, Prithivi Nath Kaul (1994). Culture and Political History of Kashmir. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. p. 243. ISBN 9788185880310. Rice was, as now, the staple food of Kashmiris in ancient times.
  6. ^ a b Mattoo, Neerja (2008). Sal: A Feast of Kashmiri Cuisine. Srinagar: Gulshan Books. p. 13. ISBN 978-81-8339-063-7.
  7. ^ Binish Gulzar; Syed Rakshanda Suman (September 2009). "The Fur Traders and The Lost Avenues". Epilogue. Vol. 3, no. 9. p. 64. Since Kashmiris consume meat voraciously and statistics reveals that on an average 3.5 million sheep and goat are slaughtered annually for our consumption, the skin can be utilised for production.
  8. ^ Waza & Mohan, Sharief, Shafi and Rafiq, & Rocky (2019). Traditional Kashmiri Cuisine Wazwaan. New Delhi: Lustre Press Roli Books. p. 10. ISBN 978-81-941109-3-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Abdullah, Omar [Foreword] (2020). Kashmiri Cuisine Through the Ages. New Delhi: Roli Books. p. 6. ISBN 978-81-941109-4-1.
  10. ^ Hameed, Haseeb Ibn (14 March 2021). "Kashmir consumes 22 lakh sheep annually, only 6.5 lakh raised locally". Greater Kashmir. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  11. ^ a b Ancheri, Saumya (12 March 2018). "Eating local in Srinagar with The Bombay Canteen's Thomas Zacharias". Condé Nast Traveller. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  12. ^ a b c Kaul Kilam, Shyam Rani (1988). Culinary Art of Kashmir (Kashmiri Cookbook). De Leij.
  13. ^ Roy, Rituparna (8 April 2016). "There's More To Kashmiri Food Than Roganjosh". IndiaFoodNetwork. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  14. ^ Kaw, M.K. (2004). Kashmir and Its People: Studies in the Evolution of Kashmiri Society. APH Publishing. p. 98. ISBN 9788176485371. But perhaps the most popular items of the Kashmiri cuisine were meat and rice.