Kashmiri food, like its beautiful countryside, is a memorable feast for the senses. The cuisine makes use of a full range of spices, many native to Kashmir. The flavours are adventurous and the cooking is predominantly meat-based, although there are many vegetable and paneer sides. Kashmir, after all, produces excellent milk and grows the tastiest vegetables.
Chef Prashant Suryawanshi shares a treasured, time-honoured recipe passed down the generations. This tradiional Kashmiri mutton curry is known for its deep red hue and aromatic spices -- and it is slow-cooked, just the way it’s been prepared in the Valley for centuries.
Please find the recipe here: Gosht Rogan Josh
Reshma Aslam cooks up the Kashmiri classic -- her light, aromatic chicken broth is infused with whole spices, fennel and a hint of ginger-garlic. Unlike the rich gravy of other chicken curries, Yakhni is subtly spiced, letting the natural flavours of the chicken and warming spices shine through.
Please find the recipe here: Chicken Yakhni
Lotus stems are a special delicacy in Kashmir & something unique for the vegetarians. Chef Avinash Kumar opts to turn nadru stems into kebabs by boiling them with channa dal or Bengal gram, grinding the mixture and adding garam masala, chaat masala, chillies. These spiced patties are pan-seared to give them a lovely golden crust. Eat with a tangy-sweet chutney.
Please find the recipe here: Nadru Shammi Kebab
When you have walnuts in abundance, why not add them to your dal, which is exactly what Chef Varun Inamdar does. A baghar or tadka of ghee, jeera, rai, dried red chillies, curry leaves, onions is poured into a toor dal enriched with ¼ cup roughly crushed walnuts.
Please find the recipe here: Dal Tadka With Walnuts
A cherished dish belonging to Kashmiri Pandit cuisine, paneer is shallow-fried in mustard oil and soaked in hing water to wash out the oil and keep it soft. Zelda Pande then gently sautes it with greens consistin of a little methi (fenugreek) leaves and double the quantity spinach.
Please find the recipe here: Methi Chaman
Sonal Ved discovers Kashmir's street food favourite that features juicy chunks of boneless mutton marinated in yoghurt spiked with a fragrant spice blend unique to the region. It is then skewered and grilled until nicely charred and smoky.
Please find the recipe here: Kashmiri Mutton Tujj
A special dish reserved for religious occasions, Chandramukhi Ganju fries up the trout and adds it to a watery gravy flavoured with a distinct Kashmiri mix of spices.
Please find the recipe here: Kashmir Gaadh Or Kashmiri Fish
How can anyone resist absolutely melt-in-your mouth potatoes steeped in a yoghurt gravy with the delicate taste of Kashmiri garam masala? Swayampurna Mishra-Singh's Dum Aloo is a must-try.
Please find the recipe here: Kashmiri Dum Aloo
A light, crispy treat, Chandramukhi Ganju transforms seasonal pumpkin flowers into a fritter-like offering that captures the essence of Kashmiri home-style cooking. The pumpkin flowers, known as alla posh, are dipped in a seasoned rice flour batter and deep fried.
Please find the recipe here: Alla Posh Mond Or Pumpkin Flower Fritters
Another walnut offering courtesy Chef Varun Inamda, this chutney, which is flavoured with yoghurt, celebrates the walnut or akharot, a nut found in abundance in Kashmir and that's why this relish is a staple there.
Please find the recipe here: Doon Ki Chutney