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Kashmiri cuisine, comprising mostly of non-vegetarian dishes has a peculiar
quality of its own which makes it different from the Country Food. Rice is the
staple food and lamb, goat's meat and chicken form the basis of many famous
dishes. Spices and condiments play a very important role in the Kashmiri
delights. Asafetida, aniseed, dry garlic, cloves and cinnamon are added for
extra flavoring.
One of the distinct features of Kashmiri cuisine is the generous use of curds
in the gravies, giving the dishes a creamy consistency. The dishes are cooked in
mustard oil and water, with the addition of red and green chilies.
Traditional Kashmiri cooking is called 'Wazwan' and is rich and aromatic with
a wonderful flavour.
Wazwan
This meal is treated with great respect and the preparation is considered an
art. Considerable time and effort are invested into the preparation of the
banquet. The traditional number of courses for the wazwan is thirty-six, though
there can be fewer. The preparation is traditionally done by a vasta waza, or
head chef, with the assistance of a court of wazas, or chefs.
Guests are grouped into fours for the serving of the wazwan. The meal begins
with invoking the name of Allah and the washing of hands as a jug and basin
called the tash-t-nari are passed among the guests. A large serving dish piled
high with heaps of rice, decorated and quartered by four seekh kababs, four
pieces of meth maaz, two tabak maaz, sides of barbecued ribs, one safed kokur,
one zafrani kokur, along with other dishes, and Yoghurt (garnished with Kashmiri
saffron), salads, kashmiri pickles and dips. Certain dishes that are considered
a requirement for wazwan include:
- Zafraan Kokur
- Meth maaze
- Ristae
- Rogan Josh
- Dhani Phul
- Aloo bukhaar
- Gaade kufta
- Tabak Maaz
- Daniwal Korma
- Aab Gosht
- Marcha-wangan Korma
- Shami Kabab
- Sheekh Kabaab
- Gushtaab
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