Kashmiri cuisine facts for kids

Kashmiri cuisine is the special food from the Kashmir Valley in India. People in Kashmir have become very skilled at cooking, creating unique dishes found nowhere else. Their main food has always been rice. In Kashmir, saying "greens and rice" (haakh-batta) is like saying "bread and butter" in other places. For special events like Eid, they prepare meat with rice, vegetables, and salad. A normal daily meal usually includes a good amount of rice, mutton (lamb or goat meat), vegetables (often greens), and yogurt.

Kashmiris love eating meat, especially lamb. They eat more mutton per person than almost anywhere else in the region. There are two main types of Kashmiri cooking: wazwan for Muslims and traditional batta for Pandits. While most Kashmiri Pandits are Brahmin (a group often vegetarian), they also eat meat. For a Kashmiri Pandit wedding, about 650 grams of mutton is bought for each guest! Kashmiri Muslims prefer goat, especially young ones, while Pandits choose lamb. Bread is usually eaten with tea in the morning or evening, not as part of lunch or dinner.

Most Muslims in Kashmir eat plain cooked rice daily and are not vegetarian. Meat broth is even used in dishes that seem vegetarian. A common joke is: "Find me a Kashmiri vegetarian and I will give you a pot of gold!" However, they often eat vegetable curries because meat can be expensive. Their cooking methods for vegetables, homemade cheese (paneer), and beans are similar to Kashmiri Pandits, but Muslims use onions, garlic, and shallots instead of asafoetida.

Muslim cuisine uses fewer spices than Pandit dishes. A red flower called "moaval" (cockscomb flower) is boiled to make a red food coloring for some dishes. Pandits use a mild Kashmiri red chili powder for both spice and color. Muslims use chilies in small amounts and usually avoid very hot dishes at big meals.

There's also a difference in how Pandits and Muslims serve and eat, especially at feasts. Among Muslims, usually four people eat together from one large, round, tinned copper plate called a "traem." These plates are often beautifully decorated.

History of Kashmiri Food

Kashmir's food and culture have been shaped by many influences over time, including Indian, Persian, and Central Asian traditions. Words like kabab (Arabic), korma (Turkish), and rogan josh (Persian) show these connections.

Early Times

Even in ancient times, people in Kashmir worshipped snakes and fire, bringing in ideas from Iran. Tools found at old sites like Burzahom show that early Kashmiris were skilled hunters and farmers. They grew wheat, barley, and lentils. The presence of lentils suggests they had connections with Central Asia.

At another old site called Gufkral, archaeologists found that settlers hunted wild animals and raised their own. Animals known at the time included wild sheep, goats, cattle, and deer. People roasted food outside their homes, as no fireplaces were found inside. Later, pigs and fish became part of their diet.

Around the 8th century BC, when Aryans came to Kashmir, fire worship became a strong part of their culture.

Hindu Kingdoms

During the Karkota kingdom (618 AD – 907 AD), Kashmir had ties with China. Kashmir helped supply food to Chinese troops in the Gilgit valley.

Kashmir Sultanate (1346 - 1580s)

When Islam came to Kashmir, it brought Persian and Central Asian influences. Some local saints, like Nund Rishi and Lal Ded, promoted vegetarianism and avoiding garlic and onion.

Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, a ruler from the 15th century, improved irrigation, which helped Kashmir grow enough rice for itself. People believed that if they threw a sealed pot of rice into a sacred hot spring, and the rice cooked, it was a good sign for their plans.

Mughal Rule (1580s - 1750s)

During the Mughal period, there were times of hardship. In 1641, floods led to a famine. Emperor Shahjahan sent money and ordered free food centers to help those in need in Srinagar.

Foods from Ancient Texts

Old Kashmiri writings mention many foods:

• Rice: The main food, sometimes imported during famines.
• Pilau: Different kinds like yellow, black, and shola pilau.
• Bread: Naan wasn't common until the 17th century.
• Milk and Butter: From cows and buffaloes.
• Fruits: Many kinds like apples, pears, peaches, mulberries, and walnuts.
• Vegetables: Red beet, radishes, turnips, carrots, and leeks. Some vegetables like carrots and leeks were eaten by Muslims but not by Hindus.
• Meat: Lamb was common, often fried and spiced. Beef was banned by Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin out of respect for Hindus. Horse meat and pork were also eaten.
• Poultry: Chicken and ducks were popular.
• Fish: Trout and Danube Salmon were eaten.
• Honey, Eggs, and Lentils.
• Saffron: Very important, grown in Pampore. It was used for color, flavor, and even in ceremonies.
• Salt: A valuable item, imported from Punjab and Ladakh.
• Tea: Came to Kashmir from Chinese Tartary and Tibet.
• Wine: Kashmir was the only part of India where wine was made from grapes. It was enjoyed by both men and women.

Ingredients and Seasoning

Meat

Besides chicken, fish, and game, Kashmiris mostly eat mutton (meat from adult sheep) or goat's meat. Beef is also eaten, especially in towns, because it's more affordable. Rabbit meat is becoming popular as a healthy alternative.

Grains

Kashmiris eat different types of rice, including the flavorful Mushk Budji, grown in the higher parts of the valley.

Vegetables

Some important Kashmiri vegetables are: haakh (collard greens or kale), monj Haak (kohlrabi), nadur (lotus stem), and praan (shallots). The floating vegetable gardens on Dal Lake are a huge market. The sweet water of Kashmir affects the taste of vegetables. Nadur (lotus stem) is a key ingredient in Kashmiri cooking. Legend says it was discovered by Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin in the 15th century.

Sun-dried vegetables, called hokh syun, are eaten in winter when fresh produce is scarce. Vegetables are peeled, chopped, salted, and dried in the sun to save them. Examples include dried tomatoes (ruwangun haech) and dried turnip slices (gogji haech).

Snow Mountain garlic, also known as Kashmiri garlic, is a rare single-clove garlic with a strong, pungent flavor.

Sugar & Sweeteners

Honey from acacia flowers is made in areas like Tral and Verinag.

Fruits

Kashmiri apples are famous for being juicy and flavorful. Kashmir produces 90% of India's walnuts, which are very nutritious. Walnut oil used to be a cooking oil, giving dishes a sweet, nutty taste.

Cherries, especially the Mishri variety, are popular. Exotic berries like mulberry, raspberry, and barberry also grow here.

Dairy Products

A traditional Himalayan cheese called maish krej is like a milk chapati.

Spices

Kashmiri saffron is known for its amazing smell, color, and health benefits. Pampore saffron is considered top quality. In 2020, Kashmiri saffron got a special geographical tag. Shahi zeera (black cumin) is a rare and superior spice found in the Gurez Valley.

Common spices include:

• Kashmiri chili pepper (martswangun): Gives color and mild heat.
• Asafoetida (yangu): Used a lot in Kashmiri Pandit cooking.
• Cardamom (nich auleh): Used in curries and teas.
• Cinnamon (dalcyn): Important for many dishes and kahwah tea.
• Cloves (rong): Essential for dishes like rogan josh.
• Fennel (bodiyana): Used in breads and stews.
• Ginger (shaunth): Used in dried, powdered form in almost all dishes.
• Turmeric powder (lader): Gives a yellow color to curries.
• Saffron (kong posh): A small pinch gives color and a bittersweet taste.
• Cumin seeds (safed ziur): Important for most dishes.
• Caraway seeds (krihun ziur).
• Coriander seeds (danival): Used dried and whole, essential for pickles.
• Fenugreek seeds (bresta): Used for fish dishes and pickles.
• Nutmeg (zafal) and Mace (jalvatier).
• Vari masala cakes: Quick flavor for many dishes.
• Silver leaf (varak): Thin edible silver sheets for decorating food.

Rock salt has been used in Kashmir for a long time, imported from Pakistan.

Seasonal Specialties

Spring is a time of new life after winter. Kashmiris love picnics, and the countryside is full of blooming almond, peach, cherry, and mustard flowers. Beans, cherries, and coriander are spring vegetables and fruits. Tender spring haakh (collard greens) are called kaanul.

Autumn (harud) is when lotus stem (nadur) harvesting begins. Markets fill with sun-dried vegetables (hokh syun). Rice harvest starts, and saffron fields in Pampore are in full bloom. Maize and walnuts are also ready for harvest. Apples are transported from Sopore and Shopian.

During the long, cold winters, food becomes a major focus. Families gather in the kitchen, enjoying the smell of shab deg (a dish cooked overnight). Winter foods include pulses like razmah (kidney beans) and mong (moong dal). Kohlrabi (monje) grows well in winter, and a little frost even improves its taste.

List of Dishes

Here are some famous Kashmiri dishes:

Barbecue

Kashmiri kababs are cooked with local spices and served with dips.

• Kabab: Minced meat, roasted or fried on skewers.
• Kokur Kabab: Chicken kebab.
• Lahradar Kabab: Minced mutton shaped like a boat, cooked in a mild, spicy yogurt gravy.
• Champ: Lamb chops.
• Nadur Maund: Lotus root patties with ginger, mint, and spices, like Kashmiri hash browns.
• Buzith Tschaman: Grilled paneer (cottage cheese).
• Buzith Gaad: Charcoal grilled fish marinated with Kashmiri spices.
• Chicken/Mutton/Beef Tujji: Meat marinated in Kashmiri red chilies and aniseed powder, then barbecued on steel rods over hot coals. Served with chutney and special Kashmiri bread called lavas.

Breakfast

Kashmiri breakfast usually means fresh bread from a local bakery and a cup of noon chai (salt tea).

• Harisa: A popular meat dish, slow-cooked for 24 hours in an underground oven and hand-stirred. It's made with deboned mutton, rice, fennel, cinnamon, and cardamom.
• Luchi & Halwa: Deep-fried bread with a sweet pudding.
• Makai Vath: Cooked cornmeal, once a main food in villages where rice couldn't grow.
• Gaer Vugra: Water chestnut flour porridge, often eaten with diluted yogurt.

Wazwan Dishes

Wazwan flavors are added to the uncooked food by soaking it in flavored water.

• Tabakhmaaz: Rib racks cooked in ghee with sweet fat. Kashmiri Hindus call this Qabargah.
• Waaza Kokur: Whole chicken cooked in saffron gravy.
• Aab Gosh: A famous milk-based curry cooked with mutton and spices over a low flame.
• Methi Maaz: Mutton intestines flavored with dried fenugreek leaves.
• Marchwangan Kormeh: Spicy meat cooked with spices and yogurt, using Kashmiri red chilies.
• Badam Kormeh: Tender mutton pieces in a creamy almond gravy.

Soups

Soups are often given to new mothers.

• Tsatt/Maaz Rass: Mutton broth with mutton pieces and spices.
• Kokur Poot Rass: Kashmiri chicken soup with garlic and pepper.

Meat Stews

• Qaliya: A mutton dish with all flavors except red chili powder. Made for special ceremonies.
• Shab Deg: A dish with turnip and meat (duck/chicken/beef) and meatballs, simmered overnight.
• Matschgand: Lamb meatballs in a red chili gravy.
• Nadir Ta Maaz: Lotus stems and mutton.
• Maaz Vangun: Eggplant with meat.
• Syun Oluv: Mutton with potato, cooked with asafoetida and spices.
• Bam Chunth Ta Maaz: Quince with lamb.
• Haakh Maaz: Kashmiri greens cooked with mutton.
• Rogan Josh: A famous lamb dish cooked in a gravy with Kashmiri chilies, ginger, garlic, and onions or asafoetida. It has Persian and Central Asian influences.
• Yakhean: A yogurt-based mutton gravy without turmeric or chili powder, flavored with bay leaves, cloves, and cardamom. It's a mild dish often eaten with rice.
• Goshtabeh: Minced mutton balls with spices in yogurt gravy. It's known as "The Dish of Kings" and is the last dish served at a banquet.
• Riste: Meatballs in curry, made from carefully pounded sheep or goat meat.

Vegetarian Sides

• Dum Olav/Dum Aloo: Potatoes cooked with ginger powder, fennel, and other spices. The potatoes are pricked after frying to soak up the gravy.
• Nadir Palak: Lotus roots and spinach, a side dish for feasts.
• Ranith Bam Chunth Khanji: Cooked quince. Quince is popular but usually cooked because it's tangy raw.
• Tsounth Vangan: Green apple curry with eggplant. A sweet and tangy dish popular in autumn.
• Tsoek Vangan: Eggplant fried and cooked with tamarind.
• Hoch Haand: Dried dandelion greens, boiled and ground into a paste.
• Monje Haakh: Kohlrabi, a delicacy.
• Haakh: Collard greens or kale, enjoyed by Kashmiris, often cooked with cottage cheese or meat.
• Bhat Haakh: Also called Sabz Haakh, a Kashmiri Pandit specialty.
• Sotchal Nadur: Mallow (a wild vegetable) with lotus roots.
• Zamutdodh Cuar: Yogurt curry, stirred continuously on low heat.
• Nadir Roghan Josh: Lotus root cooked slowly until tender.
• Gogjee Nadur: Lotus stem with turnips.
• Choek Nadur: Lotus root with tartaric acid (sour).
• Al-Yakhean: Bottle gourd cooked in yogurt gravy.

Mushrooms

Gucchi mushrooms (kanaguchhi) are very expensive and grow in clusters on decaying wood in Kashmir.

• Kanaguchhi Yakhean: Morels cooked in rich yogurt gravy.

Tschaman (Cottage Cheese)

• Tschaman Kanti: Fried cottage cheese cubes stir-fried with onions and tomatoes.
• Lyader Tschaman: Yellow cottage cheese due to turmeric, with many spices and milk.
• Veth Tschaman: The rogan josh equivalent for cottage cheese.
• Palak/Haakh Tschaman: Cottage cheese in spinach-based gravy.

Chutneys/Raitas

These add color and flavor to meals.

• Muj Chetein: Radish in yogurt, like a Kashmiri raita.
• Doon Chetein: Walnut chutney, made with walnuts, yogurt, dried mint, and chilies.
• Anardan Chetein: Made with dried pomegranate seeds, coriander, and mint.
• Pudna Chetein/Buran: A light chutney with green chilies and fresh mint.

Meat Stir-Fries

• Mutton/Chicken Kanti: Small boneless meat pieces, marinated, shallow fried with onions, tomatoes, and green chilies.
• Matsch Barith Karel: Bitter gourd stuffed with minced lamb.

Fish

Kashmir has many fresh water lakes and rivers.

• Nader ti Gaad: Fish cooked with lotus stem, a delicacy for festivals.
• Mujh Gaad: Radishes with fish.
• Ruwangan/Tamatar Gaad: White river fish cooked in a tomato gravy.
• Hogada Ta Haakh/Bum: Dried fish with greens or dried water-lily stems.
• Fari/Phari: Smoked fish, a winter delicacy.

Rice

Kashmiris eat a lot of rice.

• Batta: Steamed white rice.
• Waazeh Polav: A mildly sweet royal pulao with saffron and spices.
• Tahaer: Yellow rice, prepared by Pandits on special occasions.
• Khetchar: Made with rice and moong dal, eaten with pickles.

Breads

• Kinke Tschut: Whole wheat flatbread cooked on a griddle.
• Parott: A buttery flatbread.
• Tschur Tschut: Spicy rice crepes, eaten with breakfast tea.
• Bakarkhani: A crisp, layered bread, similar to naan, sprinkled with sesame seeds. Eaten hot for breakfast.

Eggs

• Thool Mond: Omelette.
• Haak Ta Thool: Collard greens and eggs together.
• Zombre Thool Ta Dal: Red lentils and hard-boiled eggs.

Game/Hunted Animals (Shikaar)

Hunted game is often hung for a few days before cooking to make the meat softer and tastier.

• Pacchin Dumpokhta: Pintail duck, a delicacy for Kashmiri Hindus.
• Shikar Rogan Josh: Roghan Josh made with hunted game birds and animals.

Dals

Kashmiri Pandits who were vegetarian were known as Dal Battas (Dal Pandits).

• Dal Nadur: Lotus stem boiled with green beans to make a dal.
• Razmah Dal: Red kidney bean stew with ginger and fennel.

Fermented foods

Kashmiri cuisine is known for its tangy flavors. Pickling was important because Kashmir was cut off during harsh winters.

• Aanchar: Pickles made from various ingredients like chicken, fish, mango, turnips, and lotus roots.

Street food

• Nadur Maunj: Sliced lotus stems, marinated and deep-fried.
• Gaad Maunj: Deboned fish, deep-fried in spiced flour.
• Tandoori Chicken, Afghani Chicken, Chicken Lemon: Popular street foods in Srinagar.
• Mutton Keema Samosas, Chicken Keema Samosas.
• Olav Mond/Monjivor: Potato patty with ginger.
• Masala Tschut: Chickpea masala spread over a lavasa (Kashmiri naan).

Cheese

Nomadic shepherds, Gujjars and Bakerwals, make cheese.

• Maesh Crari: Described as "the mozzarella of Kashmir." Discs of cheese coated with chili, turmeric, and salt, then fried until crispy outside and soft inside.
• Kudan: A rare goat cheese, crumbly like feta, prepared by Bakerwals.

Desserts

• Chounth Halwa: Apple pudding.
• Barfi: A milk-based sweet dish.
• Modur Polav: A sweet royal pulao with milk, saffron, ghee, cinnamon, and dry fruits.
• Khir: Rice pudding.
• Shufta: A traditional dessert with chopped dry fruits, spices, and sugar syrup, often garnished with rose petals.
• Roth: A sweet bread, like a cake, made with flour, ghee, yogurt, and sugar.

Other Baked foods

Kashmir is famous for its bakeries. Bakers sell many kinds of breads with golden crusts topped with sesame and poppy seeds. Tsot, tsochvor, sheermal, baqerkhayn (puff pastry), lavas (unleavened bread), and kulcha are popular. Girdas and lavas are served with butter.

Beverages

Noon Chai or Sheer Chai

Kashmiris drink a lot of tea. The most popular is a pinkish, salty tea called "noon chai." It's made with black tea, milk, salt, and baking soda. The pink color comes from its unique preparation. Kashmiri Hindus call it "Sheer Chai," while Muslims call it "Noon Chai" or "Namkeen Chai" (both meaning salty tea). It's a common breakfast tea, often enjoyed with fresh bread from bakers. Sometimes, almonds, pistachios, rose petals, or fresh cream are added.

Kahwah

At weddings, festivals, and religious places, it's common to serve kahwah – a green tea made with saffron, spices, and almonds or walnuts. There are over 20 types of Kahwah. Some people add milk to it.

Babribyol

The Babribyol sharbat is a sweet drink made with milk, rose water, and soaked sweet basil seeds.

Lyaess

Kashmiri lassi (lyaess) is a liquid, salty yogurt drink. It's made by churning buttermilk with a wooden churner.

Special Occasions & Festivals

Eid-ul-Fitr

During Ramadan, Muslims fast during the day and enjoy special meals at dusk. The menu includes date balls, basil seed drinks, kulfi, phirin, and noon chai. The smell of slow-cooked mutton fills the air.

Eid-ul-Adha

For this festival, families often order feasts from wazas (chefs) to serve at home.

Urs of Hazrat Sheikh Dawood

For this religious event, only vegetarian food is served to followers. Many people in the area become vegetarian and eat dried turnips (gogji aare), as it's believed these helped Kashmir survive a famine in the past.

Herath

For Kashmiri Pandits, the offering for Shivratri puja includes rice, cooked lamb, and fish.

Diaspora & Fusion Cuisines

Tibetan people living in Srinagar run popular momo (beef dumplings) shops and Tibetan restaurants.

Kashmiri Sikh food has some Punjabi influences, using onions and tomatoes, but keeps Kashmiri flavors like fennel. Many Indian tourists eat at Vaishno Dhabas, which serve vegetarian North Indian food.

Cooking Methods

Kashmiri recipes are often passed down through families.

• Braising: Cooking greens like haakh in a lot of water, making sure they stay submerged. Mustard oil adds flavor.
• Court-bouillon: The main skill of a wazwan chef is making a flavorful stock from onions and shallots.
• Tempering: Frying whole spices like cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon in oil to release their fragrance.
• Simmering: Cooking food slowly so flavors and textures develop as ingredients release their juices and fats.
• Dum cooking: Sealing the cooking pot with dough and cooking it over a low fire, often overnight, like for shab deg.
• Tenderizing: For dishes like goshtabeh and rista, the meat is pounded before it becomes stiff after slaughter.

Special Equipment

• Dan: An oblong clay oven used for daily cooking.
• Traem: Large brass plates for serving food.
• Leij/Deigul/Deigcha: Round-bottomed clay pots used for cooking.
• Tasht-naar: A portable washbasin and pitcher used to wash hands during big meals.
• Goshpar-Kaen: A flat stone and wooden mallet used for pounding meat.
• Krech: Wooden spoons and ladles for stirring food in clay pots.
• Khalur-Dula: A stone mortar with a wooden pestle for grinding chutneys.
• Samovar: A jug-shaped metal pitcher with a charcoal tube inside to keep tea hot.

Similarities with Other Cuisines

Kashmiri cuisine mixes influences from Central Asia, Persia, China, and India.

• Aab Gosh (Kashmiri) is similar to Abgoosht from Persia and Armenia.
• Baqerkhayn (Kashmiri) is similar to Bakharkhani made in parts of Kolkata.
• Harisa (Kashmiri) is similar to Al Harees (Emirati) and Hareese (Iranian).
• Kabab (Kashmiri) comes from the Arabic word kabaab meaning roasted meat. Similar kebabs are found in Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan.
• Kahwah (Kashmiri) is a staple Afghan tea.
• Polav (Kashmiri) is similar to pilaf from Iran, Turkey, and Central Asia.
• Sheermal (Kashmiri) is a bread that came from Persia through the Silk Route.
• Yakhein (Kashmiri) is similar to Yahni stews in Turkish and Greek cuisine.

Etiquette of Kashmiri Dining

Kashmiris love to share food. Food and language are key parts of their identity. There's a wedding tradition where the bride and groom make roti together. Kashmiris are very particular about food taste and appearance.

Giant dastarkhaans (white sheets) are spread on the floor for meals. These sheets are a symbol of warm hospitality. At big dinners, hundreds of people might be invited. After conflicts, food has become even more meaningful, as each meal celebrates life. Wazas (chefs from Samarkand descendants) are an important group in Kashmir.

All dishes are eaten by hand, as Kashmiris believe in a close connection with food. It's considered rude to refuse food or an extra helping. Kashmiris will try hard to persuade you to eat more!

Sustainable Consumption

Kashmiri women used to pack extra mutton dishes in old newspapers or plastic bags to take home. This tradition became popular, and now special carry bags are used for leftover food. Even leftover rice from weddings is given to animals like dogs and cattle, so nothing is wasted.

See also

In Spanish: Gastronomía de Cachemira para niños