Wazwan facts for kids
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| Alternative names | Waz (Caribbean) |
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| Region or state | Kashmir |
Wazwan (Kashmiri pronunciation: [waːzɨwaːn]) is a super special multi-course meal from Kashmir, a beautiful region in India. It's famous for having lots of delicious meat dishes, mostly made with lamb or chicken. Imagine a huge feast with many different tasty foods! People in Kashmir love Wazwan, and it's even enjoyed at food festivals around the world.
What is Wazwan?
In the Kashmiri language, waz means 'cook' or 'cooking', and wan means 'shop'. So, Wazwan is like a 'cook's shop' or a 'feast prepared by cooks'. It's the most important and fancy meal in Kashmir, often served at weddings and big celebrations.
A Wazwan meal can have between 15 and 30 different meat dishes! A master chef, called a wouste waze, supervises the cooking, which can take all night.
Guests sit together in groups of four. They share the meal from a large copper plate called a traem. Before eating, everyone washes their hands in a special portable basin called a Tash-t-naer. Attendants carry this basin around for everyone to use.
Then, the traem arrives! It's piled high with rice and divided by two seekh kababs. On the plate, you'll find some of the first dishes. These often include methi maaz (lamb intestines with a spice mix), tabakh maaz (twice-cooked lamb ribs), safed kokur (chicken with white sauce), and zafran kokur (chicken with saffron sauce).
Small pots of yogurt and chutney are served separately. After these first dishes, junior cooks, called waza, bring out up to 20 more items!
Seven dishes are a must-have for these feasts:
- Tabakh maaz (crispy lamb ribs)
- Rista (meatballs in a red gravy)
- Rogan josh (tender lamb in a rich sauce)
- Daniwal korma (lamb with yogurt and coriander)
- Aab gosh (lamb cooked in milk and spices)
- Marchhwangan korma (spicy chicken)
- Gushtaba (meatballs in a creamy yogurt gravy)
The meal usually ends with gushtaba. This large meatball signals that the main part of the feast is over. After that, delicious desserts are served. In winter, you might get a warm sweet dish, and in summer, something cold and refreshing.
Delicious Dishes You'll Find
Here are some of the main dishes you might enjoy in a Wazwan meal:
- Rista – Meatballs in a spicy red gravy.
- Lahabi kabab or Moachi kabab – Flat mutton kababs cooked in yogurt.
- Waza kokur – Whole chickens, often cooked in two halves.
- Daeni phoul – A special mutton dish.
- Doudha ras – Mutton cooked in a sweet milk gravy.
- Rogan josh – Tender lamb cooked with Kashmiri spices.
- Tseer-e-Gushtab – A soft meatball with apricot inside, cooked with yogurt.
- Tabak maaz – Lamb ribs simmered until tender, then fried to be crispy.
- Daniwal korma – A mutton curry with fresh coriander.
- Waza palak – Green spinach cooked with small mutton balls called paliki riste.
- Aab gosh – Lamb cooked in a milk-based curry.
- Marchwangan korma – An extremely spicy lamb dish.
- Kabab – Minced meat roasted on skewers over hot coals.
- Gushtaba – A very soft, velvety meatball in a white yogurt gravy.
- Yakh'n – A delicately spiced yogurt curry.
- Ruwangan chhaman – Cheese (paneer) squares in a tomato gravy.
- Dum aelva – Potatoes cooked in a yogurt gravy.
- Dum aloo – Another potato dish, often spicy.
- Gand aanchaar – Chopped onions mixed with chilies, salt, yogurt, and spices.
- Muji chetin or mooli akhrot chutney – A chutney made from radish and walnuts.
- Phirni – A creamy milk pudding, often flavored with cardamom and saffron, topped with nuts.
- Wazwan varieties
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Tabak maaz
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Rista
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Kabab
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Daeni phoul
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Gushtaba
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Preparation of wazwan
See also
In Spanish: Wazwan para niños
