The document discusses the cuisine of Kashmir, known as Kashmiri cuisine. It notes that traditional Kashmiri cooking is called Wazawan, which consists of 36 non-vegetarian dishes served as a feast. Some key signature dishes of Kashmiri cuisine mentioned are Rogan Josh, Tabak Maz, Rista, and Yakhni Shorba. The cuisine uses ingredients like rice, curd, asafetida, and saffron that give the dishes their distinctive flavors.

1. DESINGED BY
Sunil Kumar
Research Scholar/ Food Production Faculty
Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management,
MAHARSHI DAYANAND UNIVERSITY,
ROHTAK
Haryana- 124001 INDIA Ph. No. 09996000499
email: skihm86@yahoo.com , balhara86@gmail.com
linkedin:- in.linkedin.com/in/ihmsunilkumar
facebook: www.facebook.com/ihmsunilkumar
webpage: chefsunilkumar.tripod.com
KASHMIR
LAND DESICATED FROM
WATER
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2. INTRODUCTION
The name Kashmir implies “ land desiccated
from water” .
 In Sanskrit KA means water and SHIMIRA
means to desiccate.
 The legend that Kashmir valley was a vast
mountainous lake called SATISAR, which
was drained by KASHYAP RISHI who called
Brahmins and tan tricks to drain the lake by
using their force and thus it was called as
Kashyap – mar and later Kashmir.
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3. SPECIAL FEATURES
Traditional Kashmir cooking is called as
WAZAWAN and comprises mostly of non
vegetarian dishes.
 Most Kashmir's including Brahmins are meat
eaters. The Kashmiri cuisine is divided
between two main communities
 Kashmiri pandits.
 Kashmiri Muslims.
 Kashmiri pandits are non vegetarians, but
they don’t use garlic and onions in their
traditional dishes.
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4. An unavoidable ingredient in Kashmiri cuisine
is curd and asafetida. They use curd in
almost all the dishes except in certain
kebabs. Curd helps to reduce the spiciness
and also gives a smooth creamy consistency
to the dish.
 Brahmins and Kashmiri pandits have
generally been great meat eaters and prefer
goat especially young goat.
 Rice was the staple food of Kashmir which is
still continues to be, barley was regarded as
food only fit for poor and no wheat was eaten.
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5. Rice was cooked and eaten cold called as
TURN BAT.
 Pulaos like zarda pulao, tursh pulao were
introduced during the sultan rule in Kashmir.
 Hindus ate pork in pre Islamic period, beef
was introduced with Muslim rule.
 It has developed its own specialty in cooking.
Locally grown rice are sweetly fragrant and
very light.
 All dishes are built around the main course of
rice.
 Lotus stem is also an important produce for
boat dwelling people and makes a very good
substitute for meat.
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6. Morel mushroom called GUCCHI are
harvested and consumed fresh in summer.
They are expensive and therefore used only
for specific religious occasions and wedding
feast.
 Corn bread is an alternate for rice.
 Sauces and gravies are made from dairy rich
products. The fruits and nuts grown from the
valley are used lavishly in the daily menu.
 Saffron is widely used in cooking which is
obtained from the stigma of the flower called
crocus and is used to impart flavor and color
to the dishes.
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7. WAZWAN
The origin of wazwan seems to be still at
large. It was introduced by the traders from
central Asia.
 Although wazwan sums to be Persian word
but since Persian and Sanskrit are sister
language and as per another school of
thought “wazwan” could be originally
Sanskrit.
 WAZA means cook / head cook and WAN
means work shop / place. So wazwan means
cooks shop.
 Wazwan is a feast comprising of 36 courses
of meat, chicken, vegetables, salads, curd,
sweet and KAHWA (spiced green tea).
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8.  With
the passage of time some dishes
have been omitted and new dishes
included like KALYA (yellow meat
stew).
 It is a festive banquet which every
Kashmiri rich or poor held at one or the
other time like marriage and other
social functions and as a matter of
pride.
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9. HINDU – MUSLIM
WAZWAN
Though the Hindu and Muslim cooks use the
same spices but the taste and flavor differs.
 The method of cooking in both the cases is
mostly stewing except Hindu cooks using
deep frying and braising for TABAK MAZ and
ROGAN JOSH. Where of Muslims use
shallow frying and boiling.
 For thickening the Hindu cooks make use of
ground spices, where as the Muslim cooks
use a paste of onions, herbs and garlic.
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10. Hindus in India serve meals in thali and
leaves to individuals, the Kashmiri Muslims
on the other hand place the THRAMIS
consisting of various delicacies for every one
to eat together when in groups.
 One of the important characteristics of
WAZWAN is the predominant flavor of garlic
in most of the dishes.
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11. SPICES IN WAZWAN
Turmeric.
 Aniseed powder.
 Cinnamon
 Cloves
 Shallots
 Garlic
 Cocks comb
 Dania leaves
 Walnut
 Methi leaves.
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Ginger powder.
Red chilly powder.
Green cardamom
Black pepper powder.
Onions
Saffron
Mint
Green chilly
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12. SIGNATURE DISHES
RISTA : pounded meat with fat and spices
rounded in the form of small balls and cooked
in saffron flavored red gravy.
 TABAK MAZ : shallow fried spare ribs.
 METHI MAZ : roughly chopped offal's cooked
with dried fenugreek.
 SHEEK KEBAB : finely minced meat spiced,
skewered and grilled on a open charcoal fire.
 ROGAN JOSH : meat pieces cooked in red
gravy. ROGAN – means and JOSH – means
exciting color.
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13. DHANIWAL KHORUMA : boneless cubes of
meat stewed in yellowish gravy and
garnished with lot of green coriander leaves.
 MIRCHI KHORUMA : korma cooked in red
gravy with Kashmiri chilly powder and saffron
flavored.
 AAB GOSHT : large pieces of meat cooked in
milk, lightly spiced and flavored.
 PALAK SABZI : small spinach cooked in
spinach gravy.
 GOSHT TABA : pounded meat with fat turned
into large balls cooked in yogurt based yakhni
gravy.
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14. TAMATER PANEER : cottage cheese in
tomato based gravy.
 YAKHNI SHORBA : a rich mutton based
stock flavored with and enriched with ginger,
garlic and garam masala.
 KHURBANI KA METHA : popular dessert in
Kashmir in which dried apricots are soaked in
water and simmered in sugar syrup and
mildly flavored with saffron.
 KAHWAH : the green spicy flavored tea also
be a part of WAZWAN.
 CHUTNEYS : like almond, walnut and onion
sliced chutney.
 PHIRNI : a sweet custard made of rice flour
and nuts.
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