Flavours from the Valley

With people from different parts of the country coming to the City, the availability of native cuisine is an icing on the cake.

Apart from being available at hotels, Kashmiri food lovers can now relish these delicacies at various restaurants that have surfaced here recently.

Ahad Sons Restaurant in South Extension is one place to relish Wazwaan (a multi course dinner) from the Valley. “Our menu comprises of authentic Kashmiri cuisine in both vegetarian and non vegetarian sections made from ingredients used in Wazwaan,” informs Mubashir Khan, manager of the restaurant that also provides outdoor catering and take away services besides the in-house eating facility.

The menu here comprises of authentic Kashmiri cuisine, that uses traditional methods of cooking. Those of you who love vegetarian food, there is Kadham Saag, which is made of traditional Kashmiri spinach cooked with special spices. While Dum Aloo Bukhara is whole fried potato cooked in a plum-flavoured paste and Nadru Yakhni is a dish made of lotus root, yoghurt, tomato and cottage cheese, cooked in a rich, creamy red gravy.

The non vegetarians can go for Tabak Maas, or marinated lamb ribs boiled in milk and deep-fried in desi ghee. One can also enjoy Murg Mirch Korma, a dish made of tender pieces of chicken cooked with Kashmiri spices and chilli flakes in golden and semi thick gravy. In Chicken Daiman Korma, stir-fried chicken pieces are cooked in yogurt and cream, while Mutton Rogan Yakhni, which is sliced lean lamb is prepared by cooking the meat in yoghurt and sour cream.

Wazwaan consists of more than 35 dishes in Kashmiri cuisine dominated by non vegetarian food.

Out of these nearly 20 are vegetarian. A name familiar to most Delhi foodies is Rogan Josh, which is made of mutton pieces cooked in Kashmiri style with gravy. Poultry lovers can opt for Waza Kokkar, a whole chicken cooked in saffron gravy with mild Kashmiri spices, flavoured with saffron and fresh coriander.

Another restaurant that serves Kashmiri Wazwaan in Jamia Nagar is a treat for Kashmiri students who have come to study here. “We serve almost all the dishes made in Kashmir. There are many Kashmiris studying and working in the City and we feel happy to bring authentic Kashmiri food here,” says chef Ishfaq Ahmed.

Aijaz Ahmed feels elated after eating his favourite dish Goshtab, “It feels really nice to taste Kashmiri food after a long time. I was missing it badly,” he says.

A Kashmiri by origin, Aijaz has been in City for the last many years and feels that these restaurants are indeed a treat for those missing Kashmiri food.

“It’s indeed a treat to relish Kashmiri food outside the Valley. More restaurants like these should be opened in City,” he adds.