
The Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir is also famous for its delicious dishes rather than its tourism. The piquant Kashmiri Cuisine is renowned for its lip-smacking dishes. There are various tempting food items in this cuisine that are devoured with different other dishes. Kashmiri food is mild in taste and rich in flavour with the high use of hot spices like cardamom, fennel, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and saffron. Influenced by Mughals, Kashmiri cuisine is predominantly non-vegetarian, with mutton, chicken or fish used as prime ingredients but there are a few delicacies for vegetarians too.
Let’s find out, for which famous dishes from Jammu and Kashmir.
1. Rogan Josh
Rogan Josh, an aromatic lamb dish is one of the signature recipes of Kashmiri cuisine. It is cooked with browned onions, spices and yogurt. The liberal use of Kashmiri red chillies imparts a dramatic red colour to the curry.
2. Paneer Chaman
This traditional Kashmiri dish is every paneer lover’s dream come true. Rich cottage cheese sprinkled with brown and green cardamom is slowly cooked in milk till it’s tender, rich and brown.
3. Yakhni
Naat Yakhn or yogurt lamb curry is a comforting yogurt based lamb curry cooked in Mawal flowers, black and green cardamoms, onion paste and dry mint leaves.
4. Modur Pulav
Modur Pulav is the name given to sweetened Kashmiri rice prepared using cinnamon, a little saffron, milk, ghee, sugar, cashew nuts, almonds, green cardamom among several other ingredients.
5. Dum Aloo
Dum Aloo or Dum Olav is prepared with small potatoes and spices such fennel, garam masala and other such hot spices to give it a taste suited for everyone’s palate. While most of the dishes in Kashmir cuisine are predominantly Non-vegetarian, this is a dish that is loved by both alike.
6. Kahwa
A type of herbal tea which is prepared with special tea leaves and saffron. It is often known as Kashmiri Green Tea, despite the fact that it is actually orange in colour. It is rich in antioxidants.
7. Rajma
Rajma Masala dish is primarily made of this bean and thus dish is named after the bean- Rajma. Though this dish is not a specialty of J&K, it tastes the best in J&K owing to the fact that the bean is grown there.
8. Tehar
It is a kind of Kashmiri turmeric rice that has a distinct yellow color. It is due to saffron added to the rice. The saffron gives the rice its color and the distinct taste. It is usually had with chaman or Dum aloo.
9. Phirni
Phirni is a popular dessert of Kashmir. It is made of rice, milk, saffron, cardamom etc. Dry fruits and rose essence are also added to give it special flavor. The dessert gets its real flavor or taste with the delicacy with which the rice is ground.
10. Baqer Khani
This dish is a kind of Kashmiri puff pastry. This dish forms an integral part of Kashmiri cuisine. It is soft considered against the Middle Eastern variety. It is a type of naan sprinkled with sesame seeds. It is usually served for breakfast.