Kashmir is the parallel of paradise on earth. It is a carefully weaved untouched beauty. The people who love being around nature, running in the meadows under vast skies, listening to the lapping of the water and drowning in relaxation would love this place. Kashmir is eternal!
Kashmir is the parallel of paradise on earth. It is a carefully weaved untouched beauty. The people who love being around nature, running in the meadows under vast skies, listening to the lapping of the water and drowning in relaxation would love this place. Kashmir is eternal!
Its heritage and culture is so rich that even the locals roaming in the streets wearing Pheran (a woolen baggy kurta, mostly dark in colour) reflect that vibe. It is organic. Despite the cold environment, the hospitality of Kashmiris is very warm and welcoming in manners, food etc .
From ‘Wazwan’ to its everyday delicacies, Kashmir has an affluent platter for its visitors. From the crimson cheeks of the people to the absolute gold of a food they serve, everything is an art!
Chicken Kanti at University of Kashmir- Chicken Kanti is boneless cubes of chicken fried with tomatoes and onions. It has a moderately spiced gravy. Served with crunchy Tandoori roti, it is the favourite of most of the college students.
Machale Sote- Outside the University gate is an aged man who sells chickpea rolls. A paste of chickpeas and red chutney is put in a Lavasa (a Kashmiri flat bread) and then rolled in a paper. Oh, and it is very spicy!
Since it is only priced at INR 10, it is a “go to” food for all the college going students. Anyone in a hurry can quickly grab this Roll because it can be made in seconds. Despite being cheap, it is a prized possession for students.
Walnut Fudge at Moonlight- This fudge is amazing, probably the best you’ll ever try! Its preparation takes as long as 15 hours. It is made with walnuts, dates and honey. Very gooey and moist from the inside, its outer goldenish brown texture is also to marvel at!
If you come here, you cannot skip this! It's too perfectly baked to be left.
Mini Wazwan at Kareema Restaurant- It is not popular among the tourists but is a must recommend by the locals. The shop is located in a hushed street of Kashmir.
The food here is served in Waswan style, which is a plate covered with an intricately carved silver lid. When you remove the lid, there is boiled rice served with a Kebab (the one roasted on skewers, looks like a pipe), Methi Maaz (sheep stomach cooked with fenugreek leaves) and Tabak Maaz (ribs fried in ghee).
Tabak Maaz is very crispy from the outside and soft in the interior . There’s also Rista (a spicy minced meat ball), Rogan Josh (spicy mutton curry) and Gushtaba (enormous meatballs cooked in curd). Gushtaba is typically way bigger than Rista and is usually divided between four people. Gushtaba also signifies the end of the Waswan (so royal!).
Wazwan has to cater to the food needs of everyone, so everything is very balanced from spices to the salt
Kulfi at Dilbahar Ice cream- Kulfi here is served like a stick-ice cream. It is basically milk solidified in moulds resting in big tubs of irregular pieces of ice.
There are two benefits of visiting this place, first, you get to taste Kashmir’s much beloved Kulfi and second, you get to see an interesting way of making this dessert.
Tujje at Hotel Gareeb Nawaz- A person looking forward to satisfying his barbecue cravings should try Tujje here. The mutton skewers are served with five different types of chutneys along with Lavasa (the Kashmiri flat bread). It is too good!
You will leave the place with your taste buds satisfied. Definitely.
Special Mention:
Floating Market- It feels heavenly to be on colorful ‘Shikaras’ (light flat bottomed boats) in green waters buying fresh vegetables. On the dal lake, is the floating vegetable market. There are also some beautiful flowers, creams, oil and spices on shikaras for people to get! It sounds so imaginary but is so real. (Literally transporting oneself to older times)
You should definitely be here for an experience. Take some Kashmiri vegetables like Haankh (Kashmiri Saag),Monj Haakh (collard greens) back with you. When you cook it, you will be reminded of Kashmir.
Reliability- Everything grows in the Dal floating market without any fertilizers.
Kandur Shop- There are some bread making shops around Dal lake. After exploring the market you can stop at any local Kandur shop and try some freshly baked breads. There are a variety of breads, some soft, some crisp, mostly garnished with poppy seeds.
Typical Kashmiri Breakfast- The tradition is to sit down on a carpet and eat. There’s ‘Noon Chai’ and ‘Girda’. Girda is an everyday bland bread which can either be lathered with butter or jam.
Some History For You
Houseboats- Britishers loved Kashmir but they could not get land to settle there. It was prohibited by the Maharaja. So, they came up with the idea of houseboats to spend some time in Kashmir.
There are small lovable things here. A little investment to try authentic food of Kashmir makes the journey even more pleasant.
