The crown of the nation is not just soothing to the eyes but also does wonders for your taste. Mouthwatering delicacies of Kashmiri cuisine will leave your stomach full but your tongue still craving for more.
What's more is that it's not just one cuisine from the north that will do this. The region has different cuisines, each with its own identity and unique taste and once you try them out you'll realise why this variety could not have fit in one plate at once.
Kashmir is not only famous for its beauty and serenity but the state also offers authentic non-vegetarian dishes. Kashmiri food is mild in taste and rich in flavour with 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!
Here is a list of some of the most popular Kashmiri food dishes which everyone must try at least once in their lifetime:
Rogan Josh
A must-try dish for all the lamb or meat lovers, Rogan Josh, an aromatic lamb dish is one of the signature recipes of Kashmiri cuisine. It was introduced in India with the arrival of the Mughals.
Robust with flavours of browned onions, various spices and yoghurt, it is a very healthy low-fat dish. Try it with rice or naan and you will yearn for more.
Matschgand
Let the aroma of Kashmiri cuisine seduce your taste buds. Again a dish for the meat-eaters, go ahead and try Matschgand if you wish to see the gluttony side of your personality!
Matschgand is actually a dish of minced meatballs which is cooked in spicy red gravy. And it indeed is a dish which can totally seduce your taste buds!
Dum Aloo
While most of the Kashmiri cuisine dishes are non-vegetarian, there is something very special prepared with potatoes for pure vegetarians --
Dum Olav or Dum Aaloo, one of the most famous dishes of Kashmiri food.
Dum Aaloo is cooked with yoghurt, ginger powder, fennel and other hot spices to give it a unique flavour and aroma. You can have it with chapatis or naan to get the most out of this all-time favourite and popular Kashmiri cuisine dish.
Modur Pulav
Modhur 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.
This dish is sweet, flavoured and healthy with saffron as the main spice which gives it beautiful colour and taste. And this saffron is also grown in Kashmir itself. The distinctive taste of this pulav is unlike something you've ever tasted before. Just taste once and you will be left craving for more.
Yakhni or Yoghurt Lamb Curry
If you wish to taste an authentic Kashmiri delicacy, then you must taste Yakhni which is lamb cooked in yoghurt based gravy. Yakhni is flavoured with mawal flowers, black and green cardamoms, onion paste and dry mint leaves with aromatic fennel seeds. Have it with well-cooked rice to enjoy the true flavour of this mouthwatering Kashmiri dish.
We wish you a pleasant evening of treating your taste buds!
