The Kashmiri gastronomic trail is heavily influenced by the food practices of Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The Mughals brought a lot of recipes to Kashmir, where people learned how to interpret these recipes as per the local produce. This led to the development of authentic Kashmiri cuisine, which is a hybrid of Indian cuisine and the cuisine of Persia.
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Kashmiri cuisine is all about opulence. Other than having an area of main course dishes such as dum aloo, Rogan, Josh, Kashmiri yakhni lamb curry, and many more, there are also a lot of side dishes in the cuisine. Chutneys are a famous side dish not only in Kashmir but also throughout India. In this article, one will get to know about the special kinds of chutneys that can be prepared in the beautiful valleys of Kashmir.
* Mouj-e Choute
This is the Kashmiri-style Mooli ki chutney. Some people also like to call it Muj chutin. It is made by using some fresh radishes, curd, cumin seeds, salt, red chilli powder, green chillies, and coriander leaves. A person has to first grate the radishes properly and then add them to a bowl of curd before beating the curd properly. Now salt, as per taste, along with roasted cumin seeds, green chillies, red chilli powder, and green coriander, can be mixed inside the mixture. All of this has to be mixed properly before being served. The fresh Kashmiri-style radish chutney is prepared by following these simple steps.
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* Doon Chetin
Doon chetin is the local name for the walnut chutney that is prepared in Kashmir, which produces one of the best varieties of walnuts found in India. This chutney can be consumed with different types of snacks as it has a very nutty taste. To make this chutney, one has to take half a cup of walnuts, salt, green chillies, fresh mint leaves, finely chopped onions, black cumin, 5 tablespoons of thick curd and red chilli powder. All of these ingredients have to be put inside a mixer jar and blended until there is a smooth texture. This chutney can be served with different types of Tandoori dishes and fried snacks.
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* Gand Chetin
Gand Chetin is a Kashmiri-style onion chutney that is extremely popular in Kashmiri feasts and can be prepared quickly by a simple tickling process. It has a crunchy texture and savoury and tarty flavours. To make this chutney, one needs to have some red onions thinly sliced along with green chillies, green coriander, black cumin, dry mint, red chilli powder, and organic vinegar. The onions need to be salted an hour before making the chutney and left in a corner. Before mixing it with other ingredients, they have to be washed properly under the water. Once the onions are washed properly, they can be mixed with other ingredients and refrigerated for a few minutes before being served.
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* Kashir Tamatar Chetin
Kashir tamatar chetin refers to the spicy and tangy Kashmiri-style tomato chutney. It has very bold and spicy flavours and is made by using a lot of Kashmiri red chilli powder. Other ingredients that are used to prepare this chutney include fennel seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and a lot of juicy tomatoes. One can also add some curry leaves, turmeric powder, and some mustard oil. To make the chutney, one has to first dry roast spices, like cinnamon, cardamom, fennel seeds, and cloves, on a low flame. Now, one must add other spices, like turmeric powder, curry leaves, and cumin seeds, to the pan. The thinly sliced tomatoes should be added inside the pan, and it should be let cook until they become mushy. The final step is to add some red chilli powder and salt.
* Choonth Chetin
Chhonth Chetin is the tangy apple chutney made from the most selected variety of the famous Kashmiri apples. It is a very important part of the Kashmiri thali and is made by using fresh apples, sugar, ginger, salt, raisins, chilli powder, and some vinegar. One has to heat a pan and add some diced apples along with sugar inside it. A little bit of water can be added to dissolve the sugar. Once the water starts evaporating, the person may add chopped ginger along with salt. This has to be cooked on a medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes. The final step is to add reasons, chilli powder and vinegar and let it cook for a couple of minutes. The apples will melt into the mixture, and the consistency can be adjusted with the help of a spoon.
