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For centuries, Kashmiri cuisine has attracted people from the world over for its exquisite flavours and richness. Sadly, in fast-paced times such as these, the true Wazwan experience is losing relevance even in the Valley. Wazwan is the famous Kashmiri sit-down meal, comprising a range of dishes. The word ‘Wazwan’ is derived from two words, ‘Waj/Wazei’, which means a cook and ‘Waan’, which means a shop. So, when you put them together, you get ‘cookshop.’ It is said that the idea of the meaty feast came to India in the 14th century with Timur. Many craftsmen, sculptors and cooks also migrated to Kashmir during this time, giving rise to a high culture of hospitality and service. These cooks who migrated from Samarkand to Kashmir changed the culinary map of the region and gave birth to the Wazwan.
It is a large feast designed to greet and honour guests. It takes many days to plan and countless hours to prepare. Usually, it is prepared for festivals and weddings. A trami, a huge metal plate, is shared by four individuals who sit on the floor. Everyone washes their hands with warm water from a bowl known as a tash-t-nari before eating. Then, in little pots, rice is served with various meat dishes, yoghurt, and chutney.
The head cook, known as the waza, keeps an eye on everything and carefully prepares each meal using fresh ingredients. With up to 36 dishes, the royal Wazwan is the most extravagant. Skilled chefs spend the entire night preparing many of these meat delicacies. But for a true Royal Wazwan, 7 meat dishes are sure to appear at the table. And while Kashmiri cuisine has a wide array of vegetarian delicacies to explore, these are the ones that make the meal fit for a king.
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Tabakh Maz
Tabak Maaz is a traditional Kashmiri dish made with tender lamb ribs. The ribs are marinated in a flavorful mixture of yoghurt and spices, then deep-fried until crispy and golden. The dish is known for its rich and aromatic flavours, with the yoghurt marinade adding a tangy and creamy element to the tender meat. Tabak Maaz is often served as an appetiser or as part of a Kashmiri feast, and it pairs well with rice or naan bread.
Rista
A flavourful red meatball curry, Rista, is one dish that is at the heart of this multi-course meal. Any Wazwan would be incomplete without this famous Kashmiri dish. The meatballs are made with minced meat, spices, and a binding agent like gram flour. The gravy is infused with aromatic spices like fennel, ginger, and Kashmiri red chilli powder, giving it a unique and vibrant taste.
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Rogan Josh
A signature dish of the Kashmiri Pandit cuisine, Rogan Josh is a lamb-based curry that is cooked with a blend of spices such as ginger, garlic, and red chilli powder. The key to its distinct flavour lies in the use of saffron, which gives the curry its deep red color and an exquisite aroma. The tender pieces of lamb are slow-cooked in a rich and flavorful gravy until they fall off the bone. This dish is often served with steamed rice or naan bread.
Dhaniwal Korma
This is another mutton delight from the land of Kashmir. The term dhaniwal means coriander, which means this recipe uses a generous amount of coriander along with nut paste and spices like cardamom, cloves, pepper, and saffron. You can relish this rich and creamy dish with khamiri roti, Kashmiri pulao, or rice. The earthy warmth of ginger powder. The mellow heat of peppercorn. The fragrance of whole spices. The sweet aroma of saffron. An overload of fresh coriander leaves. This is food heaven.
Aab Gosht
This brings us to another creamy delight from the Kashmiri lunch table, aab gosht. Aab refers to water in Punjabi and Urdu, while gosht refers to mutton or lamb. They come together to form aab gosht, where the gravy is silky and thin at the same time. For those untouched by the phenomenon, aab gosht is a kind of milk-based mutton curry that is common in the Kashmiri fare. Succulent pieces of tender mutton are dunked in a gravy made with milk and simmered ona low flame so that the juices of the meat easily transfuse with the curry. This flavourful curry made from milk often sees a hint of black pepper and cardamom.
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Marchwangan Korma
Marchwangan Korma is a delicious and aromatic Kashmiri dish made with tender lamb cooked in a rich and creamy sauce. The dish gets its name from the use of Kashmiri red chillies, which give it a vibrant red colour. The combination of spices like fennel seeds, ginger, and garlic adds a unique flavour to the dish. This korma is best served with steamed rice or naan bread.
Ghushtaba
This is the climax, served right at the end. People tend to eat fresh rice before digging into this curd-based creamy lamb meat curry so that the flavours do not get mixed up, and they can enjoy the ghushtaba thoroughly. This dish is prepared with minced meat that’s done with a wooden pestle, fat, cayenne, fennel, ginger, and some garam masala. It takes a long process of pounding the meat into a much softer texture into a paste form. The dish sees a spicy, rich gravy and as the meat balls gets cooked, it comes out to be a delectable dish.
Few families today have held on to the cooking and serving traditions of the Wazwan. This feast is an inevitable part of Kashmiri culture. So next time you visit Kashmir, find your Wazwan trail and dig into this historic meal.
