Gustabha

Gustabha, a palette of meatballs cooked in flavourful mutton and yoghurt gravy, is a Kashmiri meat delicacy often referred to as the ‘Dish of the Royals’. The origins of this signature Kashmiri serving dates back to the 15th century when Timur Lane invaded India through the Kashmir region. In his voyage for conquest, Timur brought along with him cooks from Samarkand who were masters of their culinary art and probably the ingenious minds behind the modern dish.

Today, Gustabha is more often a celebratory offering, prepared on important occasions in Kashmir. It is a compulsory meat preparation for all Wazwan feasts and is one of the 26 hand-chosen authentic Kashmiri delicacies that together make up the traditional Wazwan platter. The Gustabha is served as the last meat item before dessert, indicating a special place for this very delicate and exotic meat dish in every Kashmiri heart.

The making of the Gustabha needs a lot of attention and finesse in culinary skills. It requires an acute understanding of the balance of spices and ingredients as also their manifests in the final dish. No doubt the dish has earned its reputation of being a royal serving. To make the Gustabha, boneless meat is extracted from the 'rann' or leg of the animal and pounded with a wooden pestle, preferably on stone. Cayenne, fennel, ginger and whole garam masala spices, especially green pods of cardamom, are added and pounded along with the meat and fat to a thick paste, which is then rolled into balls and set aside. The gravy is a thickened spicy yoghurt curry laden with the flavours and aromas of garam masala tempered with ginger garlic paste. The meat balls are then released into the gravy and slowly cooked to ensure that flavours permeate the meat and it reaches the right consistency.

Once complete, the final touch involves adding pre-fried powdered onion and crushed dried mint leaves. The Gustabha, today served in restaurants across India and the world, is truly reminiscent of the land of Kashmir and its culinary diversity.