Kashmiri Cuisine

Kashmiri food is cooked with lots of spices and yoghurts, despite the fact that most of the food is mutton and chicken based. Being light on the stomach, it is liked by young kids as well as senior citizens.

Talking about Kashmiri foods, Mr. Rahul Sharma, F&B Manager, Poush - Essence of Kashmir, Mumbai, says, “Kashmiri foods are authentic food, mostly the meat products. Even in Maharashtra, Kashmiri foods are gaining popularity. About 80% of the customers are Maharashtrians and the rest are from diverse backgrounds, including Kashmiris, who are repeat customers.”

He further adds, “Some of the dishes that are liked by the Maharashtrians are ‘Kabargah’ (a mutton dish), ‘Nadier Palak Tikki’ (a vegetable dish), ‘Kukkoor Kanti’ (a chicken dish) and Roghan Chaman. ‘Dum aloo’ is the most preferred dish among vegetarians, which is especially cooked in Kashmiri style for 12 hours. People’s demand and liking of the traditional Kashmiri cuisine is so much that we do not need to tweek its recipes.”

Talking about the competition from international brands in India and their affect on Kashmiri cuisine, Ms. Pearl Khan, Owner, Kitchen Kashmiri, adds “The history of the traditional cuisine of Kashmir dates back to the 15^th century; it is royal banquet for a feast meant for kings and emperors. Take for example, Wazwan which is a royal multi-cuisine comprising of 36 dishes. Even though people are trying to bring in new menu trends and demanding a broader palate, this will not have an effect on the Kashmiri cuisine; rather the cuisine is further getting enhanced with their experiments.”

Talking about the future of Kashmiri cuisine in the face of competition from international brands, she affirms that people – be it foreigners or Indians from other diverse backgrounds – are and will constantly generate a taste for traditional Kashmiri cuisine.