Srinagar: A Culinary Paradise
Kashmir is home to some of the most delicious culinary dishes in India. Follow along to explore more about authentic kashmiri cuisine and delicacies that I ate during my stay in Srinagar.
Jammu and Kashmir is the crown jewel of India. The traditional cuisine here is a unique confluence of many techniques because of its geographical location. The region has seen lots of changes in the previous few centuries. As a result, the cuisine has forged some interesting fusions that make the food truly unique and remarkable.
After my trek in Kashmir, I had kept a few days in hand to explore Srinagar. We had been eating modest veg food throughout our trek. By the end of the trek, some of us hardcore foodies were feeling that urge to explore the local cuisine which is dominated by non-veg food. Despite the camp leader's warning on Sunday night, four of us escaped and somehow found a vehicle that took us into the city (we were staying on the outskirts in Dachigam). One of us had stumbled upon an amazing place that served lip-smacking Wazwan. The driver drove like an F1 driver (with zero regards for traffic rules). That was quite thrilling! After 20 minutes, we arrived at a restaurant called Salaam-E-Wazwan. The owner welcomed us with a warm smile and gave us a table. Without wasting time, we gave our order for two Wazwan thalis among four of us.
One Wazwan consisted of:
Lamb Seekh Kebab
Methi Maaz
Rista
Gushtaba
Rogan Josh
Rice
Wazwan is a traditional Kashmiri multi-course meal. The word itself means “setting up a feast in the host's courtyard”. ‘Waz’ means cooks. According to historical references, Taimur brought his Waza (cooks) from Samarkand (Uzbekistan), and these cooks beautifully amalgamated the persian, turkish, and afghan cooking techniques to develop some of the Kashmiri cuisine. It is usually served on a copper plate. The first bite took everyone to heaven. Words cannot do enough justice to what we ate. The meat was juicy, tender, and flavourful. It melted effortlessly in the mouth. On the other hand, each gravy had its own distinct flavour. The rista was spicy (dominated by Kashmiri mirch) and Gushtaba was tangy. The quantity of meat was more than enough. My personal favourite was Methi Maaz. All of us left the place with their souls satisfied. The food tasted even more delicious after the gruelling 100km trek.
Next morning, everyone left the base camp and had their flights back home except (of course) me. This was also the first time I was truly going to explore and travel alone in an unknown city. If you go on the internet and read legacy media, you will think Srinagar is an unsafe city. I still believe in experiencing a place on my own before forming any opinions. That day, I left with our other trek participants to explore Dal Lake and later to Lal chowk. We all went to a restaurant in the afternoon and it turned out to be a veg dining place. Me and my friend wanted to eat something local (read: non-veg) so I opened Google maps app. Luckily a highly recommended place was at a stone’s throw. We both went there to satisfy our taste buds. Imran Cafeteria is modest place with a capacity of barely 10-15 people sitting at once.
We ate the following one after another:
Mutton kebab
Chicken kebab
Trout fish kebab
These were served with lavasa (a local roti/ bread) and four types of curd based chutneys along with an onion salad. The kebabs were melting in the mouth effortlessly and were great on their own. What elevated the experience were the accompanying chutneys. We feasted on them until we couldn't anymore. I remember ordering the mutton kebabs twice. They were that good. My friend thanked me for taking him to this wonderful place. I was happy too! Nothing makes a foodie happier than going to such places and another foodie complimenting the food. Our bill also came to a modest Rs. 800. Then we went to a sweets shop called Gulab Sweets. We had rabdi which was too good. In the evening, everyone went to the airport and I returned to my hotel. I decided not to go out and had simple food at the hotel.
Next morning I came across a cute place called Cafe Chai Jaai. Perhaps the most instagrammable cafe I have visited. It is an immaculately designed cafe on the banks of Jhelum river that has become a local favorite in no time. I tried the following despite the menu having a lot of variety of foreign dishes.
Mughal Tea with Sheermal
Noon Chai with Sweet Kulcha
Zaffrani Kahwa with Gulkand
Except for the Noon Chai, I liked everything. I was aware that Noon Chai is a local favorite and an absolute must try beverage but I found it a little too odd for my taste buds. The combo of hot and salty was just too much for me. I found this cafe a bit expensive but that's understandable as they cater to a specific crowd. That day I went to the legendary Ahdoo’s Restaurant for lunch. It is a century-old restaurant and bakery in the heart of Srinagar. Opened in 1919, this place has stood the test of time so it was high up my list. The place is known for its delicious cuisine. I ordered a Trami (local name for thali) that consisted of several dishes that I chose from the menu.
Lamb Seekh Kebab
Methi Maaz
Tabak Maaz
Rista
Gushtaba
Rogan Josh
Chicken Yakhni
Nadru Yakhni
Saag ki sabji
Rice
It came with a side serving of an onion pickle. Everything on the plate had its own unique taste. The rice had come in a beautifully embroidered copper plate. This is as authentic as it can get. The quantity proved to be a little too much for me alone but I finished it. I was so impressed that I went to Ahdoo’s again for my final meal in Srinagar. I had Lahabi kebab and a butter naan. Both were impressive. Lahabi is a lamb kebab served in a spicy gravy of garam masala, chilli powder nutmeg powder and other condiments / spices. The naan was delicious and light on Stomach (which is so unlike naan). Ahdoo’s has a cafe on the ground floor. I had heard only good things about their bakery products so purchased some almond cookies and the walnut tart to satisfy my sweet tooth.
The tart was not overly sweet and hit all the right notes. I couldn't have enough of it. The almond cookies were so good that even my sister (who doesn't like dry fruits in cookies) also loved them. Ahdoo’s was clearly a great find on that trip. Too bad that they don't ship their bakery products all over India. They can definitely give the best cafes in Indian cities, a run for their money.
Another place I visited in Srinagar was Shakti Sweets whose chhole bhature and paneer jilebi was great. It was my first time having a paneer Jilebi. Though sweet, it is heavy on the stomach (especially after eating chhole bhature). There were many other places on my list but I couldn't visit them due to time crunch. This is one of the drawbacks of exploring alone. You can only eat so much. There is always a next time though. I am glad I could explore the culinary landscape of Kashmir to some extent. It is truly a unique place and one worth going back to!