Jammu and Kashmir is located in the northernmost part of the country. Kashmir is known for its beauty and its vast stretches of mountains. It also offers lip-smacking food items as well. Kashmiri food is mainly non-vegetarian but there are a few vegetarian dishes as well. This article brings to you some of the food items of Jammu and Kashmir.
1.Rogan Josh
This is a famous Kashmiri cuisine which was introduced by the Mughals. It is made of lamb and is one of the low-fat dishes. It is a must-try item in Kashmir. It has the mouth-watering taste of browned onions, yoghurt and various spices.
2.Yakhni Or Yoghurt Lamb Curry
This is one of the traditional Kashmiri delicacies. Lamb cooked in yoghurt and flavoured with mawal flowers, cardamoms, onion, mint leaves and fennel seeds. This is a must-try traditional dish in Kashmir.
3.Dum Olav
This is nothing but Dum Aloo cooked in yoghurt, ginger, fennel seeds and other spices. This dish is a famous vegetarian dish in Kashmir. The addition of yoghurt gives it a unique flavour and that of spices makes it hot. If you are a vegetarian, you must try this.
4.Matschgand
It is an aromatic, spicy and mouth-watering dish for meat-lovers. The ingredients include minced meatballs which become so soft after cooking such that the meatballs melt when put them into the mouth.
5.Kashmiri MujiGaad
It is a dish which is made by using fish with radish and lotus stem. Lotus stem gives it a unique taste and the spices added make it hot and spicy and also adds to the flavour and the aroma of the item. It is usually prepared during festivals, usually during “Gaada Bata” celebrated during December.
6.Aab Gosht
Kashmiri people like mutton. Mutton forms a part of their meal almost every day. This dish is a famous one made of red meat, milk and some spices like cardamoms and black pepper, giving it a unique taste. If you are a meat-lover, you should try this item.
7.Goshtaba
Popularly known as “the dish for the Kings”, this item is mostly prepared on royal occasions. Kashmiris make Goshtaba using minced meat, flavoured yoghurt and spices. The aroma will draw you to taste this food and will leave you with a lip-smacking experience.
8.Modur Pulav
Kashmiris prepare a unique kind of sweetened rice known as ModurPulav. The Kashmiris use several ingredients for its preparation, the main ones being: saffron, milk, cashew nuts, almonds, cardamom, sugar and ghee. Saffron gives it a unique taste and colour, and once you have it, you will want more of it. Kashmir is the largest producer of Saffron also.
9.Lyodur Tschaman
This is another famous vegetarian dish made of paneer or cottage cheese. This item is pure vegetarian one. The people there do not use onion or garlic in this preparation. If you are a vegetarian, you need not be sad about the wide variety of non-vegetarian dishes that you get here. You can try this which forms a part of their staple diet.
10.Momos
This is another well-known food item in Kashmir. Even though it is not a traditional dish of Kashmir, it is well-liked here. Along with the main ingredients, some local ingredients are also added which gives it a unique taste. It is usually served with a spicy sauce and is worth the try.
11.Thukpa
This preparation is another famous dish available in the Leh region. It is vegetable soup which is thick and is vegetable-based. This is also not a traditional dish of Kashmir but is very popular here and is eaten by almost the whole of Kashmir.
12.Herbal Tea
Ladakh is the land of monks and monasteries. To keep the bodies warm, the monks serve this tea which is made of fresh green tea leaves, salt and butter. In addition to keeping the body warm, it also has numerous health benefits. You should try this tea once if you happen to visit Ladakh.
13.Skyu
Skyu is made of wheat flour or atta. The flour is then made into small pieces of thumb-shaped things and cooked in water. These pieces are then cooked with vegetables or meat and are very popular in Kashmir. It forms one of their staple diets.
14.Khambir And Butter Tea
These two dishes are unique to Kashmir. You don’t get them anywhere else in the country. Khambir is local bread made in the shape of a pan and has a thick crust. It is made of local whole wheat. Butter tea is made of green leaves, salt and butter. Khambir is served especially with butter tea, and it tastes heavenly. It is a must-try item because of its uniqueness.
15.Paba And Tangdur
This is also a traditional dish of Kashmir, especially of the Ladakh region, and is very healthy. Paba is madeof peas and wheat, and Tangdur is nothing but buttermilk made with fresh wild vegetables. It is also a must-try item.
16.Thenthuk
It is noodle soup dish which is made using vegetables, mutton or yak meat and wheat flour. It is a filling food item.and so Kashmiris usually have it during lunch or dinner. Some people confuse Thenthuk to be Thukpa, but they are different. They are not only different in taste but their preparation is also different.
17.Butter Tea
An important part of the Kashmiri cuisine, Butter Tea is prepared by adding butter, salt and pieces of Yak meat to tea. This tea is exclusive to Kashmir. If you are a tea-lover, you must not forget to try this. This tea forms a major part of their evening snack, and it tastes heavenly.18
18.Chaaman
If you happen to attend a birthday party, marriage or any festival in Kashmir, you are sure to find this dish on your menu. The Kashmiris make cottage cheese (paneer) at home, fry it and then cook it in turmeric powder which gives it a yellow colour. Hence, this food item is also called yellow paneer.
19.Tomul Chhot
These are nothing but rice flour rotis. They are not heavy but are very light when eaten. Once eaten during lunch and dinner as a staple food item, it is now mostly eaten during the evening as a snack with sheer chai, exclusively found in Kashmir.
20.Sheer Chai
Sheer means salt. Hence, this dish is also known as noon chai (salted tea). It is a unique kind of tea made with special tea leaves, pistachios, almonds and baking soda. It is pink in colour which makes it even more attractive, and when you taste it, it tastes heavenly. This tea is also exclusive to Kashmir and is a must-try thing here.
