Chef Rukhsaar Sayeed On Kashmiri Cuisine & Dishes That Lie At Its Heart

For Kashmiris, food is heritage, hospitality, and survival. “Whether it is the grandeur of the wedding wazwan or the simplicity of a bowl of haak with rice, food is our way of showing love, celebrating seasons, and keeping our traditions alive,” said Rukhsaar Sayeed, who was the first Kashmiri contestant of MasterChef India and has been working towards keeping the culinary heritage of her land alive. 

She started cooking at the age of 9, helping her mother and grandmother and finally took over the kitchen as she grew older. “Kashmiri kitchens, also called daane kuth, are warm and intimate spaces where I spent much of my time not only witnessing my mother create magic but also keeping myself away from the harsh winter,” laughed Sayeed. 

Traditional kitchens also have enough space to store dried vegetables and pickles that sustain Kashmiris through the brutal winter months. The centrality of copper utensils and vessels is another significant aspect of Kashmiri cooking and eating. “While wedding feasts feature the trami (a large copper platter shared by four), everyday dining at home involves copperware like traam (a large, covered copper plate), baane, kaenz, and bushkaab,” said Sayeed. 

Copperware holds traditional and cultural significance in Kashmir and is one of the most essential gifts exchanged during festivities. “The tradition of four people sharing food from the same copper trami during a wedding is unique to our land and a symbol of unity,” explained Sayeed. She also mentioned that all Kashmiri households follow the practice of sitting cross-legged on the floor and eating from copper plates.

When I asked Sayeed about her favourite delicacies, she couldn’t help but furnish a long list. “If I have to pick one dish, I would say,  love teher, which is often cooked on festivals, is a Kashmiri version of yellow rice with turmeric and caramelised onions,” said Sayeed. 

She also mentioned that she enjoys dishes made using seasonal vegetables like tchok wangan (tangy brinjal curry), a humble and comforting dish that explains the essence of Kashmiri food. 

Some other standout dishes that Sayeed mentioned include gaade teh nadre (a Kashmiri fish curry featuring a delicious combination of fish and lotus stem),  dum aloo, nadur yakhni (lotus stem in yoghurt sauce), and harissa (deboned mutton and short-grain rice, mashed to a smooth paste-like consistency). 

A Step Closer To Understanding The Kashmiri Cuisine

Like their way of life, Kashmiri food also revolves around sustaining the people during the difficult months. Harissa is one of their most well-known winter dishes, a hearty porridge of slow-cooked meat and rice. Dried vegetables and dried fish are also eaten to provide warmth and sustenance. 

For Kashmiris, the Wazwan, a ceremonial, multi-course meal, is an intrinsic part of their culinary culture. They prepare it during festivals and most importantly, weddings. Some star dishes from this elaborate fare include rista (meatballs made from mutton or beef), tabak maaz (steamed and spiced lamb and sheep ribs, shallow fried in oil and served crisp), and goshtaba (meatball curry), which is also called the king of the Kashmiri Wazwan.

Besides serving as a pairing to meals, drinks like kehwa, shahi sheera (a traditional drink made using dried apricots), sadre kaenz, and noon chai (pink and salty tea) are also part of Kashmir’s everyday life and celebrations.

Kehwa is a green tea infused with saffron, cardamom, almonds, and dried rose petals. “While it is now a well-known tea among Indians, unlike common belief, it does not include cinnamon,” said Sayeed. 

According to Sayeed, sadre kaenz, made using fermented rice water, is a lost Kashmiri drink that deserves attention.

Talking about the ingredients that anchor the cuisine, Sayeed said, “the Kashmiri cuisine thrives on certain distinct ingredients like mawal (cockscomb flower) that is used to colour the dishes naturally, shahi zeera sourced from the Gurez valley adds a delicate aroma to the dishes in addition to Kashmiri red chillis, saffron, mustard oil, and seasonal vegetables and edible weeds like handd (dandelion greens) and tchochal (foxtail leaves).” Besides these, dry fruits like walnuts, almonds, and saffron are other staple ingredients of the cuisine.

Like the people of the land, the story of Kashmir’s cuisine is one of resilience. It not only supports Kashmiris to navigate harsh climatic conditions but brings them together, sometimes under difficult circumstances, to celebrate the big and small joys of life.   

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