Jammu Kashmir food recipes

1. Kashmiri Pulao

Ingredients:

• 500gm long grain (Basmati) rice
• 2 cups of boiled mixed vegetables (pea, carrot, cauliflower, capsicum) (cut in small cube)
• 1 cup of mixed fruits (pomegranate, apple, grapes, raisins) (cut in small cube)
• 100gm onion (sliced)
• 10 gm whole garam masala
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• A pinch of saffron
• 1/2 cup of  milk
• 1/2 cup of chopped walnut
• 1/2 cup of cashew nut
• 50 gm vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt to taste
• 1litre water

Preparation:

1. Wash the rice properly and soaked in water about 10 min.
2. Heat the ghee in a pan, sauté the bay leaf, whole garam masala, cumin seeds, fry it well.
3. Add soaked rice and fry it for 2-3 min.
4. Add milk, sugar, salt and half cup of water and let it boil.
5. Shimmer with cover until cooked.
6. After that mix with fruits, vegetables, dry fruits and stir properly.
7. Remove from gas and sprinkle few drops of rose water.
8. Enjoy the Kashmiri pulao.

2. Zarda / Zafrani Pulao

Ingredients:

• 500 gm Basmati rice
• 100 gm sugar
• 1/2 cup of almond (chopped)
• 1/2 cup of cashew nut
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• A pinch of saffron
• 1/2 cup of ghee

Preparation:

1. Wash the rice properly and soaked in water about half an hour.
2. After that drain the water properly and keep the rice aside.
3. Heat the ghee in a heavy pan and add rice and fry it for 4-5 min.
4. Add sugar, nutmeg powder, cardamom powder, saffron and 3 cups
   of water and half cup of milk and stir it properly.
5. Cook it for 15 min in a medium flame with cover.
6. When the water is totally absorbed, add almond & cashew and stir it properly.
7. Zarda or Zafrani Pulao is ready to serve.

3. Kulcha

Ingredients:

• 100 gm butter
• 500 gm white flour
• 100 gm semolina (suji)
• 100ml warm milk
• 2 tablespoon veg. oil
• 1 teaspoon dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2-3 tablespoon plain curd
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Salt to taste
• Lukewarm water or milk for kneading the dough

Preparation:

1. Soak semolina in the warm milk for half an hour.
2. Soak yeast and sugar in little warm water and keep aside for 5 min.
3. Sieve flour and mix it with salt to taste.
4. Make a hole in the centre of the flour and put the curd, baking powder,
   suji mixture, yeast solution, oil and mix gradually.
5. Knead to a soft stiff dough with warm water or milk and keep aside for 2-3
   hours with cover.
6. Make an equal sized balls and roll it into slightly thick rotis.
7. Grill it in tandoor till golden spots appear.
8. Every kulcha are polish with butter and serve with Chicken curry orPaneer curry.

4. Kashmiri Dum Alu

Ingredients:

• 500 gm small-sized potatoes
• 5-6 dried kashmiri red chilies
• 2 cups of yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 teaspoon dried ginger powder
• 2 tablespoon fennel powder
• A pinch of clove powder
• A pinch of asafoetida
• 1/2 cup of mustard oil
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder

Preparation:

1. Peel the potatoes and prick them all over with the help of a fork, keep in salted water for 15-20 min.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry the potatoes on medium flame till golden brown.
3. Make a paste of dried kashmiri red chilies.
4. Whisk the yogurt with kashmiri red chili paste, cardamom powder, dry ginger powder and fennel powder.
5. Heat mustard oil in a pan sauté the asafoetida and clove powder.
6. Add half a cup of water and salt and bring to a boil.
7. Add the yogurt mixture and bring it to a boil.
8. Add fried potatoes and cook till the potatoes absorb the gravy and oil floats on top.
9. Remove from gas & garnished with freshly roasted cumin powder and garam masala powder.
10. Serve hot with Kulcha or Rumali Roti.

5. Rogan Josh

Ingredients:

• 500 gm mutton (washed & cut in big pieces)
• 2 big onions (grated)
• 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 cup of beaten curd
• 1 teaspoon deggi mirch**
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 15-16 almonds
• 4-5 cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
• 2 black cardamoms
• A pinch of mace
• A pinch of nutmeg
• 5 green cardamoms (crushed)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon red chili powder
• 8-10 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• 1/2 cup of ghee
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Roast coriander, cumin, poppy seeds, almonds, black cardamoms, pepper, cloves, mace and deggi mirch in a pan.
2. Grind the roasted ingredients to a paste along with ginger, garlic and nutmeg, adding a little water.
3. Heat ghee in a big pan, sauté the bay leaves, cinnamon and green cardamoms and stir for a few seconds.
4. Add the onions and fry till golden brown.
5. Add the ground paste, tomatoes, turmeric and chili powder.
6. Fry it well till the gravy turns thick, now add the curd and mix till well blended.
7. When oil starts separating, add the meat, salt and sugar and cook till the meat is lightly browned.
8. Add a cup of warm water and mix well and let it come to a boil.
9. Close the pan and simmer on low heat till the meat is well cooked.
10. When gravy becomes thick, remove from gas.
11. Serve hot.

6. Rista (Meat-balls with red gravy)

Ingredients:

• 1 kg boneless mutton from the leg
• 1 cup of  mutton fat
• 1 cup of moval** extract
• 1 teaspoon saffron (soaked in a cup of water)
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried ginger powder
• 4 black cardamoms
• 3 black fennel powder
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 3 cloves
• 2 pieces cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon asafoetida powder
• 1 cup of mustard oil
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Pound boneless meat on a smooth stone with a wooden mallet and add the
   meat fat while pounding.
2. Make sure the pulp is mixed well to make the round balls.
3. Add brown cardamom powder, a little salt and 1 teaspoon ginger powder.
4. After mixing well make round balls about 3 inches diameter.
5. Heat oil in a large, heavy pan, sauté salt, asafoetida and a glass of water and red chili powder.
6. Keep on stirring until it leaves the red colour.
7. Add about 8 glasses of water and the rest of the spices and bring to a boil.
8. While the gravy is boiling add meat balls slowly and gently boil for an hour.
9. Add the moval extract and simmer for 15 minutes.
10. Serve with steaming plain rice.

Moval is a dried flower available only in Kashmir. Generally it is used for coloring dishes. To prepare moval
extract- soak moval in a cup of water for about an hour, drain and store. As an alternative we may use saffron
extract. Soak 1 tsp saffron in a cup of water and add to the dish.

7. Shami Kebab

Ingredients:

• 1 kg mutton (minced)
• 1 cup black gram (chana dal)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 10-12 red chili pods
• 4 black cardamoms
• 12-13 black peppercorns
• 12 cloves garlic
• 1 piece cinnamon stick
• 1 small piece of ginger 
• 2-3 tablespoon plain curd
• 1 Egg (beaten)
• Salt to taste
• Vegetable oil (as needed - for frying)

For stuffing:

• 1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• 1 bunch of fresh mint leaves (finely chopped)
• 1 large onion (finely chopped)
• 1 small piece of ginger (finely chopped)
   

Preparation:

1. Pour 5 cups of water in a pan, add beef, washed lentils, all of the dry spices, plain yogurt, ginger, and garlic.
2. Boil mixture on medium heat until the meat becomes tender.
3. Remove from heat, let it cool.
4. Meanwhile prepare the stuffing.
5. Mix all of the chopped ingredients, onion, ginger, coriander leaves, and mint leaves together.
6. Grind beef mixture in a food processor and pour in the beaten egg and knead well.
7. Break off 1 tablespoon of the mince paste, wet your palm and place it in the center of your palm.
8. Shape it into a smooth ball, and indent the center with your thumb and press a little of the stuffing mixture into this.
9. Fold the sides over carefully and reshape into a smooth half flat round shape.
10. Repeat this with the remaining mince.
11. Heat a heavy based frying pan and add just enough oil to cover the surface.
12. Add 3 to 4 kebabs at a time and fry on low heat to a crisp golden color on both sides.

8. Phirni (a sweet dish of milk & rice)

Ingredients:

• 1 litre Milk
• 100 gm Basmati (half ground rice powder)
• 150 gm sugar
• 1-2 cardamom (ground)
• 2-3 tablespoon Rose water
• 1/2 cup of Raisins (wash)
• 1/2 cup of Cashew nut (chopped)
• 1/2 cup of Almond & Pistachio (chopped)

Preparation:

1. Boil the milk until it reduces to 1/2 of its original volume.
2. Add rice powder with milk and cook it well.
3. Add sugar, raisins, cashew nut, cardamom and mix well.
4. Stir it continuously otherwise it will form lumps.
5. When the mixture becomes thick add rose water.
6. Keep the phirni in a glass bowl and garnish with chopped almond & pistachio.
7. Enjoy the cold Phirni as a dessert after dinner.